It is intoxicating.
Captivating.
Mesmerizing.

It brings joy to the weary, and smiles to the hopeless romantics. And when young love blossoms and deepens to the point that your soul cannot live without it, it is as close to magic as many will see in this lifetime.

Scott and Mandy are the epitome of the magic of young love. They fell in love when they were in college and have been together ever since. The love they have for one another is evident without even hearing them utter a word about one another- you can sense it even from the way they look at one another. And despite the fact that they are long distance a majority of the year, they are able to grow and cherish their relationship in a way that puts many of us to shame (I about have a meltdown when Blaine leaves town for the weekend!).

S&A, I hope that these photos are able to make the distance seem a little less painful…. and to serve as a reminder how soon the big day will be here! Can’t wait… love you both!

xoxo,
SAW

You see Hayden was on a blind date….. it just wasn’t with Julie. Thousands of miles away from their homeland of Australia in the concrete jungle of New York City, fate played a funny joke. Hayden and Julie were at a bar celebrating “Australia Day”, and Hayden could not seem to keep tabs on his date. Julie, being the captivating and charismatic individual that she undeniably is, attempted to ignore the soft spoken and gentlemanly Hayden.

For a matter of moments.

As luck would have it, enjoying all that “Australia Day” has to offer turned out to be a lifetime reward. Hayden and Julie are two of the most delightful individuals on the face of this planet. And I feel qualified to say that since they are basically the international couple of intrigue. Hayden is one of the kindest, most genuine people who has the capacity to instantaneously put you at ease. Julie is a spunky, lighthearted lover of food and giggling, which undoubtedly makes her the perfect match for Hayden. They truly compliment one another in a way that is difficult to articulate in a way that fully conveys how perfect they are for one another.

They met and live in New York City, and since they have family and friends scattered around the entire globe, they decided to have a destination wedding at Solage in Calistoga. The day was sunny and 70 degrees…. the California weather welcomed them with open arms. The day revolved around amazing meals, company, and scenery.

It is very rare that I second guess anything about my own wedding, but literally Hayden and Julie did EVERYTHING right. Making sure the day was entirely and uniquely theirs, they centered the day around the celebration of love, family… and food. They are two of the most laid back individuals and opted to not have formal portraits taken. They wanted the day to unfold naturally and to cherish every moment they had with their loved ones that had traversed the globe to witness their union. I was able to sneak them away for about 5 minutes of casual photos that I think was well worth it.

The day was perfectly executed by Sarah Pease of “Brilliant Event Planning”. I fully admit I’ve had a girl crush on Sarah since seeing her work as the “Proposal Planner” via Good Morning America. Julie was lucky enough to have gotten the benefit of Sarah’s skills for Hayden’s epic propsal as well. Let’s just say, redonkulous. Read about it on Sarah’s blog[here]!

To Hayden and Julie, thank you from the bottom of my heart for including me in your big day. You two are so incredibly fabulous. Here’s to a lifetime of love, nuzzling, and countless Australia Days together.

xoxo,
SAW

Photography- What Shanni Saw
Planning- Brilliant Event Planning
Venue and Catering- Solage Calistoga
Florals- Julie Stevens Design
Hair and Makeup- Katie Donaghy of It’s A Date at The Powder Room

Dancing is, without a doubt, one of the best parts of weddings. The formalities are done, and you are left with people getting down with their bad selves. Young singles and old couples enmesh in a chaos of sweat, drinks, and good music. And if you just so happen to be lucky enough to be in attendance at a wedding Blaine and I are photographing… you might just become victim to dancing with a funky blonde girl only to have her rip a camera out of who-knows-where to snap a blackmail worthy photo of you!

To all those that got freaky with us in 2011, party on.

xoxo,
Shanni (and Blaine!)

I am literally in a state of disbelief and giddiness reminiscing my professional highs of the year. From being published in the largest wedding magazines and blogs to working with the kindest, most loving, and fabulous couples the world has ever known swells a bubble of joy in my chest. I am consistently humbled and grateful that my couples open such an enormous part of their lives with me and that we become such dear friends.

This past week I had to testify at the sentencing hearing of the man that broke into my home. Sitting alongside the family of the man that he killed was one of the most traumatic, raw experiences I have had in my life. The raw, unsuppressed, and enormous pain that they wept and let flow uninhibitedly is a memory I will not soon forget. His daughters spoke of how he would not ever be able to walk them down the aisle, hold his grandchildren, or even laugh at the simple things in life. My gratefulness that I found him before he was able to harm me will not soon dissipate. Perspective, although often painful and messy, is something that I think is so valuable to have.

As I look through these moments I have been able to capture throughout the past year, I feel so enormously blessed to be able to live this life doing what I do. Getting to immortalize some of the most powerful moments in couple’s lives to empower them to relive is intoxicating. To depict the raw emotion of saying your vows. Capture the smiles of relatives that may not always be there. Show the tear in a mom’s eye watching her husband dance with your little girl. That my friends is what wedding photography is all about.

To my couples this year, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me be part of something so amazing.

xoxo,
SAW

P.S. Best of DANCE PARTYYYYY and Portraits to come!!!!