Dear Family + Friends,

As I enter my third year at RizzaRiz Photography I cannot express my gratitude enough to the amazing people that have given me the opportunity to continue my passion. They are my clients and their families who, over the years have opened their lives and have displayed tremendous hospitality to welcome me and my staff with open arms. They are also my vendors and the people connected within the industry who have shared many a kind word and wisdom and have encouraged me to get up from the ground, chin up with head strong and to continue forward without losing momentum. Over the years the same people have come to be my good friends and have redefined the true essence of what family is to me.

Last summer my family and I went through what I can only describe as a horrific experience when my mother was stricken with a sudden illness. My mother, a woman of great strength and determination, recovered tremendously against all odds in a short amount of time. We are ever so grateful to have her here with us which circles me back to a new-found perspective of family and its importance.

And with this feeling of gratitude, I would be remiss if I did not express in some tangible way to say THANK YOU to all for redefining the meaning of family. THANK YOU for keeping me and my staff hydrated during those hot summer weddings. THANK YOU for asking us if we’ve eaten, inviting us to help ourselves to some fruit or to hang with you in the shade. THANK YOU Uncle Bobs, for cooling us down with your crumpled wedding invitation between breaks and THANK YOU cousin Brad, for helping us organize family members amid post ceremony chaos. THANK YOUbride + groom for believing in me and my vision, even going as far as flying me out to the ends of the earth to tell your story.

With the summer upon us, this certainly leaves a lot of opportunity for family time and because summer tends to bring people together we would love to be there again to document your story. All summer we’ll be offering The Family+Gratitude special, family portrait sessions at $300 – $185 OFF our regular $485 fee to simply say THANK YOU. The summer special ends August 31, 2012.

What comes with your family portrait session you ask?
Family portrait sessions include travel anywhere within the SF Bay Area. Sessions include two hours and come with a disc of your images.

How do I book my family portrait session?
Simply email us at rizza@rizzarizphotography.com if you are interested. We will send you an invoice to book your session and get back to you within 24 hours after receipt of your payment to coordinate a date and time. 

Beautiful bouquet shots could never compare to moments like this, where a couple gets lost in each other. It was quite adorable to see Jenilee + PJ liplocked even moments after calling it ‘a wrap.’

Life on Harley Goat Farms.

I’m back on the saddle again! It’s been a brutal two months but now things are beginning to settle down. I call this the calm before the storm.

You’ve probably heard the buzz on branding (and if you haven’t that’s okay too) and branding your business in a way that perfectly reflects who you are. Taking this to heart, I decided to team up with graphic designer and photographer extraordinaire, Rosemary Mamisay. There were a lot of elements to consider, for example, NOT straying completely away from the overall look and feel of my previous logo. Somewhere between creative meetings and an old Anthropologie catalog, magic happened and the new RizzaRiz logo was born. Among my wants (and there were many, believe me) I opted for something that said ‘classic, yet fun’ and ‘grown-up, yet fresh’. And here it is, in all its glory, integrated with my first major production to boot (in the coming weeks my blog and main website will be like a construction site, demolishing old aspects of the blog and in place nailing in more interactive features). The logo IS and has been the way I’ve signed off in emails with clients and friends (love, Rr.).

All the while, I was inspired to roll something out along with the birth of my new logo. You may have already seen Monica, whose face lately has been plastered all over my site. She’s been my muse because her look is so classic and beautiful. She is reminiscent of my favorite decade, the 40′s. The image manifesto took place this weekend along Hwy 1. in Pacifica. I think I’ll be selfish and keep this hidden gem under wraps (at least for now). In the meantime, a look at what’s in store:










I want to extend some major shout outs to the team who helped put this together: to our models Monica and Sean-both whom had to grin and bear it through the cold and boogied when asked; our wonderful stylist extraordinaire Jody Siu (thank you for helping us out on the fly!); and designer/photographer Rosemary Mamisay/Doodlebugg Love — your constant support in this venture is so very much appreciated! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Love, Rr.

Photography: Rizza San Agustin
Hair/Make-up: Jody Siu, Rosemary Mamisay
Wardrobe Styling: Jody Siu, Rizza San Agustin
Wardrobe: Second hand vintage, Armani Exchange, Sean’s Shoes (Nueva Epoca), Monica’s wedding dress (Alexandra Dillon) and getaway dress (XXi).
Hat/Accessories: Mikimoto, Target, ForLove 21

I love brides in beautiful dresses. Have fun, be wild and beautiful!

RizzaRiz Photography for Nouvelle Vogue
Dress: Jenny Packham
Make-Up: Get Your Do-Up
Stylist: Christina Mok