Sneak Peek | Krista + Ben | Wind & Sea Estate | Big Sur | Destination Wedding

Congratulations to Krista + Ben who flew in to California all the way from Sydney, Australia to tie the knot in Big Sur this weekend at the breathtaking Wind & Sea Estate. Have an amazing honeymoon in Paris! 

Event Planning: A Day Like No Other | Hair and Make Up: Miabel | Dress: Jenny Packham, Nouvelle Vogue | Rentals: Chic Events | Linens: Napa Valley Linens | Guitarist and DJ: Richard DeVinck | Catering: Feel Good Foods | Florals: Green Petal Designs | Photography: Sandra Fazzino 

Samantha + Michael | An Intimate Rosewood Hotel & Resort Wedding

Two people who see the light in each other and who embrace life with tender love. Wishing Samantha and Michael many blessings! xo

Venue and Caterer: Rosewood Hotel and Resort, Menlo Park // Officiant: Jonathan Arnell, friend of the couple // Florals: Hit and Run Flowers // Stationary: Rifle Paper Co. // Brides Dress: Ted Baker // Hair and Make up: Christina Aguayo and Elaine Benson for Alex Chases Salon

Kristin and Alex | San Diego Sunset Cliffs Engagement Session

I would like to thank the very gorgeous and kind Kristin and Alex for inviting me to step outside of my comfort zone by flying me to San Diego to photograph their engagement session.

The light, the environment - it was all new to me - and it was a great way to push myself behind the camera. In fact, not only was the e-session a new opportunity, but I had to acclimate to other things, too, like flying Southwest. Um, no assigned seating?! Don't they know how rigid I am and how much I need absolute order? And a party on the plane?! Yeah, I'll just stay here huddled against the window utterly consumed by my book. And can we talk about climbing down a steep cliff to get to the desired location?! Camera gear in tow?! When we wrapped up the session, Kristin didn't have a hair out of place, not a bead of sweat, no balmy skin. She looked just as beautiful as she did from the start. Meanwhile, I was a hot mess.

These two are as lovely as can be. They met on the campus at San Diego State University. Just as Alex thought he had had enough of the area, thought he knew it from front to back and was bored with it, Kristin took him to places he'd never seen. They fell in love, and they'll soon be married in the backyard of a dear family friend up in Healdsburg this fall.

Thank you so much for the fun adventure! xo

Memories of Napoli

One year ago today, we maneuvered through the narrow streets of Napoli and outward to the coastline capturing the love between Teresa and Stefano on the day before their Sorrento Wedding. My time in Italy lingers in the depth of my being beckoning me to return to that dwelling where passion and purpose are the rhythm of life.

Traditional Balsamic Tasting

Although every weekend for the rest of 2015 is booked out with weddings, travel, or special family celebrations, Alessandro and I managed to squeeze in one more fun and out of the ordinary experience last weekend - the one last free weekend that I had. And it was amazing! Together, with our friends, Steve and Vicky, we hosted a traditional balsamic tasting event for twenty-eight guests. Important sidenote: This was all Alessandro's idea. Never in my wildest dreams could one imagine him suggesting that we host such an evening! He is always cautioning me that I put too much on my plate, tend to overdue dinners, make too big a deal of hostessing, but this time the whole idea was his. Wow! Never saw this coming, truly! Not to mention, we had so much fun collaborating together. Sadly, I was too busy in the kitchen to actually photograph the pairings, but I did manage to capture a small essence just as we got the evening started. Here's what we did: 

Similar to champagne, only true traditional balsamic comes from one particular region, Alessandro's homeland of Emilia Romagna. While Alessandro gave a very informative presentation on how traditional balsamic is made, Vicky's daughters and I passed around small-bite pairings. We started with a straight up mini-spoonful of balsamic so that our friends could taste its depth and sweetness. Then, the following were paced throughout the night and drizzled with various grades of traditional balsamic vinegar... 

2nd tasting: chunks of parmigiano reggiano  

3rd tasting: mortadella slices

4th tasting: caprese salad 

5th tasting: roasted pork tenderloin

6th tasting: vanilla gelato with strawberries

desert: cannoli and ricotta torte

Relishing in these fun moments together. This is life for me - being in the company of friends and loved ones and sharing good foods al fresco.  

I hope you have a lovely weekend planned, but if you're working like me, I hope you are able to carve out some special time with people you love. 

xo

Kelly + Nick | San Francisco Wedding | Sneak Peek

I'm always excited when third and fourth generation San Francisco couples invite me to document their wedding day. It's icing on the cake when we share the same heritage. That is why I have lovingly named Kelly and Nick's special day, My Big Phat Sicilian Wedding. 300 of their closest friends and family celebrated their union at St. Peter and Paul Church and then ate, drank and danced the night away at Bimbo's 365 Club.

Every detail of the celebration holds meaning for this couple, but the one precious gift that blew me away was Kelly's wedding gown. Her grandfather thoughtfully set aside money for her before he passed away and let it be known that it was to be used towards her wedding dress. It was fitting then, that Nick realized how deeply he loved her right around the time of his passing. It's as if Kelly's grandfather whispered to him from heaven.

I love these two, and I hope this very small sneak peek holds you over until your final gallery is ready!

xo

This quintessential old world San Francisco wedding celebration was exquisitely made possible by the following vendors:

Wedding Planner: Dream A Little Dream Events / Photography: Sandra Fazzino / Ceremony: St. Peter and Paul Church / Venue: Bimbo's 365 Club / Catering: 49 Square Catering / Music: Boutique DJ's / Flowers: Huckleberry Karen Designs / Cake: Fillmore Bakeshop / Transportation: Classic Cable Cars and SF Minibus / Hair and Make Up: Dolled Up Dames / Dress: Jenny Packham via Nouvelle Vogue / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / A special thank you to the dynamic duo, my second shooters: Gorete Ferreira and Cyntia Apps

A Solute to My Father | Gone but Never Forgotten

I'm trembling as I begin this post and my eyes are welling up with tears, and the tissue box is close by.

Dear Dad,
Today, on the one year anniversary of your passing, I solute you. You were far from a saint. We would always say you could murder the pope right in front of grandma, and she would insist, "no was-a my-a son!" You volunteered to be a soldier at seventeen forced to kiss your father's feet in the presence of a priest so that he would sign the enlistment papers. You survived two tours while your best friend came home with a back full of shrap metal. You stole cars and conquered the art of being a master mechanic. You were crazy handsome, but claim you didn't know it even if you spent an hour in the bathroom quaffing your pompadour each day. You were tough. Your motto was, "Do as I say not as I do." You hated playing by the book. Life was so much more interesting if you could work around the system. You made sure I knew never to start a fight, but if someone ever laid a finger on me, I had your permission to finish one. You valued family and made sure we showed respect to our elders at all times. You worked hard rarely coming home for dinner, but then again your day usually started pretty late! You liked drugs and alcohol. Even seven years of sobriety couldn't convince you to live the better life. Your sense of friendship ran deep. You were loyal and caring. Saturday morning cartoons were your favorite time to jump on the couch and tease us. You were a movie buff! That's why each year for your birthday, we honor you with one of your favorite films and meals. You lived life hard, got knocked down, and threw a lot of punches, but you out survived all of your closest friends. That was hard for you. You missed them dearly. You had the coolest cars like the '57 Chevy and a Challenger. Your mom drove you crazy, especially when she would scream your name from the top porch and call you Sally instead of Sal. You believed in God even if you didn't believe in His love for you. You told us right from wrong even if you didn't show us. You weren't the best husband even if you were madly in love, but you were a devoted dad. You spoiled us. You could relate to rap music just as well as disco and country. You instilled your kids with a good work ethic. You took us fishing and let me bait my own hook with sand worms. You taught me how to make it through the hard times. You were so goofy. You loved a good laugh. You had a love/hate relationship with being Sicilian. You loved your culture but you didn't like being picked on when you were growing up for being Eye-talian. You were the son of two immigrant parents who didn't speak English and saved every penny they earned instead of buying you clothes or letting you play sports. You were all of this and so much more. You were one in a million. You were a character through and through. We miss you very much. We love you. May peace be with your soul, and may we see each other again on the other side. xo