One of my favorite weddings in the world is on my favorite blog in the world today as a Wordless Wedding. I love when that happens!
Yays.
My original blog post is here: http://jillianwest.com/post/31740045963/a-ps-winnebago-wedding-at-bodega-head
and APW’s here! http://apracticalwedding.com/2013/05/bodega-bay-elopement/
I’ve been slowly inching away from words in posts not because I have nothing to say, but because sometimes the photos ask me to let them be, to let them do their thing on their own. This is definitely one of those sessions. Articulation of its loveliness below.
The best thing about San Francisco is that even after four + years of active discovering, there are still treasures of the city left to be found. J and I spent a Saturday afternoon seeking salvage, sun and beer in secret happy places.
There are facts. One is that I can not be in a wedding and also take photos successfully (yay for C hiring a photographer so I could have fun and be present). Another is that I had a tad of a mutual obsession with A, my six year old sidekick and new muse, who was officially my date to the wedding. I could blog the 50 photos I took of her while following her around like paparazzi, but that wouldn’t be representative of the fact that this was one of my oldest friend’s wedding.
My C, who became a friend over lyrics to Jagged Little Pill at summer camp in the early 90s, who as a preteen I drank a bottle of whiskey with in the basement, who I shared some of the best and worst days of my life with… It’s not at all hard to imagine us here now, dancing to the soundtracks of our youth. Not even a broken foot was keeping me off the dance floor.
Congratulations C & A. I love you.
There are a trillion priceless photos of us in my archives, but I happened to come across this one today and decided it was pretty representative of us, at least in 1995 (trouble). 
To not only have thirty five female friends you love, but to find they’d travel from all over the country to share their love and strength with you before giving birth says a bit about my dear friend A and the gorgeous people she surrounds herself with. Here are a few photos from the day we all came together to celebrate the next chapter of her life, one expected to start any day now.
Time with A is always special, but this visit included an extra treat of spending a bit of time in the garden and leaving with hands down the best carrots and spicy greens I’ve ever tasted. Expect a future post this spring to see what all of these seedlings become, including J & A’s almost new addition.
If a few months off from Little Bat left me forgetting how much I love doing this, an afternoon with S & L gave me a million reminders. My giddiness was matched with their sheer loveliness which I could have photographed for hours and hours. In some ways the E session is a great teaser for me too…now I really can’t wait for their wedding.
After what I think has been the longest hiatus from my blog, I finally have some random film to share. The cameras have made their way to parties and places, but I’ve spent too much time getting carried away in the fun (and making videos on Vine!) and not enough time documenting. March and April will be filled with adventure, so I plan on making up for it soon. Until then, here is the randomness of my February.
the third annual Hats & Highballs party
from the windows of a few work days in New York
C’s bridal shower
Part 2 is the revival of the Mamiya, and I’ve never been happier to have her and her gorgeous 120mm film back. Scenes from El Ganzo and the cactus garden, three days of well earned relaxation at the most perfect hotel we’ve been to.
…and it’s called El Ganzo.
We wanted to keep it all to ourselves, to preserve its pristine beauty and quiet charm forever- but it’s just too wonderful to not share. I described it to a friend from a big red chaise lounge as a “cooler, beachy, less hipster and more MOMA version of the ACE.” This is a place where art and music replace stereotypes of spring break Cabo, where there really is no reason to leave the grounds other than to step a few feet to the beach. The Cabo of live jazz by morning, Joy Division by day, Leonard Cohen by late afternoon and live rock at night. Swim, swim, lounge and read, have a drink and tasty fresh fish…
It was our second trip to Mexico together, something we’ve been saying we needed to do again since we left last year. It was exactly what we needed for a few days of decompression. I’ve decided to post the Mamiya photos separately from the Polaroids, so another set to follow.
(technical note: the black mark in the photos turned out to be the battery clamp which had come undone.)
