Holiday Gifts, 2020

It’s become a tradition of mine to collect small gifts along my travels throughout the year and to compile them into a holiday gift for my wedding clients. But given the unusual year in 2020, of course travel was greatly curtailed. So instead, I went in the opposite direction and curated a set of very local gifts instead.

First, a look at my holiday card, with calligraphy by Brown Fox Calligraphy. It wasn’t the year I expected, but I certainly had much to be grateful for.

All of my gifts were sourced from small businesses, sustainability-minded, and themed around my quarantine comforts. I have to thank Keep Oakland Alive for showcasing local Oakland shops, which led me to many of these gifts.

First, linen napkins with the fabric sourced from Stonemountain & Daughter Fabric and sewed by me.

Second, oregano from our garden, which combines two of our favorite quarantine hobbies: gardening and cooking.

Next, hand lotion to combat the effects of all of our sanitizing and washing. It’s from Re-up Refills, which allows you to purchase refills in an effort to eliminate single-use plastic.

Also, chrysanthemum tea from Lunaria Flower Farm.

And finally, a mesh produce bag from OakRA for those farmers’ market trips or to use as a laundry bag for machine washing your masks!

A lovely quintet of client gifts.

Grateful for every single one of these quarantine comforts and for the couples who dealt with the upending of their wedding year. I’m grateful we were able to still witness some really special micro weddings and also that most of you were able to postpone, rather than fully cancel your events. Looking forward to celebrating when we can!

Anna Wu is a wedding and portrait photographer based in San Francisco but often traveling and working around the world. She creates beautiful, soft, and timeless imagery while capturing the most fleeting of moments. View her work at annawu.com, follow her daily adventures on instagram, or contact her to book your own session today.