Swedenborgian Church Wedding – Kristin and Brian

Brian and Kristin’s Swedenborgian Church wedding in the Pacific Heights District in San Francisco, was chosen because they fell in love with the rustic décor of the church and knew it would be the perfect setting for their wedding ceremony, especially with dim lighting and candles all around. Having photographed at this location for Richard and Aaron’s same sex wedding a couple years ago, I knew it would be really dark inside the church, even if extra candles were added for the ambiance. The mid-afternoon ceremony start time provided a little bit of sunlight to help add to the mood of the ceremony, as it provided just enough illumination for me to be able to capture the ceremony without the use of flash. One of the more touching things of this ceremony (and day overall) that I noticed was the loving way Kristin would stare at Brian, apparently dazed by the fact that she was about to marry the love of her life. There were definitely periods throughout the ceremony where I would see her lost in his eyes, probably oblivious to the words of the priest, and then seeing Brian turn his head and meeting her eyes. From the tears captured during the ceremony, one can easily tell how heartfelt Brian’s vows were, and that Kristin was so moved with everything he said.

The reception area at Swedenborgian Church is on the smaller end, so it made for a fun obstacle course maneuvering through the tables and chairs in order to plant myself directly in front of the Bride and Groom at the start of the toasts. During the speeches, this is my favorite place to be as it is typically an unobstructed view of the Couple, and today was no exception, despite the limited area. It was great being able to see and capture the many laughs and subtle glances that Brian and Kristin shared with each other during this time, and one of my favorite photos of the day is of Kristin acknowledging a tear in her eye, but refusing to wipe it. In addition to the wonderful moments during the reception, one of the best things about this day was that the entire dinner and dessert menu was all vegan and the food was as expected so delicious and amazing. Being a vet, Kristin obviously has a big heart for animals, and I loved that she was not coy in sharing that with everyone else. I have been vegan in the past, and it is so rare to see a vegan menu at a wedding, so extra big high fives!

At weddings, it is always great that people come together to celebrate the Couple and often times there are many years that pass in between seeing each other. This day was no different, and Kristin took full advantage celebrating with her friends and family, a lot of them coming from Nebraska where she is from. Unfortunately, she ended up getting a little sick midway through the reception, which forced them to skip the first dances and move straight into cake cutting. But before that happened, it was touching to see a couple of her best friends looking after her, literally following her around as she caught up with her guests, making sure she was doing OK. Kristin sucked it up and carried on like nothing was wrong, and it was heartwarming to see that despite the distance throughout the years, nothing really changed in their love and care for their friend. With Kristin having such a big heart and being the person that she is, it is no wonder why Brian, and her friends, fell for her in the first place.

Venue : Swedenborgian Church
Wedding Coordinator : Branch Out Event Design
Catering : S+M Vegan
Bartenders : A Twist of Lime