Matthias Photography » San Francisco Wedding Photography by Matthias Giezendanner

Dec . 10 . 2010

Cindy & George’s SFO Hyatt Wedding, Burlingame CA

On arriving at Cindy’s hotel room last Saturday  morning, I knew two things very quickly. The first being that Cindy was one of the happiest brides I’ve photographed all year, and the second being that there would be no lack of food and fun throughout the day (but with multiple popcorn flavors and a table full of exotic candy at the reception, the kid inside me immediately wanted to skip dinner).  Over the course of my time getting to know George and Cindy I’ve found them to be some of the warmest and generous people I’ve had the pleasure to interact with.  Their joyful spirits made this wedding day a gift to to everyone who attended and a reflection of what will be a beautiful marriage for years to come. 

Cindy’s Audrey Hepburn inspired hair was totally rocking. But in my mind no bride is more beautiful than the truly happy bride, which means Cindy was absolutely gorgeous.
The image below epitomizes for me why when I’m at a wedding I’m “on the clock.” Here, even while everyone else is relaxing waiting for the ceremony to happen, magic is just a shutter click away. 
Laughter and tears, and can I mention that George sang to his bride as part of his vows? I think he brought down the house.
It was a chilly day in December and that meant some cuddling. I love the image below, the way Cindy rests in George’s arms while he warms her up… and they thought I was changing lenses:).
Many thanks to Cindy, George, and their beautiful families. And thanks to the talented Luke Goodman for joining me. Finally, one of my favorites for the day.

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Josh Gruetzmacher

Beautiful photos! This is a really great set.

liza e.

Love these! They look so happy :0)

Marie

love love love the silhouettes. Really, I always do, but this set is awesome.

Cindy H

OMG this is so artistic!!! i didn’t think the Hyatt pix could turn out this good and romantic!! good job~

Dec . 3 . 2010

Leland & Karen, San Francisco City Hall and Mill Valley CA

Its not every day my clients fly across the Pacific to come hang out with me and my cameras. But Karen’s trek from Hong Kong was a little more than that. She was really here to spend Leland’s Thanksgiving break with him, and visit some of the significant places that have been a part of their relationship since they met while she was a summer student at UC Berkeley with him. We had a great afternoon traipsing through San Francisco’s gorgeous City Hall and then head up to one of my favorite little towns, Mill Valley. Here’s a taste of the afternoon.

I love the juxtaposition of the lines and shapes of City Hall with the warmth and flow of the leaves in Mill Valley.
And when’s the last time you saw a turquoise wedding dress?
Yes, technically, this images is upside down, shot right into a puddle and then flipped so that Leland and Karen are rightside up. I like the way it turned out.

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Jolene Rae Harrington

Oh this is too beautiful!! I’m a huge fan of COLOR in wedding dresses, and I applaud the bride’s bold choice. It’s stunning, elegant, feminine, eye-catching, and she looks like she’s comfortable in it.

As the resident wedding fashionista, you MUST tell me which designer makes this luscious confection!!!

Nov . 23 . 2010

Josh & Alexis’s Santa Barbara Wedding

As I was preparing this blog post going through Josh and Alexis’s images from Santa Barbara I found myself getting pretty emotional. The reality is that being a part of their wedding was a huge gift for me and I was struck again by the sheer magnitude of what “getting married” really means. On the one side, Josh has been one of the greatest encouragements and advocates of my photography. When I was first considering jumping into the wedding photography world full time, he was extremely generous with his time, talent and wisdom. He allowed me to tag along on his shoots, ask him questions, and critique my images. He offered to let me borrow his (expensive!) lenses and came along to second shoot for me for virtually nothing. He continues to inspire me with the way he sees light and composition, models artistic excellence, and displays business acumen and willingness to learn from others even after he has been in the business for much longer than most photographers I know.

On the other side of my emotional coin, this day wasn’t about photography. This day was about a guy who madly fallen in love with a girl, and together decided that they want to spend the rest of their lives together. About friends, family, community, and maybe more than anything else, about commitment. Laughter, and lots of it, filled the day. As I observed Josh, I was reminded of what it was like for me to get married. I remembered the jitters, the wide-eyed emotion of seeing my bride for the first time, and the thrill of realizing that everyone around me was celebrating the fact that I had just made the biggest decision of my life.  Josh and Alexis will spend the rest of their lives together. I can’t think of a better “first day of the rest of your life” than this one. Congrats, and love to you both.

Smiles and style. Between the bird-cage veil and the sheer amount of laughter that was running through the room, Alexis had both in bunches.
The bridesmaids were all jumping up and down with excitement as Alexis went to meet Josh for their “first look.”
But they weren’t half excited as these two.
So hot. Rawr.
Like I said, they couldn’t stop laughing…
Not sure which I love more, the bow-tie or the birdcage veil?
I think somewhere between the next two I stopped for a second and was his by the fact that Josh just got hitched!

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Fort Point Wedding Photos

[...] has become an amazing wedding photographer and a great friend of mine- he also shot MY wedding- so it will be nice for them to have some fun photos finally. [...]

Gary Gruetzmacher

I actually never saw this blog post before today! You did a fabulous job in capturing Josh and Alexis’s wedding in pictures. You have a very creative sense but can also think quickly and grab a perfect shot of a fast moving scene like the one of them and all the rose petals in the air. We have a copy of that hanging in our living room and I appreciate it every day. Thanks for your kind words about Josh and your friendship with him and Alexis.. Gary and Diana

Luke Goodman

Solid wedding Matthias! keep it up!

ChachoLibre

Nice pics homie – saw this on facebook, and
I’m reminded of the times I prayed with Josh,
way back in the day when Reality was a new
church — many blessings on my bro

CK

love the image with the end sign. Profound and funny at the same time. Rest of the images have just gorgeous, gorgeous color.

Nov . 19 . 2010

Lee & Rachel’s Claremont Wedding, Berkeley CA

Last weekend I was given the pleasure of shooting Rachel and Lee’s wedding at the Claremont Hotel and Berkeley. And this is what I saw…

It takes a small army to get wedding day make-up perfect. And they did just that. Thanks to Mei of Tripletwist.
Meanwhile, Lee is in the business of looking studly.
Mark Toung was kind enough to join me for the day. The shot below is his.
The Claremont has a great little path that runs through the woods outside the building. The light here is just magical.
And the light here was pretty slick too.
With a wall of light as the backdrop for the reception I couldn’t but have fun shooting some silhouettes.

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Mei

Hi Matthias, your photography is truly amazing – you have such a classic, creative style. We can’t wait to work with you again.

Mei

Rosaura Sandoval

Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Love those silhouette shots, especially the toast one. Amazing!