Let’s get a little personal. I took a big leap of faith in 2016 and started my business as a wedding photographer. To be completely honest with you, just two years ago I would have laughed in your face if you told me I was going to become so passionate about wedding photography. I was terrified of lack of second chances when it comes to wedding photography!

So what changed? My sister got married in June of 2015. I convinced her to hire an incredibly talented photographer I have admired for many years, Bre Thurston. Bre exceeded all expectations and delivered absolutely gorgeous photos from my sister’s wedding. Many were taken in gorgeous light with stunning backgrounds… but the one that stood out the most to me was a simple photograph taken at the indoor reception with a flash (albeit well used!). It’s a photograph of my grandpa hugging my sister… and the look on his face is filled with so much pride and love.

Every time I see that photo Bre took, I remember that my grandpa loves us so much that a simple phone call will have him immediately feeling better, no matter the ailment. When we go visit, we just need to call out a simple Ah Gong (grandpa in Taiwanese) to make his day. On his birthday, he gives /us/ money. There is no one he loves more than his six grandchildren and my sister and I were blessed to be able to grow up seeing him and my grandma practically every week. The photo Bre took immortalizes the love he has for us and literally brings tears to my eyes. I cannot thank her enough for the gift of that photo.

That’s why I became a wedding photographer. I want to give that same gift to my clients. Of course I want to capture the moments on a wedding day, but more than that, I want to capture the emotions and the relationships. I want to capture the bittersweet joy the mother of the bride feels when she sees her daughter in her dress for the first time. I want to capture the way a simple touch from his bride calms a groom’s nerves. I want to capture the tears in a bride’s eyes when her maid of honor gives a speech and supports her, as she has their entire relationship. Most of all, I want the love to shine through in my photos.

To be honest though, looking back, it’s not particularly surprising that wedding photography calls to me. I am a lover of fairytales and happily ever afters. I am a dreamer, a romantic girly girl who love light and beauty and all things dainty. So for me, photographing weddings is a joy because it is like photographing a fairy tale in real life. The love, laughter, joy and tears paint a story I strive to represent in photographs to bring back those memories and emotions on a later day.

I am so glad I pushed aside the fear to take the chance on becoming a wedding photographer because this year has blessed me with some of the most incredible opportunities. I started off the year by attending an incredible in-person retreat where I learned to make a family session my own.

I could have never dreamed I would fly to Paris to photograph my best friend’s engagement session. I also got to spend some time in San Luis Obispo for the very first time after photographing the wedding of my freshmen year neighbor.

I flew to the East Coast to photograph a wedding in Rhode Island. I was lucky enough to witness the joy of a dear friend at her daughter’s wedding. Perhaps one of my favorites from the year was photographing my very first proposal at Sutro Baths. Wayne and Lisa truly captured my heart with their love story. And how could I forget that my obsession with in home engagement sessions was born this year? It was truly an incredible year, and I cannot wait to see where 2017 takes me!

Thank you to all the couples who trusted me to capture their love through some of their most important moments of their lives. It was an honor.

 

---

Alice Che is a San Francisco Wedding Photographer based in the Bay Area specializing in intimate, emotional wedding, engagement, couple and boudoir photography. Serving the South Bay, Peninsula, and East Bay: San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Carlos, Burlingame, Los Altos, Milpitas, Union City, Fremont, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Cruz and surrounding areas. She is available for destination weddings and engagement sessions! Contact her for more detailed pricing.