I traveled down to San Francisco recently for Vivian & Carlo’s beautiful wedding at the San Mateo Marriott and Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. It still feels a bit like home there for me… after all, I’ve spent my whole life living in either the San Francisco Bay Area or the Seattle area, roughly half at each…  I have to admit, we haven’t seen a whole lot of sunshine here in the Pacific Northwest lately, so Spring-like wedding in January was a nice break from the cold. And with temperatures well into the 60s on the day of Vivian & Carlo’s wedding, it was almost Summer-like!

Vivian & Carlo got things started on their wedding day with some door games at Vivian’s home. These were challenges that Carlo and the guys would have to overcome in order to climb the many steps (literally – I think there were 4 floors!) leading to the top floor where Carlo’s bride-to-be would await.  Having photographed quite a number of weddings over the years, I’ve seen quite a few games or challenges that (usually the groom) would overcome in order to gain entry into the bride’s home, etc. Copious amounts of cash are usually crucial for these as well… 😉 But, I have to say, the bridesmaids really took these challenges to a whole new level!  Nevertheless, Carlo and the guys braved through a whole host of challenges, including push-ups, mystery hors d’oeuvres (trust me – these are not the variety that taste good!), leg waxing (I kid you not!),  to name but a few!  And in the end?  Well, I think you know how this story ends… I’ve pretty much given it away with the first image here as well…  😉  But do go on and peruse the images to see for yourself what an amazing couple these two are.  I think you’ll agree that all of those challenges were totally worth it!

Congratulations Vivian & Carlo! Thank you so much for the opportunity to photograph your beautiful wedding! We really had a wonderful time with you and your friends and family! Enjoy your first sneak peek and more to come soon!

I’m really not even sure what this “game” is called, but… you do get a marshmallow out of it!Something “tasty” after all that work to get here…!Carlo’s Mandarin pronunciation got him through to the next round!And then there was this…!Ouch. Seriously.
But it’s best to just yank it off and get it over with. Biting down on the cloth was a wise thing to do… Notice Carlo has two wax strips…But this isn’t over yet…!There were a lot of push-ups too!Success!!!Next, it was time for a more traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony.Followed by a change of outfits…And some photographs at the Palace of Fine Arts!