There are new faces around here so let me reintroduce myself with 5 things you may or may not know about me.
I’m Jodee 🤗
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1. I’ve been a wedding photographer for 10 years! No, I can’t tell if a couple is going to make it or not 🙃 Yes, I get asked that alllll the time.
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I always say there are certain relationships I would or wouldn’t want to be in from face value but who am I to say what’s best for them or even what really takes place in their lives?
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2. This photo was taken on safari in Kenya by my girl @valoriedarling . It was one of the most epic and inspirational trips of my life all curated by @kintravel .
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It feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago even though it was Feb 2019. One of the reasons I love photography. Images just get more valuable with time and can instantly transport us back to that moment: how we felt + who we were.
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3. I was just on the bride side! Mark and I were married in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico on 2/12/22 🥰🥰 I learned a lot: things I would do differently, things I loved, + things I already do for my couples as their photographer that I feel more convicted in now. Comment if you want to know more!
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4. I am pregnant!! Due Jan 27, 2023 with a baby girl! We are soooo excited all while terrified of this new adventure. Don’t you worry, I am back in full capacity mid-May. Isn’t it funny that we have to reassure people of this? Or maybe it’s just me?
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I was named after my dad, Joe D. 🥰 and this whole naming a kid thing is tricky!! Although my parents have already been calling her by a certain name 🤣
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5. I love connecting with people. It’s one of the things I love most about what I do. And as cheesy as it sounds my couples are the best people. So beautiful, so welcoming, so genuine. And the same goes for my talented creative partners!! So drop me a hi below and introduce yourself or challenge me with 2 truths + a lie if we know each other already!
A few favorite moments from this iconic San Francisco wedding day 🤍
Slide 1: the historic Saints Peter and Paul Church in the heart of North Beach. Peep the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz in the distance. I love a drone shot in the city to zoom out on the scene of the story being written.
Slide 2. Claire driving to the church from her family home in their family Subaru that she used to carpool in with her dad driving and playing the father of the bride soundtrack. It was a moment!
Slide 3. Second kiss as husband and wife outside the church
Slide 4. Enough of these cheap robes from Etsy that don’t fit anyone. Claire showing how it’s done in her vintage getting ready nightgown and robe.
Slide 5-6. The boyyyyyssss
Slide 7-8. I will never get over your beauty Claire. I could do endless posts from our portrait session. And I probably will if you comment that yall want more ;)
Slide 9-10. I love when couples do their own personal vows. Getting married in a church can be traditional and deeply personal.
Slide 11-13. A walk around the block in Nob Hill.
And that’s all I’m allowed to share because the Pacific Union club is very private and I’m not allowed to share the epic party these two threw.
If you’re planning a wedding at Saints Peter and Paul Church, the Pacific Union Club, or looking for a San Francisco wedding photographer who blends editorial imagery with real moments, I’d love to connect 🤍
Design + planning: @jbdevents
Photography: @jodee.friday
Florist: @bloomgalleryflowers
Couple: @clairenewsmith + @jacksonlnewsmith
#sanfranciscoweddingphotographer #pacificunionclubwedding #sfweddingphotographer #destinationweddingphotographer
How do you want your wedding to feel? Because you get to choose and I want to know the answer.
Beyond all the design elements you have been obsessing over and I can’t wait to photograph, how yall connect with one another is equally as important to me. Capturing the editorial or the traditional smiling at the camera “People Magazine” shot is easy.
But allowing yall to feel the emotions, pause time and connect with one another so the images have actual memories associated to them is my favorite thing to prompt and document.
I don’t want you to feel as though you have to perform or play a role. I’m intentional about directing and then stepping back to give you that space to be together, whatever that looks like. It also doesn’t hurt when we have a stunning vineyard overlooking Carmel Valley to escape to either…
Venue: @holmanranch
Design + Planning: @atlas_designstudio
Couple: @jillian.p.perkins + Evan
Holman Ranch Wedding Photographer. Carmel Wedding Photographer. #holmanranchwedding #carmelweddingphotographer #carmelwedding
City strolls, but make it cinematic ✨
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Claire + Jackson wanted their photos to feel like slipping out for a just-married walk through Nob Hill—past grand facades, quiet corners, and that iconic Grace Cathedral glow. Effortless, elevated, and a little bit like they’re the only two people in the city.
They wanted to achieve stunning photos but quickly so that they could join cocktail hour, which I couldn’t agree with more. Why not get both?
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San Francisco has a way of making everything feel a little more iconic—and these two fit right in 🤍
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San Francisco wedding photographer, SF wedding photographer, Nob Hill engagement photos, San Francisco engagement photographer, luxury wedding photographer San Francisco, Grace Cathedral wedding photos, Nob Hill wedding inspiration
There’s fun… and then there’s this kind of fun 🪩
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When the groom Mike aka DJ Smelly came out of retirement, you already knew the dance floor was going to be unreal—but what made this night unforgettable wasn’t just the music, it was the way these two love their people (and each other). I’m still dancing in my heart.
Venue: @holmanranch
Entertainment: @goldenbellmusic
Couple: @danismelly + @smellymane
Design + Planning: @atlas_designstudio
#weddingreceptionvibes #carmelweddingphotographer #realweddings #weddinginspo #djgroom
Let’s have a giggle and also share some helpful wedding dealbreakers for the 2027 brides out there 🥰
If you’re planning or have planned your own wedding, what dealbreaker or randomly specific request did your significant other have? PSA: hire a wedding planner. But even with one, we all make decisions for our day.
I’ll go first, my husband cared deeply about our friends and family enjoying our wedding but when it came to specifics I was naturally the decision maker until…
THE CHAIRS.
Mark’s one request was comfortable seating. He’s a big guy, and has sat through too many weddings on those folded chairs, you know the ones! So he came out of nowhere with an adamant dealbreaker. And boy do I love him for it because I couldn’t agree more. Comfort is key for guest experience and also the chairs are shockingly crucial in your design aesthetic. One chair is one thing but 150 chairs lined up together can overwhelm the beautiful florals you picked out if not done well. I said what I said 😅
What are some others? I’ve heard tater tot bar, nice restrooms, no beer bottles…
As a destination wedding photographer, I get to show up and document all the beauty and don’t always get to know the behind the scenes details so please don’t hold back!
Cover photo credit of the beautiful chairs and love seats woven in:
Venue: @holmanranch
A reminder that your engagement session photos get more valuable with time. It feels like this season of life is forever but then you get married and maybe start a family! Years flash by in an instant and you look back at the photos and that older version of yourselves… and you’re instantly transported back to that well rested, carefree, spontaneous, deep in love couple. So don’t wait, book the shoot, you won’t regret it years from now!
Shout out to Nadine + Nikita who have a little one now! 🥰
Malibu Engagement Session, LA Engagement Session, LA Wedding Photographer, Beach Engagement Photos
A mariachi serenade at dinner was the perfect way to incorporate Enrique’s culture. And then, the women of Jimmy’s family performed a hula dance so both sides were celebrated!
Music evokes emotion and memory, making it such a beautiful way to personalize your wedding and pay homage to your family.
As a wedding photographer, seeing how couples involve traditions from around the world is inspiring. From music to different religious practices to family traditions, it is meaningful to see and document how different people celebrate love. And isn’t that what we all want at the end of the day? Even if it may look different for us than it does for others.
Planning + Design: @seandempseynv
Photography: @jodee.friday
Florals: @mis_florism
Mariachi: @mariachibonitas
Rentals: @brighteventrentals
Venue: @brindarenapavalley (formerly Tre Posti)
Couple: ecal90 + @jimmyjoejr
#napaweddingphotographer #napawedding #samesexwedding #weddingtraditions #weddingtip
This one thing makes getting ready on your wedding day less stressful...
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Hear me when I say this — get ready with your people. All of them, whoever you want. But then, sneak away to a quiet / clean / away from the chaos / calm space to put your dress on with ONLY one or two people. That is it! I’ll make sure it’s cleared out and your shoes and jewelry are in reaching distance.
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I am not an anxious person and I’ve been on the wedding photographer side countless times, but I’m telling you, that moment when you’re putting your dress on makes everything so real and those nerves can creep in when you least expect them. It happened to me. So having an oasis away from the noise does wonders for you to enjoy that moment of becoming the bride. And I’m always there to remind you to take a deep breathe and enjoy it with that one person helping you.
Design + Planning: @engagedandinspired
Photography: @jodee.friday
Hair and Makeup: @kellyjobeauty
Bride: @kassinthehouse
#carmelweddingphotographer #weddingtip #carmelwedding #weddinggettingready
This is what you’ll miss if your photographer only chases the “big moments.”
Everyone’s focused on what just happened—the ceremony, the kiss, the celebration beginning.
But right after?
There’s this shift.
The energy loosens. The music picks up.
It’s not staged. It’s not directed.
It’s the in-between moment where everything starts to feel real.
And this is where I love to live as a photographer.
I’m not pulling you out of the moment—I’m moving with you, matching the energy, blending in just enough that your people stay fully themselves. Close enough to catch the glance, the smile, the movement… without interrupting it.
At Mattei’s Tavern, the flow from ceremony to reception feels effortless—especially when you have a second line leading guests from your church ceremony down the street to your cocktail hour garden party.
As a wedding photographer, the favorite part of my job is being tuned into what’s happening between the big events.
Because those are the moments you don’t plan for…
but end up loving the most.
Venue: @matteistavernauberge
Design + Planning: @janealexandraevents
Photography: @jodee.friday
Videographer: @luxurylifestylestudiosllc
Florist: @ixoraflorist
Band: @luckydevilsband
Beauty: @cheektocheekartistry
Rentals: @bellavistadesigns
Linens: @nuagedesigns
Cigars: @fumarcigars
Dessert: @thesolvangbakery
Transportation: @jumpontheschoolbus
Seating Chart: @olivewood.creative
Couple: @brittanyy.norris + @carternorris
#mattiestavern #losolivosweddingphotographer #losolivoswedding #weddinginspiration #weddingcandid
