Ashley and Brandon exchanged their vows in San Juan Capistrano, CA at the beautiful Franciscan Gardens. It was a perfect wedding for a perfect couple and I felt so honored to be there to document the day for them, along with Pam and Ashley of Pamee & Ashlee Photography, who graciously invited me along to second shoot.
From the get-go the day felt incredibly special. Ashley was a gorgeous bride and I was surprised by how calm and serene she seemed to be. The wedding her and Brandon planned was colorful and bright and planned down to every last detail. As you will see, I was a little obsessed with their flowers!
I had a blast at this wedding and I sincerely wish Ashley and Brandon a lifetime of happiness together.
Ashley and Brandon decided to do a First Look before the ceremony in order to have ample time for portraits while the light was still good. Love it when that happens!
We took full advantage of the nearby train station, naturally!
Some details…
I was in LOVE with their flowers!
These crazy kids not only had a wedding cake, they also had personal cakes! No, they’re not cupcakes because these things were as big as my face!
I love capturing moments like these. Is there anything more beautiful than a laughing bride? I don’t think so.
Probably my favorites from the day are these dancing shots. They feel so cinematic–almost as if I screen grabbed them from a film. Love it.
Here’s a slide show of these and the rest of my favorite images from this day. Enjoy!
The night before my sister-in-law Megan’s wedding I gave her a big hug and proclaimed, “Megan! It’s time for your mawwiage!” She chuckled and then we proceeded to talk about her upcoming “mawwiage” well into the next day.
To me, the pictures of a bride getting ready to walk down the aisle are some of the most special from that very important day. When Megan told me that she didn’t plan on having her photographer present for these moments, I forced her to let me be there to document the process for her. Well, I didn’t actually have to force her–I just asked if she wanted me to snap some pre-wedding shots and she happily accepted the offer. And so, Megan and I were able to spend the morning of her wedding together. For much of the day it was just her and I and whomever happened to be grooming her at the time. It was incredibly special for me and I was glad when Megan later told me that my presence kept her calm. I just hope I have that same affect on other brides!
Megan and Kyle were married at the Garden of the Gods club in Colorado Springs, CO. The club overlooks the Garden of the Gods, which is a gorgeous landmark with glorious rock formations–a Colorado staple. When I first saw the ceremony site I was blown away. Now, there is not a single thing that I would change about my own wedding but I did immediately ask if Chris and I could have a “do-over” because I’ve never seen a wedding site so beautiful in all my life.
After I picked my jaw up from the ground, I found Megan in the salon getting her hair all prettified.
Megan’s mom made her this head piece to wear. It was so stunning everyone asked her where she bought it!
Soon it was off to makeup. I could tell Megan was enjoying her afternoon of primping.
After she was all done up, Megan and I headed to her hotel room where Kyle’s mom delivered a gift from the groom.
A perfectly gorgeous necklace, which as an aside, happened to perfectly match the earrings Megan planned to wear that day–they were her something borrowed, so Kyle had no idea. It was meant to be!
After ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the pretty jewelery for a while, I got to scope out Megan’s amazing dress and super cute flip flops (which were a brilliant idea because I later lamented my choice of heels as I sunk into the grass all night)
Soon after, Megan’s bridesmaids showed up with cherry lime-aides and fries from Sonic in hand (score!), and were ready to celebrate.
My two beautiful SILs:
Then, it was time to get dressed!
They did it!
Hooray!
Chris and his cousins were ushers at the wedding, but they also had the important role of singing the new bride and groom out for their recessional. My husband is the cool guy on the left with the sunglasses. Hubba, hubba.
Kyle and Megan’s dog, Tucker, was the Best Dog. He was a very good boy during the ceremony, but I think he was more interested in the group of people who were sitting there staring at him.
I put my camera away right after the ceremony so that I could enjoy being a guest instead of getting caught up taking photos. The wedding was fantastic and I am so happy for Megan and Kyle. Here’s a slide show of some more images from the day:
I first met Sera and Julius in person the night before their wedding at a bonfire they hosted for family and friends at their home in Oakland. I had just flown into SFO a few hours prior, but I wanted to make sure I could talk with them face-to-face before being present to photograph one of the most special days of their lives. Call me crazy, but that’s just how I roll.
Sera and Julius welcomed me into their home with open arms and treated me as if I were an old friend. Their friends and family were just as welcoming and I had a great night chit-chatting by the fire until well past my bedtime. I was so glad I went to the bonfire because it made me so excited for the wedding the following afternoon. Nothing makes me happier than shooting photos of people I genuinely like.
The wedding took place at the South End Rowing Club in the Ghirardelli Square area of San Francisco. The small and intimate ceremony was held at the end of the club’s pier, which had a beautiful bay view–perfect for a beautifully sunny afternoon. Sera and Julius planned the entire wedding themselves and loyal friends pitched in to oversee various tasks throughout the day. It was a classically simple wedding with a DIY feel, which I loved.
I looove bagpipers, so I was really excited to see this guy!
Julius really laid one on his bride at the end of the ceremony–what a kiss!
The Mr. and Mrs. and I hung out immediately following the ceremony for some formal portraits. There wasn’t a bridal party, so it was just the three of us, which was so much fun! This is probably one of my faves from the day.
Here are some more from the day…
A friend dutifully handed out programs before the ceremony
These decadent chocolate cupcakes with lime-flavored cream cheese frosting were provided by Jennifer of Oye Cookie! Not only did they look good, but they tasted absolutely divine!
No matter the wedding, there is always at least one pretty girl in a party dress stealing the show. This time, there were two!
The youngest ladies weren’t the only ones hamming it up, though. I loved how fancy Sera’s mother and grandmother looked.
An extremely cool dancing shot
Sera and Julius were so happy and in their element during the toasts from family and friends
The official song of the wedding was Will His Love Be Like His Rum? by Harry Belafonte. While the song was played, shots of rum were handed out to all in attendance. They all sang along merrily and Sera made sure the rum continued to flow.
And, of course, where there’s rum, there’s a bride and groom getting their groove on.
Sera and Julius, I had such a blast at your wedding. Thanks for inviting me to document it. Hope you’re enjoying Wine Country!
My awesome friend Alisha is working on fixing this here blog to my liking. So excited! Also excited about leaving for Joshua Tree this weekend. Expect new images next week!
Today’s image is from Natali and Cory’s wedding. A little bit of downtime while getting ready for Natali and her Sister-In-Law, Kim.
Before I forget: It’s Friday! You know what that means: Time for me to post a song I’m digging at the moment. Today’s song comes to you from She & Him, a duo comprised of actress Zoey Deschanel and musician M. Ward. If you saw the movie Elf then you probably already know how great Zoey’s voice is. Her tone is perfect for M. Ward’s artistry with a guitar. This song is the first I’ve heard off of their upcoming album. I cannot wait to hear the rest. Enjoy!
She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
[audio:WhyDoYouLetMeStayHere.mp3]
This past Summer, Chris and I flew to South Dakota for his cousin Ian’s wedding. It was a weekend event that brought together one side of Chris’ family almost in its entirety. Everyone spent their time at a fantastic little cabin on the Missouri River bed that was owned by the bride Beth’s family. The weather was gorgeous the entire time we there–until minutes before the wedding was scheduled to start, of course. The rain came down in buckets at first and the crowd of guests crammed into the tiny main room of the cabin to take refuge. There was a Plan B in case of rain, but Beth had her heart set on getting married next to that river since she had spent many summers there growing up. The group huddled together, waiting for the rain to let up. Beth stood in white amongst her family and friends, pacing between the group and the window to see if there was a sign of clear skies.
I snapped this shot during one of her last trips to the window. You can also see her mother-in-law Joan in the reflection of the window. Joan and Beth stood at that window for a few minutes just staring at the sky. I really felt for Beth at that moment–it was obvious how much she was hoping the storm clouds would move along. The group left the final choice up to Beth who ultimately decided to move to Plan B: getting married at the nearby winery where the reception was being held. The ceremony was lovely either way–rain or shine, riverbed or winery.
I had the pleasure of photographing Natali and Cory’s wedding. You may remember Natali from her bridal shower photos. The wedding took place in the backyard of Cory’s parents house. It was packed full of friends and family who were thrilled to celebrate the special occasion with the happy couple. The wedding was very laid back, yet elegant enough to really feel like a special occasion. All of the people in attendance were really happy to let loose on the dance floor — the dancing continued well into the night. Here are a few shots from the evening:
