Marc and Melanie had me at “black Vera Wang dress” and everything just went uphill from there. They live in San Francisco and had a unique, heartfelt and intimate destination wedding at the Viceroy in Palm Springs.

Venue: Viceroy Palm Springs
Event Planner: Celebrations of Joy
Flowers: Bobbe Vagell-Bova Design
Dress: Vera Wang
Tux: John Varvatos
Videographer: Max + Molly Films
Wedding Invitations: Twig and Fig

Thank you Melanie + Marc for sharing this amazing day with us!

M & M Swag bag.

Melanie gave Marc part of her dress and a special note.

We were told not to look this dog in the eyes or he’d freak out. This is him watching Melanie getting into her dress.

First look.

They didn’t have typical bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Marc got them all colorful socks.

Perfect example of how a first look doesn’t take away from the emotion of the ceremony. 

It was so adorable how they kept kissing during the ceremony!

Their customized cake topper on the cheese wheel “cake”. Such good cheese from Cowgirl Creamery in San Francisco. 

This wedding was full of everything to love: beautiful on the inside and out couple, great family and friends, super cool hotel details; just about everything I love in a wedding. We had thee best time, thanks to these awesome party people. And to top it off they wrote us an amazing love note!

Thank you Lindsey + Ben, your family and friends for being amazing!

Venue: Culver Hotel
Hair + Makeup: Brides by Melody
Flowers: Bed of Roses
Event Planner: Best Dream Weddings

Culver City hotel, classic Old Hollywood:

I love when the bridesmaids get emotional during getting ready.

Lindsey got Ben Pappy Van Winkle.

First Look.

Wizard of Oz Nerd Alert: This hotel housed the actors who played the munchkins from the Wizard of Oz, along with a lot of other Old Hollywood stars, so this spot has a green chair with a sparkly red pillow as a nod to the film.

Have I mentioned I love this hotel?

The ceremony took place in the Hotel Lobby. 

They served cocktails as the guests came in. 

Cocktail hour in the upstairs amazing bar.

More fancy cocktails. 

Old movie projections on the wall for the reception.

The Wizard of Oz pictures for the girls and guys restrooms. I love this too much!

The party was too fun to document on this blog. I’d have to post another 100 images! This party did not stop and every single person danced all night. The bride’s dad got us a glass of amazing wine and their family forced me to dance! So pretty much the best time ever. Thank you for making us feel like family!

It’s been so crazy with the Christmas rush that I haven’t even posted this amazing Culver Hotel wedding yet. But I had to share Lindsey’s amazing review on Yelp.

“Dana is beyond amazing! She was our photographer for our wedding in Oct. (along with her 2nd photographer Evan) and was perfect from the beginning. We started with an engagement shoot, which she made incredibly easy and fun. She is professional, responsive, always goes above in beyond, and adds unique touches to things like our flash drive for our photos, which really sets her apart. On our wedding day, her and Evan was just wonderful. They made us comfortable and fit in like they were good friends and part the of the wedding party. Our family and friends just love them.

Outside of all the wonderful things I could say about who Dana is as a person and professional (which I think is honestly crucial in looking to hire a wedding photographer) her photos are stunning. They are a perfect balance between artistic, unique and classic. She has an ability to retell the day through photography, which for us, was priceless.

I would highly recommend her for any and all photography needs; we found our photographer for life!”

Kristi + Josh are the fun couple that took me on my first LA Subway adventure when we shoot their engagement session all around downtown. Their wedding was another adventure, shooting all around the Marina with their ceremony and reception on a yacht. The wedding party was so much fun. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a groom laugh so much. A great time was had by all and the party did not stop!

Ceremony and Reception: Fantasea Yachts

We started at the hotel across the street from the Marina.

We walked across the street to do their first look. 

The girls peek at the first look.

These guys pretty much laughed their way through the day.

My gorgeous couple Antonio + Jamia that referred me to Kristi + Josh! 

View from the boat. 

Josh and the guys wait to come up the stairs for the ceremony. 

Congrats to Chaelyn + Noah who are getting even more love on the interwebs. Head on over to see the best new bridal inspiration out there, The Bridal Theory.

Click here to see more of their wedding.