So beautiful, I am sharing them twice – today it is their Montalvo Arts Center engagement session with Brendan and Maranda. You are going to love this romantic session in one of the most romantic places in the Bay Area. It has been a dream to shoot here for me since 2012 and I am excited to be sharing all of it’s beauty!
“Villa Montalvo is a national historical landmark built in 1912 by James Duval Phelan (1861-1930). Phelan, who was a three-term mayor of San Francisco, went on to become California’s first popularly-elected U.S. Senator. The estate was his beloved country home until his death in 1930.
The name “Villa Montalvo” is a reference to popular 16th-century Spanish writer Garci Ordóñez de Montalvo, who first coined the name “California.” In one of his fables, he described an island rich with gold and jewels, peopled by Amazons whose queen was named Califia. On the mythical island of California, Montalvo’s Amazons rode griffins, the winged guardians of precious treasure. Griffin statues can still be found throughout the Montalvo grounds, standing guard over one of California’s true precious treasures.
Over 100 years after construction of the Villa was completed, Montalvo Arts Center animates these historic grounds with a vision to serve our community as a catalyst for discourse and cultural understanding.
We are home to the Lucas Artists Program, which serves as a creative incubator and cultural producer, supporting contemporary artists in their creative process. We commission multidisciplinary, culturally relevant works of art; we host festivals, art exhibitions, and other public programs that allow our community to connect with artists and the arts. We are a dynamic and innovative force for arts education. Every year, we impact the lives of nearly a quarter million people from all over the Bay Area.”
I cannot wait for Brendan and Maranda’s wedding day, I know it is going to be incredibly beautiful!! Enjoy a few of my favorite moment from this beautiful session!
Are you planning a Montalvo Arts Center engagement session and looking for a photographer? I would love to work with you! Send me an email and we can plan your dream session.
