Darren Miller Wedding Photography | San Francisco | Hawaii | Worldwide

Sophie & Adrian’s Mt. Shasta wedding last summer was off the hook inspiring.  These two come from beautiful families and a close group of amazing friends, and the love and friendship and appreciation of the richness of this moment for them overflowed through all the moments of the day.  The smokiness of the summer wildfires made it difficult to see the majestic Mt. Shasta hovering over their ceremony, but the high mountain energy and their prayers were strong and the vibe was deep and powerful.  Their reception was super fun, with epic toast after toast, along with gorgeous music by MaMuse and a rocking dance party to follow. I felt honored to witness and reflect these two beautiful humans coming together and am so happy for them and their growing family. Congratulations Sophie & Adrian!!

Sunaina & Matt’s summertime wedding was nestled in a garden oasis at Wild Iris Retreat, in the Mendocino mountains north of San Francisco. Their day was beautiful and relaxed and then at night they had a killer funk band and rocking dance party. These two have a sweet and playful way of being together and I was happy to be a part of reflecting their love story… congratulations!

Meredith & Michael chose the beautiful setting of the Green Valley Farm & Mill for their Autumn Equinox wedding celebrations.  It was a gorgeous summer day and they were nestled into the quiet hills of Northern California with their friends and family for a three day weekend.  They’re both such positive and magnetic beings and it was a joy to witness their love ceremony and fantastic Kirtan (devotional singing) and dance party.  Congratulations Meredith & Michael!

Venue  |  Green Valley Farm & Mill  |  https://gvfam.com/

Hair  |  Ashley Allred  |  http://thepinepetaluma.com/

Makeup  |  Kat Louis  |  http://www.katlouis.com

Flowers  |  Full Bloom Flower Farm  |  Hedda Brorstrom in Graton  |  https://fullbloomflower.com/

Divine Raw Cake Dessert |  Jenny Donohue | vegasmica@gmail.com

Dress |  Grace Loves Lace  | https://graceloveslace.com.au/

The thing I loved most about Laila & Lars wedding was how low-key down home feeling it was.  They were married at their artist residence in Sebastopol with a small group of close friends.  The vibe was sweet and fun.  Congratulations Laila & Lars!

Sarana & Aaron’s Wilbur Hot Springs Wedding was a gorgeous full weekend event.  Wilbur Hot Springs is a beautiful and peaceful retreat nestled onto 1500 acres of undeveloped land, is solar-powered and out of internet reception. With all the guests sleeping on the land and relaxing in the warm waters together, there was a sense of deep intimacy and connection that grew throughout the weekend.  From the morning opening with a yoga class taught by Sarana to their choreographed dance in the midst of the rockin dance party at night, Aaron and Sarana’s creativity and playfulness shined brightly and enveloped everyone in their love.

Gabriella & Vishal celebrated their unique and gorgeously colorful two-day, double wedding at the Sonoma countryside venue of Red Barn Ranch in Hopland, CA.  Friday was full with traditional Indian ceremony, dress, food and dancing.  The live tabla music grooved on for hours as everyone rejoiced in entrancing Indian circle dances and line dancing. The wedding on Saturday was more ‘American’ and elegant with the wedding party dressed in pastels and parasols.  Gabi & Vishal and the whole crew rocked out again into the late night with epic dancing and merrymaking.  Congratulations!

Venue:  Red Barn Ranch  | http://www.redbarnranchevents.com/

Decorations & Floral arrangements: Jennifer French | FlourishLV | https://www.flourishlv.com/

Caterer:  Vinay Indian Catering

DJ: DJ Platurn

Wedding Planner  :  Noble Arrangements

Rentals : Grape Vine Rentals  |  https://www.grapevinepartyrentals.com/

Hair & Make-up: Isis Perkins and Innovation Salon

Staffing: High Hand Staffing  |  https://www.facebook.com/HighHandStaffing/

Pie: Petaluma Pie Company  | http://www.petalumapiecompany.com/

On a beautiful warm weekend in the Anderson Valley of Northern California at the lush oasis of the Wild Iris Retreat, Lani & David held a three-day wedding love fest.  From hilarious talent shows to a Persian Dance Party the night before to a clowning workshop warm-up on the day of, all the way through a profound ceremony and to an off the hook dance party with the funk band led by Terrie Odabe followed by DJ Alxndr, the entire weekend seriously rocked the body, heart and spirit.  I was so glad to have held the mirror to this wedding (and give big thanks to my amazing second shooter Robin Clark) and wish this bright couple the very best congratulations to their inspiring love.

Vermont gave abundantly to Michaela and Ben on their wedding day with the green mountains in peak summer form.  They had an intimate ceremony at the Catamount Outdoor Family Center and later brought in a delicious wood-fired pizza truck for dinner.  The Jim Devlin Band rocked it and then later in the night Michaela and Ben shared words with each other while encircled by their wedding party carrying torches.  This culminated with everyone cheering for them as fireworks exploded overhead.   Congratulations Michaela & Ben!!

Photography:  https://www.darrenmillerweddings.com

Venue: Catamount Outdoor Family Center http://www.catamountweddings.com

Caterer: Woodbelly Pizza http://www.woodbellypizza.com

Cake:  Sweet Simone’s http://www.sweetsimones.com

It was a beautiful spring day for Nori & Jack’s wedding at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.  We were blessed by warm weather, lots of gorgeous flowers and fun loving friends and family!  I had a great time reflecting their love, ceremony, and celebration. Congratulations Nori & Jack!!

I first met Emily & Jake when I traveled to Colorado to photograph their winter wonderland engagement session, as it had snowed over a foot the night before setting us up for a magical photoshoot.  It was easy to notice that Emily and Jake are kind, playful and totally in love and I was looking forward to their photographing their Northern California autumn wedding.  It was warm fall day at Campovida, an expanse of a venue with the most beautiful gardens and a many hundreds of years old Oak tree that stood as witness and backdrop to their ceremony.  As Jake is a map-maker they had matching bracelets made with the GPS coordinates of the tree location inscribed and ‘Under the old oak tree’ on the inside. It was a celebration of a day with an entertaining reception in a giant old barn, where their guests came up in groups and sang them songs and made dances for them to inspire their kissing.  After this the dance floor went off, non-stop action and revelry style, until late into the night.  It was a great day and I’m happy to have been a part of it for this wonderful couple and kind family.  Congratulations Emily & Jake!!

Event Planning & Design – Peridot Events

Venue – Campovida

Photography – Darren Miller Photography

2nd Photographer – Robin Clark

Catering – Park Ave Caterers

Lighting – The Lux Productions

Hair & Make-up – Brush Style Salon

Bride’s Dress – Marina Morrison

Rings – Grayson & Company Jewelers

Bracelets –  ClairAshley (etsy)

Custom Guestbook – CraigMoodieDesigns (etsy)

Stationary Suite – Mira Aster

Mobile Bar – Libations Unlimited

Videography – Burkart Studios

Rentals – Classic Party Rentals

Dragonfly Floral

DJ RIPM

Sarah & Nathan had a spectacular wedding high up on the mountainside overlooking Berkeley and San Francisco Bay.  The venue was a hobbit mansion (really), complete with narrow curved brick hallways with rounded ceilings, circle windows, cozy sitting nooks everywhere and about 15 rooms.  It was the most intricate and amazingly different house I may ever have been in.  It perched next to open space into the hills above and on a bluff overlooking the valley and bay below. The weather was warm and gorgeous and the views were amazing, especially of the sunset that night before the mountaintop dance party started. Congratulations Sarah & Nathan!

Venue:  Panoramic Hills ~ panoramichills.com

Event Planning & Caterer:  Barbara Llewellyn ~ barbarallewellyn.com

Officiant:  Lauren Van Ham ~ laurenvanham.com

Photographer:  Darren Miller ~ darrenmillerweddings.com

Band:  Rusty String Express ~ therustystringexpress.com

DJ:  DJ Crimson

Lauren & Tomas had a beautiful wedding at The Grove, a magical stand of old redwoods a few minutes from Occidental, CA. The weather was amazing and warm, and all day it was a pleasure to spend in the woods with these two very kind souls and their wonderful families.  Their reception at the Union Hotel had a dance party that seriously rocked out for hours.  Congratulations Lauren & Tomas!!

Ceremony Venue:  The Grove  ~  (Contact Barbara Gonnella)

Reception: Union Hotel   ~  www.unionhoteloccidental.com

Photographer:  Darren Miller  ~  www.darrenmillerweddings.com

Second Photographer:  Zoe Lonegran  ~  www.zoelonergan.com

Officiate: Kim Purdy   ~  www.kimberlypurdy.com

Flowers:  Vanda Floral Design   ~  www.vandafloral.com

DJ: Frances Nelson, AMS Entertainment   ~  www.amswinecountry.net

Videographer:  Bryan Thayer   ~  www.bryanmatthewthayer.com

Makeup:  Heather Bettencourt   ~  www.unveilingdesignsbyheather.com

Hair:  Amy Bergstrom   ~  www.salonsurlarue.com

Cake:  Carolyn Besse   ~  www.yoursweetexpectations.com

Event Rental:  www.encoreeventsrentals.com

Dress:  Papers and Petals Bridal   ~  www.papersandpetals.com

Wedding Planner: Bride and Mother of the Bride Carolyn

What can I say?  I’ve known Mumu & Alex since we performed together with the Dreamtime Circus in India and I was very happy when they asked me to photograph their circus inspired wedding in Puerto Rico.  Mumu told me she’d be riding in on a unicorn and that there would be jugglers and other circus entertainment during the ceremony.  How awesome I thought.  But nothing prepared me for what a pure joy it would be to spend the better part of the week with the two of them and their crew of 50 circus performers, many of who I’ve known and traveled with before, exploring the beaches and mountainsides of Puerto Rico.  Truly wonderful people and a beautiful experience.  Congratulations Mumu y Alex!!

Wedding Dress:  Kaytee Papusza
Rings:  Cabrina SilverDust
Circus Magic:  Circo Nacional de Puerto Rico
Make up and Earings:  Rachel Red
Flowers Design:  Carly Pick
Jewerly, Unicorn Horn and Bird Cage head Piece:  Savannah Lees-Haley
Hair:  Gabriela Mora Miranda
Officiant: Martin Lemke
Live Music: Mariko Rose Ruhle, Rachel Grivas, Matt Walker,  Gradma of Bride, and Jayseph Enkidu
Balloon Decor:  Alex Corby (Groom)
Venue Decor: Mother of Bride

I’m clearly blessed with amazingly in love and super kind people as my clients.  Thank you life.  Chelsea and Byron are no exception to this.  From our first meeting to their engagement session to their wedding day, they have been wonderfully connected in their affection and kindness towards one another.  They first met in high school and their wedding was at the Ledford House right on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific in their hometown of Mendocino.  The day started with some ocean fog and literally as they were making their ring exchange the sun started to shine beautifully.  Super fun family and friends were there to support a wonderful couple.  Congratulations Chelsea & Byron!!

It was the perfect Summer Solstice day for Kate & Sampson’s wedding in the beautiful shire-like town of Fairfax, CA.  They were surrounded by giant redwoods at Deer Park Villa throughout the ceremony, dinner and dance party.  Congratulations Kate & Sampson and happy 1st birthday Nova!!

Taylor and Daniel were married on a gorgeous sunny day at Ocean Song Wilderness Preserve on a mountaintop north of San Francisco looking out to the Pacific Ocean.  Their wedding was exquisitely planned and here are some words from Taylor about their intentions for the day: “One of the most important values Daniel and I held from start to finish in planning our wedding was that we would infuse everything with intention, sacredness, and meaning. We put our personal touches on almost every aspect, and in that way, the wedding was an expression of who we are. We knew that the intentions we set into motion during this most special of ceremonies would nourish our marriage deeply.”

“We wanted to tie in as many of our ancestral roots as possible, as well as weave in our own sacred paths. Daniel is Jewish, and so he and his best men friends built a Chuppah out of old found wood and covered the posts with silvery, green lichen moss gathered in the woods. We used a silky white sari cloth I had worn on my travels in India years ago. We asked our dear friend, Erika Gagnon, to pray for us during our ceremony with her sacred pipe.  We also asked both of our mothers to bring water from the places where we were born, and we drank of this combined water during the ceremony. This was a simple way to honor our families and water, which we hold as so important to life. Another tradition we included / adapted was to walk around each other three times each once I walked down the aisle and arrived at the altar where Daniel was standing. This was such a romantic way to approach each other after not having seen each other for four days.”

Taylor had this to say about their wedding rings: “We loved the idea of making our own rings, and we went to an all day private workshop in San Francisco to make our bands. We hammered and sanded and melted and polished, all the while learning from Adam about the ancient art of gold smithing and more. Our sweat and time charged up our rings with so much love of us working side-by-side as partners.”I love doing an everybody-at-the-wedding photo and this one turned out great, just moments before we all transitioned to the ‘Maharaj’ tent, which was simply gorgeous with impeccable details and styling, and which gave the feeling of being in a Arabian desert palace.The party moved into barn following the dinner, for high energy comedy and dancing with music made by another group of their friends.  

Photography: Darren Miller Photography

Second Photographer: Robin Clark

Wedding Planner:  Peridot Events

Venue:  Ocean Song Farm + Wilderness Preserve

Catering:  Jessica Lasky

Taylor’s Dress: Oda Fashion

Daniel’s Suit: Artful Gentleman

Wedding Rings:  DIY Wedding Rings

Table Gifts: Living Seed Company

Floral: Studio Choo

Elixir Drinks: Mobile Libations

Invitations: Olive Route

Becca + Bryan were married on the first day of Autumn in the Santa Cruz mountains.  They invited their friends to Becca’s parents beautiful home situated on a hilltop surrounded by redwood trees and lush vegetable gardens for a weekend of ceremony and celebration.  A big thanks to my second shooter Robin Clark and I hope that you enjoy the photos.  Congratulations Becca + Bryan!

Thankfully Becca + Bryan are the kind of people who are oriented to life in such a way as to see the first rain in six months on the morning of their wedding as a blessing of fertility.  This awareness was even more synchronistic in that they had asked all of their guests to bring them gifts of seeds to plant in their gardens. And later in the fall they will have a feast with the foods they have grown and invite everyone again to come and enjoy the richness of this giving and growing.

Becca + Bryan had their close friend, Bodhi, custom make both of their wedding outfits.  To see photos from Bodhi’s wedding, click here.The ceremony began with two of their friends reading beautiful love poetry, and while the guests on each side of the aisle stood, each group faced each other and repeated the poetry back and forth across the aisle.  During the ceremony they honored an ancient tradition of the ‘breaking of the bowls’, where any negative energy stored up before the wedding is released so that the couple can move forward unencumbered.  This involved the wedding party and family members coming up to the altar during the ceremony and breaking clay pots on a special stone, each time to everyone’s cheering and celebrations.The rain had stopped just before the ceremony began and this magic continued as the ring bearer brought the rings to the officiant, Elayne Doughty, and just then the sun started to shine through the clouds for the first time all day.  Becca + Bryan are both really artistic and had worked with a metalsmith who helps brides and grooms to make their own wedding rings for one another.The dinner was prepared by Blossoming Caravan Catering and was made from organic, locally grown, sustainably farmed vegetables and meats. Every detail was impeccable and delicious.Rather than have a traditional wedding cake, Becca + Bryan chose to take it way back to the tradition of pies and had an abundant pie counter with a giant bowl of whipped cream which everyone  loved (including me and Robin).

Shortly after all this amazing food, Dogon Lights played a rocking afro-fusion set before DJ Alia took over and dropped some bass on the late night dance party.

Catering: Blossoming Caravan Catering

Sustainably raised meats:  Sonrisa Family Farms

Reception Music:  The Dogon Lights + DJ Alia

DIY Wedding Rings: diyweddingrings

Custom Wedding Outfits: Bodhi

Coordination: Freida Sebastian Neiman (415.602.7585)

Music: Ben Howard _ Promise

Rebecca + Ariel’s wedding was amazing.  It was so rich in tradition and with so much CELEBRATION for their coming together as a couple.  I loved the way that Rebecca sat with her women (the mom’s, aunts, bridesmaids, etc) before the wedding and greeted guests outside while the groom and his men talked and prayed inside.  I found out later that it is a Jewish belief that on a woman’s wedding day she is the closest she will ever be to God and that she can bestow profound blessings that day. When the time was right all the men started singing and clapping and the groom was jubilantly danced by his family of men out to greet and kiss the bride.  Just as quickly he was danced away and Rebecca + Ariel would meet again during the ceremony.

After the ceremony they were surrounded by their wedding party who sang and danced them inside to a room where they spent time alone together.  When they emerged an hour of non-stop dancing began, with the women on one half the room dancing with the bride and the men on the other half dancing with the groom.  Periodically Rebecca or Ariel would go over to the other side and share a dance for a minute before returning to their women/men. Everyone got extra excited each time this happened.  They were lifted in chairs and kissed in mid-air before being let down and taking a seat together for the ‘shtick’.  In Jewish tradition all the guests at the wedding bring/do/dress up and dance in front of the seated bride and groom and do all sorts of things to entertain them and to make them laugh.

Just before sunset, we went outside with Rebecca and Ariel to make some really gorgeous romantic photos in the groves of various willow and poplar trees. This was a great time for them to have a moment of quiet time together outside and apart from their adoring guests! The wedding party met us for some photos which ended up also being on the children’s playground.  Way to keep it young and fresh! Dancing and toasts continued after dinner with the live band rocking the dancefloor late into the night.  The only break in the music was when a group of their close friends spoke and sang traditional blessings from the Torah.  Just before the night was over we stepped outside and made a few really beautiful nighttime images of Rebecca + Ariel.

One of the really wonderful things about this wedding was the way in which relationship and commitment and family were celebrated so deeply. Congratulations Rebecca + Ariel and may your wedding and commitment continue to be a blessing to one another and to all those around you!

Kristy + Connor are two of the kindest people I’ve ever photographed.  They were married on a warm summer day in the East Bay hills, in the church of Connor’s childhood and then had their reception at the garden residence of Connor’s grandparents home overlooking San Francisco Bay.  Everyone was primed to dance and DJ RUCKUS absolutely rocked the party.  Congratulations Kristy + Connor!

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Sam + Jesse were married on a gorgeous Northern California day at their family home in the hills of Tiburon, overlooking Mt. Tamalpais and the entire San Francisco Bay.  It was an intimate gathering with great food, music and lots of laughter.  Congratulations Sam + Jesse!!

Jessica + Matt were married at the Westin St. Francis in downtown San Francisco.  Jessica grew up just a few blocks away but met Matt in New York City, where they are currently living.  Both Jessica and Matt are artists, Jessica creates mini works of art on fingernails working in the fashion industry and Matt is a tattoo artist.  The wedding was fun and lively with their large local family and with all of their friends from NYC.  The reception was in the heart of Chinatown, with a traditional lion dance and a rocking dance party.  Congratulations Jessica + Matt!!

Bodhi + Jesse are a sweet and fun couple who invited all their family and friends to join them at a gorgeous private estate north of San Francisco for their wedding weekend celebration.  I always think multi-day weddings really are the best way to go, as everyone gets to know one another and feel relaxed and to be on the same page before the wedding day.  The weather was beautiful and warm and the feeling of the day was very playful and loving.  Congratulations Bodhi + Jesse!!  They are some seriously talented people… Bodhi made her dress and Jesse’s suit as well!! Oh, and in case you’re looking… Jesse’s a great chiropractor (http://vibrancechiro.com) and Bodhi’s an exquisite chef (http://www.bodhivela.com).