Stephanie and Darren lucked out with beautiful weather for their early August wedding on a private estate in the hills of Sebastopol, California. I was so happy for them, as I know how hot and miserable it could have been for an all-outdoor wedding like this. The setting was simply perfect, lots of room for the many kids to roam around on and a really intimate reception setting next to the apple orchard. Darren's got friends in an amazing band, who kept everyone entertained and dancing their hearts away into the evening. Such a lovely couple, I was honored to play such an important role in capturing their wedding day. Here's a few of my favorite photos I feel capture the feel of the event:
I have to say this was a first for me – Alex just happened to have a bunch of rope in his truck, so we acted out a little fantasy – rescuing the tied up damsel in distress from the railroad tracks. Before you collectively freak out, dear internet, this is an unused track – not a dangerous situation. Anyways, we could't decide if Alex would play villain or savior, it's really a matter of what order I show the photos (tying her up first... or reverse to show un-tying). For the sake of this blog post and because he is her fiance, we'll stick with the savior story. Even though we ended the shoot with the role-playing, I wanted to show you those photos first.
I shot Sher and Grant's Monterey elopement last year, and when it came time for them to celebrate with friends and family, they called me up to help out. It was great to see them again and get some great shots of everyone they care about. We met at Grant's home in Modesto around 11am, and I'm pretty sure it was pushing past 90 degrees at that point. We wanted to get all the formal portraits done before the party, so I walked everyone out to the almond orchard behind the house to find a little solace in the shade. Afterwards, we all headed to The Century in downtown Modesto for the reception – an amazingly cool new wedding venue with a helpful, friendly staff and a killer eye for detail. It was a photographer's dream venue for capturing great photos of people – and that's exactly what I did. Enjoy some of my faves below!
Usually at the end of the year I get a few months off from weddings before the season starts up again – but 2016 kicked off the wedding season super early – January 3rd, in fact! Luckily I got to work with a really nice couple, making the day feel less like work and more like a fun party. Even though the temperatures dropped in the late afternoon, the weather was nice enough to support an outdoor ceremony on the wedding bluff overlooking the golf course.
For a couple as adventurous as Pete and Erin, tying the knot in one of the most outdoor-sy, gorgeous landscap-y, beautimous locations in the world was kind of a given (and forgive my propensity for made-up words). Yes, Yosemite Valley was the ideal location for this destination wedding – and more specifically the historic Ahwahnee Hotel nestled in the heart of the valley.
