Aurora Meneghello Photography

Brad and Tiffany's Engagement Portraits

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 15:31:00 -0700

I can’t wait to photograph Brad and Tiffany’s June wedding at Campovida!

Brad picked some amazing locations in the North Bay for our engagement photo session and we had a lot of fun hopping from one place to the other.

Miranda and Matt's Wedding

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:22:00 -0800

Remember Miranda and Matt?

Their wedding took place in November at the beautiful Sova Gardens, a hidden gem in Sonoma.

This is one of those weddings full of vibrant colors: from the decor of the venue, to the morning attire, everything shined.

Miranda’s bridesmaids helped out and made everything fun.

In the meantime, Matt was getting ready outside, waiting for the “First Look”.

Miranda waiting to see Matt and to be seen for the first time.

And here it is: the first, magical moment, bride and groom see each other on their wedding day.

Weddings are a team sport. Here are the wonderful people who made this event a success:

Photography: Aurora Meneghello Productions

Second Photographer: Hardy Wilson

Florist: By Madeline Trait

Venue: Sova Gardens

Make up: Angela LaFlamme

Caterer: Preferred Sonoma Caterers

Alison and Justin's Wedding

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:21:00 -0800

I loved Park Winters the moment I first saw it and couldn’t imagine a better place for Alison and Justin’s Wedding. The Locally Grown Weddings team transformed the property into a magical and romantic place to gather with friends and family.

Getting married in October has its advantages, such as beautiful light, gorgeous weather and giant pumpkins!

Alison has amazing eyes: I have never seen the like.

Do you remember Alison and Justin’s engagement photos? They chose this one image for their gift table.

Madeline designed this beautiful map of the premises.

Every time I have been to Park Winters, I have seen wild turkeys!

Pei-Yee worked closely with Alison to choose an alternative to the traditional wedding cake. A dessert table is always a great option.

Weddings are a team sport. Here are the wonderful people who made this event a success:

Photography: Aurora Meneghello - Locally Grown Weddings

Second Photographer: Genevieve Shiffrar

Wedding Coordination: Sadie Waddington - Locally Grown Weddings

Caterer: Chef Stephanie - Locally Grown Weddings

Florist: Madeline Trait - Locally Grown Weddings

Dessert: Pei-Yee Woo - Locally Grown Weddings

San Rafael Wedding: Nesa and Albert

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:40:31 -0700

Remember Nesa and Albert? Time goes by so fast: their wedding in September was a wonderful gathering of friends and family in San Rafael. Enjoy some of my favorite photos from the day!

Congratulations, Nesa and Albert!

Weddings are a team sport, here’s who made this such a beautiful event:

Photography: Aurora Meneghello Productions

Second Photographer: Genevieve Shiffrar

Wedding Coordination: Tamara J. Events

Caterer: Toast

Dessert: Krumb Cake

Flowers: Flower Affair

Hair Stylist: Beauty by Erika

Make Up: Enrique Reyes

Ceremony Music and DJ: Benny Be Music Productions

Venues: Four Point Sheraton, San Rafael and Osher Marin Jewish Community Center

instagram: Felix Baumgartner’s Historic Jump Want to see more...

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 09:53:17 -0700

instagram.com/p/QFMnEthrjY/#redbullstratos

instagram.com/p/QxJorghrvs/#redbullstratos

instagram.com/p/QxJALcFKwU/#redbull

instagram:

Felix Baumgartner’s Historic Jump

Want to see more photos of the jump? Take a look at the Red Bull Stratos Mission Control location page, the @redbullstratos, @redbull, @joergmitter, and @limeximages accounts, as well as the hashtags #felixbaumgartner and #stratos

Earlier today, Felix Baumgartner took a stratospheric balloon flight to 127,000 feet (37,000 meters) and then, he jumped. The freefall jump was an attempt to become the first man to break the speed of sound (690 miles or 1,110 kilometers per hour). It lasted 4 minutes and 22 seconds and according to indicators provided by the @redbullstratos team, Baumgartner surpassed Mach 1. His jump came exactly 65 years to the day after Chuck Yeager became the first man to break the sound barrier in an airplane.

Lisa, going to meet Eric for the first time on their wedding...

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 07:35:05 -0700

Lisa, going to meet Eric for the first time on their wedding day.

Marines' Memorial Hotel: Eric and Lisa's Wedding

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 21:12:00 -0700

I met Lisa and Eric almost a year ago and still remember how we sat and sipped tea while talking about all they were planning for their wedding. Time flies!

Lisa had lots of idea for the photos: she knew from the start that she wanted to take photos around San Francisco, including the hearts downtown and the cable cars. She also wanted some photos in a beautiful natural setting. So we collaborated closely in creating a timeline and itinerary that would give us enough time to reach all our destinations

For Eric and Lisa’s First Look, we went to the Presidio. We had scouted a place before that was easy to get to, but secluded enough for this truly special moment.

The wedding ceremony took place at saint John Episcopal Church.

For a few moments we even got some rain! Enough to shower bride and groom with good luck.

Then off to downtown, where Lisa, Eric and I had chosen a few gritty spots for fun wedding party and couple’s photos.

The day went smoothly and we were back ahead of schedule, so Lisa and Eric could enjoy the reception with family and friends at the Marines’ Memorial Hotel.

Congratulations, Eric and Lisa!

Weddings are a team sport, here’s who made this such a beautiful event:

Photography: Aurora Meneghello Productions

Second Photographer: Genevieve Shiffrar

Wedding Coordination: Lisa with the help of her friend Courtney

Flowers: Pat Gibbons Floral

Caterer: Marines’ Memorial Hotel

Dessert: Dulcinea Bakeshop

misslujo: Partner(s) in Crime Are The New Mentor(s)

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 08:05:02 -0700

misslujo: Partner(s) in Crime Are The New Mentor(s) :

misslujo:

Don’t go robbing banks - Do find your partner in crime!

I’m going to come right out with some honesty right now. I can be a stubborn one. I can be especially stubborn when I see something being done wrong that I know can be done better. Imagine my almost constant state of stubborn in…

BAIA Dinners just announced!

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:09:00 -0700

BAIA Dinners just announced!

Jen and Dmitri's Wedding at the Presidio

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:50:00 -0700

Here are some of my favorite photos from Jen and Dmitri’s June Wedding at the Presidio Inn and Log Cabin. If you haven’t checked out their engagement photos yet, take a peek here and here and here.

The Inn at the Presidio is still fairly new and a beautiful venue to get ready for your wedding.

For their First Look, we used the front porch, which has beautiful light and great rocking chairs.

And then we walked down the street for some photos with the entire wedding party. We lucked out on the weather: sunny, beautiful days in June can be a rarity in San Francisco!

The Presidio Log Cabin is on a hill overlooking the city. The ceremony took place outdoors.

In the afternoon and evening, the light was just perfect.

Inside the Locally Grown Weddings team had transformed the Log Cabin for a stunning reception.

One of Jen and Dmitri’s priorities was to have beautiful photographs of their wedding day, so we took some time to make sure to capture the two of them around sunset time.

Congratulations, Jen and Dmitri!

Weddings are a team sport. Here are the wonderful people who made this event a success:

Photography: Aurora Meneghello - Locally Grown Weddings

Second Photographer: Douglas Despres

Wedding Coordination: Sadie Waddington - Locally Grown Weddings

Caterer: Chef Stephanie - Locally Grown Weddings

Florist: Kristina Tracy

Dessert: Cascades Cakes

Rentals: Toni Hill - Hartmann Studios

Hair Stylist: Hair to Dye For

Make-up: Flame Angel

Ceremony Music: Chris Dugan

DJ: Four Leaf Entertainment

My favorite article about my work, check it out on the Wedding...

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:17:36 -0700

My favorite article about my work, check it out on the Wedding Woof!

Happy Anniversary, Julie and Michael!

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 08:57:00 -0700

Happy Anniversary, Julie and Michael!

South Bay Engagement Session: Nesa and Albert

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 08:58:00 -0700

I met Nesa as she worked as planner-in-training with Locally Grown Weddings. It’s been fun talking to her about wedding photos, knowing that she has already worked with me and knows what happens behind the scenes.

Nesa and Albert have a fun engagement story that my friends at FilmTwist captured perfectly on video. Even before meeting Albert, I knew we would have lots of fun taking their engagement photos. As the weather in San Francisco is pretty terrible during the summer, we decided to drive down to the South Bay, essentially chasing the sun. It was a great move: we explored new places and stayed warm.

Can’t wait to photograph Nesa ad Albert’s wedding in September!

Happy Pride! I am looking forward to the day everyone can marry...

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 16:25:54 -0700

Happy Pride! I am looking forward to the day everyone can marry the person they love.

One more photo from Alison and Justin’s Engagement Photo...

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:56:51 -0700

One more photo from Alison and Justin’s Engagement Photo Session.

San Francisco Engagement Photos: Alison and Justin

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:27:24 -0700

I met Alison and Justin a few months ago to talk about their wedding. It’s been fun to get to know a bit about them, their love of good food, jazz and French wine.

Justin proposed in Paris (can you get any more romantic than that?) and the Locally Grown Weddings team is hard at work to bring a bit of that feel to their October wedding in Park Winters.

Alison and Jsutin have a dog they adore, named Zoe. For our engagement photo session together we wanted to include her in the photos. So we chose to go to a couple of parks in San Francisco where she could freely run around.

Here are a few more photos from our session together.

Catie and Russ

Tue, 22 May 2012 08:45:44 -0700

Catie and Russ

May trip to Campovida with Locally Grown Weddings.

Mon, 21 May 2012 15:30:20 -0700

May trip to Campovida with Locally Grown Weddings.

Joaquin Miller Park: Catie and Russ Engagement Photos

Sun, 20 May 2012 16:30:52 -0700

I am looking forward to Russ and Catie’s wedding at Campovida with the Locally Grown Weddings team next September!

Catie and Russ live in Chicago and came to visit for the weekend. So we found a few hours to get together and take their engagement photos at Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland.

An engagement photo session is the best way to get in sync with your wedding photographer. I find that most of the couples I work with have never been photographed by a professional and don’t know quite what to expect. I can totally relate! I don’t like being photographed and feel quite self conscious in front of the camera.

Spending time together, though, really helped us all connect. I also got a good idea of what Catie and Russ like and learned more about their story.

Congratulations, Catie and Russ!

Aurora's Reading Room: Man's Search For Meaning

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:03:47 -0700

After reading about it in countless other books, I finally decided to check this book out for myself. Contrary to other “classics” that are best when quoted rather than read in their entirety, Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning is as gripping today as it ever was. It is also a good antidote to a whole bunch of rather delusional self help books written by authors whose message goes pretty much like this: if anything bad happens to you, it’s probably because you attracted it into your life. And if you think of a million dollars, you will be a millionaire.

Man’s Search for Meaning is divided in two parts: the first part is an account of Frankl’s experience in Nazi concentration camps and the second book is an explanation of his theory of logotherapy, the belief that a person needs meaning in his or her life.

Although I read much about the horrors of concentration camps and I have seen photographs and footage of the time, it is always hard to read about those events. I would be reticent to re read the first part of the book, and I would certainly warn any reader that the content is as heart wrenching as one would expect. Frankl narrates everyday life in the camps while trying to understand why some prisoners succumbed to illness, deprivations and torture while others survived. The most touching part of his account is a time when he remembered his wife while walking and working in the camp. He wrote: “Occasionally I looked at the sky, where the stars were fading and the pink light of morning was beginning to spread behind a dark bank of clouds. But my mind clung to my wife’s image, imagining it with an uncanny acuteness…Real or not, her look was then more luminous than the sun which was beginning to rise. A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth - that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love.” This passage is even more poignant because his parents and his pregnant wife all perished in the camps.

Man’s Search for Meaning strikes a perfect balance between exposing injustice and horrors while offering a concrete way for people to face the worst possible events in their lives. Contrary to most of what we are fed these days, Frankl doesn’t advise to think positively or to “believe in abundance”, but suggests finding meaning in our suffering if we cannot fight to avoid it. He also suggests focusing on the future, on what we will do once the worst is over. This is incredibly important as many books talk about focusing on the present which is not very helpful if you are truly living through some tough times and cannot change your situation. When in deep distress, sometimes the only thing we can do is feeling hope for the future while giving a meaning to what’s happening to us that will help us survive.

The second part of Man Search for Meaning is one to read over and over again. Instead of recommending balance and equilibrium, Frankl states that what people need is “the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.” This goal is not to be found solely in the mind, but by taking an active part in the world. And so again this book really resonated with me because it included the wider world, events out of our control, sadness and suffering, as well as calm, happy and abundant times. He is critical of the belief that we can just be happy, and writes that we need a reason to be happy. Often the belief that one has to always feel optimistic and happy can in itself bring about depression and feeling of being inadequate. He also doesn’t always expect a happy ending or suggests we need to believe in one. For example, when he talks about being unemployed, he acknowledges that being unemployed often leads people to feeling useless. Frankl, though, doesn’t recommend “thinking positive,” but suggests volunteering and helping those less fortunate, so that we might regain a bigger sense of purpose in our lives, and by feeling useful again, by helping others and opening ourselves to humanity, our mood might improve and we might better cope with the search for employment. Purpose and meaning in life should be about something bigger than ourselves or about other people. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t take care of ourselves, but our relationship to bigger values and our love for other people and from other people are the things that can really carry us through the toughest times.

This is definitely a book to own and to read and re read, especially in those moments when life hits us hard and we can forget our purpose and meaning. It is also a needed reminder to reconnect with our sense of community, opening our hearts to others. Frankl doesn’t encourage or prefer suffering, but he includes it in his view of the world, acknowledging that we will all one day or another have to deal with it and gives us some tools to live through the hard, as well as the good, times.