Destination | A Cliffside West Coast Vow Exchange

Last month Riley and I traveled to San Francisco, CA to capture the private vow ceremony and wedding day of my dear friend, Mel and their partner Wes. I’ve known Mel since my junior year of art school. They were the closest thing I had to a “person of honor” at my own wedding, and so it was super exciting to not only get to photograph their day but to also act as a witness.

The day of this vow ceremony started very early for me. I was up and around and to the airport by about 4am, having acquired all of two hours of sleep. I was in Oakland and in a rental by no later than 11am. Luckily, we arrived with more than enough time to take a nice long nap (and scarf down some In N Out) before needing to be to at the vow ceremony that evening. Late in the evening we met Mel & Wes atop a beautiful ocean overlook (180 steps up to be exact.) When Mel and Wes first met, right on the cusp of the pandemic, they had hiked here many times. It quickly became their place. After a short hike, they led us to a nearby cliff where they exchanged their vows and had the most stunning sunset portrait session.

Everything about this ceremony was perfectly them; the matching jumpsuits, the use of the color lavender on Wes’s nails and Mel’s eyeshadow, the handmade bouquets, the seaside location. I don’t know Wes very well, but they seemed like the perfect counter part to Mel. They were introverted, thoughtful; a calming presence to Mel’s bubbly outgoing nature. Knowing Mel and all their previous adventures, this seemed like the most fitting end to their journey to find their partner, and in turn, themself. I’m so happy I was there to witness it all.