Arielle and I are grad school classmates, but since we work in completely different fields – she in microbiology, I in chemical biology – our paths rarely intersected on campus. But then, a few years ago, we ended up meeting each other at the same conference in Oregon. Turns out we both work on understanding bacterial populations, but from extremely different perspectives, and we had a great time reconnecting about science and grad school over giant bowls of pho.

Arielle and Alex are both very chill and low-key. When Arielle asked me to take some photos of them, she said it would be for a “magnet that tells you when the party is” – the party being a reception at one of their favorite local breweries. After going to my share of strictly planned down-to-the-minute weddings lately, I just love how refreshingly relaxed this party sounds, and I couldn’t be more excited for them.

The Berkeley Marina, where we took these photos, is one of my favorite sites for its versatility – the tall grasses in the summer lend a rustic feel, while at sunset shots, the sun always sets perfectly over the water. This was actually my first official engagement session, and I’m so thrilled that it all came together. Thanks, Arielle and Alex, for giving me the opportunity!

Click on the images to view larger versions in an album.

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