I met Amber in 2013 while shooting their artist portraits for their website. We clicked right away. You know that feeling when you rarely meet really spiritual and happy souls and you want to stay in touch with them after that and follow their creative career?

Four years later I get an email from Monique referred by Amber to be their wedding photographer. Honestly, I was thrilled and I knew this would be a very unique and emotional day even for me to be a part of it.

This is how they met. Both were attending the Esalen Retreat Center in Big Sur, CA during the Holiday Season in 2014. Monique was taking a soul motion dance retreat and Amber was taking a tai chi/sound healing retreat. Sparkles burst right away when they met on the dance floor during the Christmas Eve dance party. It was a magical night and couldn't be more romantic and memorable for them. The first question Amber asked Monique was ‘Don’t I know you? Haven’t we met before?’. It wouldn't be possible as Monique lived in Hawaii where she was from, and Amber was in San Francisco at that time. They both shared their coming out stories and dating history in the first hour they met, which they had so much in common. But it was the first 5 minutes of conversation though between the two of them that they knew were meant for each other. Their love for sure has a special relationship with hot springs. On April 13, 2017, they drove to Myvatn Nature Baths in Iceland, the most beautiful hot spring they have ever visited. They were pretty much alone in a huge pool and it spontaneously came to Amber to pop the question to Monique. They tied the knot on May 26th, 2018 in the beautiful rose garden of UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, CA.

Their ceremony was so beautiful and spiritual. The concept was to walk in the circle and make an eye connection with everyone who came to their wedding day and acknowledges their presence. I thought this was absolutely beautiful and so personal. It made me think that every wedding ceremony should have this moment in it, a moment of presence and connection with the people whom we love and appreciate. “The rose garden was in full bloom, and roses symbolize love. You could smell their heavenly fragrance. The rose garden is also up on a hill, with a view of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. We liked the expansive view. It was Monique's dream to move to the Bay Area--being in the rose garden with the view of the hill felt like being in the heavenly realm of sacred space with wafts of roses. “