A Certified Star!

This week I was delighted to learn that Lisa Edd, Managing Editor of Here Comes the Guide, decided to feature me on their blog for the 2nd time in a row this month!

Here is the text from the recent post:

"Wedding photographer Lauren Cohn-Frankel has had quite a year. In addition to being officially Certified By The Guide, she was nominated for this year’s San Francisco Chronicle Baylist Best list and had her gorgeous photos featured in Today’s Bride, and on East Bay Express’ Wedding Wednesdays, KRON 4’s gay marriage special, HBO Family. Busy girl!

To see what all the fuss is about, take a look at some of her photos."

Here is the link to this week's post,
and here is the link to the older post. In that one, Services Coordinator Denise Auerbach mentions some of my most recent awards and accolades, and describes my work as "gorgeous and full of personality." [blush!]

Thanks Lisa, Denise, and HCTG for the awesome recognition!

Five Wounds Church and Villa Ragusa

(with getting ready pics at the Cypress Hotel and portraits in downtown San Jose and Santana Row)

Karen and David
November 08, 2008


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Full set of proofs to be posted here

(I am swamped with work right now so I will add text to this post and the last one later: for now please enjoy the pics!)


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San Francisco Design Center Galleria

Bhavna and Emil
September 25-27 2008

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Full set of proofs to be posted here

(I will post text and credits when I have more time: for now please enjoy the images)


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New Couture Book Design: Lydia and Mike

Lydia and Mike's Couture Book

Full layout viewable here

I am working on blogging my last 2-3 weddings, but in the meantime I just had to post this now: it is my newest Couture Book design from Lydia and Mike's wedding. All my Couture Book albums are the result of a collaboration between myself and my designer Jenn (who is also a talented wedding and portrait photographer in Northern Virginia, and has been incredibly patient with me! :). My goal with each Couture Book album is to go beyond just storytelling with images; to incorporate colors, textures, and illustrative graphic artwork along with the photographs themselves, thereby creating a unique piece of art which matches the style and sensibility of the couple and their wedding.

The Couture Book is one of two different kinds of albums I offer, the other being the understated, classically elegant Heirloom album, whose pages are designed using photos only (sans embellishments). The primary difference between the two types of books is the design of the pages themselves, although there is also some variation between them in terms of construction and physical feel. Both books are handmade by master bookbinders, guaranteed to last a lifetime; yet the Heirloom album is more photo-album-esque with thick, hefty covers and rigid pages made up of actual photographic prints mounted back to back on archival board. By comparison, the Couture Book album is a lighter weight, coffee-table-style hardcover book with flexible press-printed pages made from luxurious papers.

I created the Couture Book early last year because I wanted a way to pay homage to the couples who suffused their weddings with creativity and intent; weddings that were not only momentous and fun but also unique, stylish, visually stunning.

I wanted to offer my couples a book that was more than just the sum of the pictures within it, that was not just a tool for displaying artistic images, but that was in itself a work of art...because the wedding that inspired it was a work of art also. And, I wanted to be able to offer my couples something that they couldn't get anywhere else.

Here are a few spreads from the new design. These spreads will be printed 10x20" on white felt paper stock, which will really emphasize the textured backgrounds on some of the pages. They will then be folded in the middle to create 2 left and right facing pages, before being stacked, trimmed, and mounted into the cover itself.
(like all my other images, the logo and black borders are for blog purposes only and will not appear in the final book)


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And to illustrate the unique and custom nature of each Couture Book, here is the link to my last CB design from Tammy and Jamey's wedding.

Pictures of the other type of primary album I offer, the classic Heirloom album, can be found on my wedding website, in the Featured Weddings section. Once my copy of Lydia and Mike's book is back from the bindery I will be creating an in-depth guide to the different album options, for couples who can't come see them in person.

In the meantime, if you would like to learn more and see and touch both album types, you can email me to make an appointment to meet with me in person.

The Clift Hotel

Nicole and Steve
November 5 2008

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I appreciate my clients from this year so much. More than any other year Ive been doing this, the 2008 wedding season has been filled with brides and grooms who march to the beat of their own drummer. It's so cool to see the kinds of things couples come up with when they put a lot of effort into making their wedding their own.

Nicole is a talented artist and designer, and her funky, artistic, elegant style was all over this wedding. The Clift was a great location for this wedding as it is one of those SF hotels that manages to be cozy, elegant, and full of unique style all at the same time.

I've been trying to find the time and words to describe everything properly but for once, I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:


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loved Steve's vows.

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Nicole did the paper flowers around the chuppah herself.

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fun group!

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this light in this place was amazing. I loved the soft side light from the windows in the main room and the low, romantic light in the lobby.
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Love it when they choreograph the first dance. These guys were good!

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finishing move:

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the little handbound books were their favors, from etsy.com, which is a great place to buy everything from makeup, to clothing and jewelry, to art and gifts and food, esp. if you want to support small biz and handmade, environmentally conscious and often upcycled products with way more heart than you can find at your average walmart.
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vendors:

Clift Hotel: Lauren Balukjian was the awesome coordinator, and they also did the catering and cake/desserts.

flowers: Yoshiko Williams (don't have a website for her)

dj: Randy Harris, Pacific Entertainment

dress: Paris Connection

makeup: Christy from Addiction Salon

hair: Renee from Maire Rua