Wedding Inspiration

there’s Just Something So Totally Romantic About A Winery Wedding! And Here In Wine-country, We Have Some Of The Best In The Us. Winery And Vineyard Wedding Venues Give Off Such A Classic, Elegant And Rustic Charm With A Hint Of Fairytale! Here Are Some Of The Most Stunning Winery Venues To Make All Your Wedding Dreams Come True.

when Covid Hit And Ultimately Postponed Their Wedding, Jenna And Ryan Decided To Make The Most Of It. They Took Their Van, Affectionately Named Lucy, And Hit The Road For A Four-month Cross-country Road Trip. After Their Adventures, They Returned To The Bay Area. When It Was Finally Time To Say Their "i Do’s", They Just Knew They Wanted To Maximize Their Time Celebrating With Their Loved Ones By Throwing A Community-oriented Wedding Weekend.

jenna And Ryan Hosted Their Wedding Weekend At Yokayo Ranch In Ukiah, Ca. Yokayo Ranch Has A Rich And Varied Past, Including Being A Fraternity At One Point, Meaning There Is A Ton Of Onsite Lodging. With The Capability To Accommodate Their Closest Family And Friends For An Entire Weekend And Its Serene Mendocino Garden Vibe, Jenna And Ryan Knew It Was The Perfect Place For Their Long-awaited Nuptials. Jenna, Ryan, And Their Bridal Party All Got Ready On Site. The Bridesmaids Wore Gowns Of Varying Hues Of Blush To Dusty Rose. Ryan And The Groomsmen Paired Tan Jackets With White Button-downs, Black Ties, And Black Slacks. Jenna Was Stunning In A Simple Silhouetted Gown With A Detailed Lace Bodice. Once Everyone Was Ready, It Was Time For Jenna And Ryan To Do Their First Look Before The Ceremony.

as Guests Arrived On The Warm Summer Evening, They Were Immediately Greeted With Artisanal Sorbet To Refresh Them Before The Wedding Ceremony Began. Jenna And Ryan Let Yokayo's Ceremony Space Speak Primarily For Itself. The Site Is Among A Lush Garden Full Of California Native Plants. They Adorned The Existing Archway With A Spray Of Their Wedding Florals In Hues Of Cream, Blush, Sage, And Pops Of Pink. The Ceremony Was Sweet And Heartfelt—quite A Few Guests Found Themselves Wiping Tears Away. With Their Vows Exchanged, And The New Union Sealed With A Kiss, It Was Time To Celebrate!

we Made Sure To Capture Photos With Jenna And Ryan's Families, Their Bridal Parties, And A Few Extra Special Guests. Cocktail Hour Was In Full Swing By The Pool, Where Pizzas Were Being Freshly Wood-fired For Guests To Enjoy. Jenna And Ryan Joined Their Guests And Then Danced Their Way Into The Reception As The New Mr. And Mrs. The Entire Evening Was Hosted Outdoors From Dinner To Toasts, Cake Cutting, And Dancing.

it Was Important To Jenna And Ryan That Their Wedding Reflects The Sense Of Community They Want To Carry Into Their New Life Together. Many Of The Vendors Were Friends, Friends Of The Family, And Mendocino County Locals. There Were Also So Many Special Touches To Mark The Day As Uniquely Jenna And Ryans. Instead Of A Traditional Guest Book, They Requested Their Guests Bring And Sign A Copy Of Their Favorite Record For The Couple To Enjoy. They Also Had Their Van Lucy Onsite To Serve As A Photo Booth For Their Guests.

jenna And Ryan's Wedding Had The Intimate Feel Of Being Hosted In A Backyard Summer Garden While Benefiting From The Fantastic Accommodations Yokayo Rancho And Their Selected Vendors Had To Offer. All Their Personal Touches Throughout Their Wedding Made It An Event That I Am Sure Jenna, Ryan, And Their Guests Will Remember Fondly For Years And Years To Come.

see Just A Few Of My Favorites From Their Day By Clicking "view Gallery!" 

despite All The Weddings I Attend For Work, Nate And I Haven’t Been Simply Guests At A Wedding In Over Two Years! (looking At You, Working Weekends!) When Our Dear Friends Kelsey And Joey Got Engaged And Invited Us To Celebrate Their Big Day As Guests, We Were Very Excited. I Was Also Excited And Honored That They Said They Just Had To Have Their Engagement Photos Taken By Me.

kelsey And Joey Are Hosting Their Wedding Next September At La Playa Carmel In Carmel-by-the-sea. They Wanted To Take Their Engagement Photos At The Venue And Surrounding Areas. Nate Grew Up With Kelsey, And I Was Shooting Another Wedding In The Area On A Saturday, So We Turned The Engagement Session Into A Bit Of A Weekend Getaway With Kelsey And Joey! We Stayed At The Normandy Inn, Grabbed A Fantastic Lunch At La Bicyclette, And Then Got Ready To Head To The Shoot!

we Started Off Getting Pictures Of Kelsey And Joey At La Playa Carmel Hotel & Bar. They Wanted To Capture A Couple Of Pictures In Front Of The Venue’s Sign And In Its Patio Area. I Thought This Was Such A Cute Idea Not Only To Take The Opportunity To Visit Their Venue But To Have Pictures They Can Use To Give Their Guests A Feel For Where They’ll Be Hosting Their Wedding.

once We Finished At La Playa Carmel, We Set Off To Point Lobos State Park. Due To Its Overcast Nature, The Park Closes Two Hours Before Sunset, Making Point Lobos An Attraction Primarily Visited Midday. We Waited Until Around 6 Pm, And By That Point, Most Of The Crowd Had Cleared Out, And There Was Plenty Of Parking. While The Offshore Flow May Be Why Point Lobos Closes Early, We All Loved The Fog And Cooler Temps In Mid-july Compared To The Heat We Experience In Chico. Plus, Overcast Skies Can Make For Some Of The Best Lighting For Photography!

we Captured Some Stunning Shots Along Point Lobos’ Path, Tide Pools, And The Neighboring Beach. Kelsey And Joey Were Game For Any Shot Suggestions I Threw At Them. Kelsey Has A Dance Background, So Many Of The Recommended Movements Come Naturally To Her. These Two Were Also Just So Loving And Sweet To Each Other. It Was Easy To Photograph Moments I Know They’ll Cherish For Years To Come. We Had A Truly Amazing Weekend With Kelsey And Joey At Carmel-by-the-sea, And Nate And I Cannot Wait To Return There To Celebrate These Two Next Year!

see Some Of My Faves From Their Destination Engagement Session By Clicking "view Galley" Below!

for The Vast Majority Of Couples, Your Engagement Session May Be The First Time You’re Getting Professional Photos taken Together! from Experience, I Know It Can Feel Exciting And Intimidating All At The Same Time. that’s Why I Strive To Make The Process Fun And Natural By Guiding You With Easy prompts And A Ton Of Positive Energy. i’ll Give You Things To Do Together That Will bring out Your Personalities. This Keeps You From Ever Feeling Awkward In Front Of The Camera Or Wondering What To Do With Your Hands. I’ve Worked With Hundreds Of Couples, And Making Sure You Feel Confident And Love Your Photos Is What I Am Most Passionate About.

now Let’s Be Honest For A Second… I Know We All Look Forward To Sharing All Of Our Engagement Photos With Our Instagram Followers! And While That Is Great, There Are So Many More Creative And Practical Ways To Make Use Of Them That I Think So Many Of Us May Not Realize! In This Blog Post I’m Sharing Seven Ways To Showcase Your Photos Before, On, And After Your Wedding Day!

each Vendor You Work With On Your Wedding Day Is Important From Invitations To Djs. It’s Always A Good Idea To At Least Have A Phone Call With All Of Your Vendors Before Booking To Make Sure They See Your Vision, You Click And You’ll Be Happy With The Outcome. But One Vendor That, I Think Is The Most Important To Ensure You Have A Good Vibe With Is Your Photographer!

as A Wedding Photographer Myself, I Take Getting To Know My Couples Serious. We Spend So Much Time Together On Your Wedding Day And I Want You To Be Completely Comfortable With Me And Feel Like Friends The Entire Time! Whether We’re Working Together Or Not, I Can’t Stress Enough How Important This Is! That’s Why I’ve Put Together A List Of 10 Questions You Should Ask Before Booking Your Wedding Photographer.

table Mountain In Oroville Is Always A Little Bit Of A Drive From My Home Base But So Worth It. The Wide-open Skies And Rolling Rocky Fields Go On As Far As The Eye Can See With A Sprinkling Of Old Valley Oak Trees. The Super Bloom In April Draws Large Numbers Of Visitors For Its Wildflowers. However The Rest Of The Year, It’s Lightly Traveled And The Perfect Spot For A Romantic And Adventurous Engagement Session! Enjoy!

see Some Of My Favorites From Their Unique Session By Clicking "view Gallery" Below!