Andres and Rafael ended their wedding at Casa de la Guerra in Santa Barbara, Ca, but started their beautiful day at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Not only do I absolutely love the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Santa Barbara, Ca for all of my weddings, but I love it even more when my couple designs their entire reception from scratch at a nearby historic home built in 1828. Andres and Rafael started their wedding day at the courthouse, getting married in the historic mural room. It has in the past been called “the unquestionable masterpiece of the courthouse interior,” and that could not be more accurate with the artwork. Designed for use in 1929, the room now serves as a ceremony venue for locals and tourists alike to get married. We wandered the courthouse doing some photos, and I can never get over how stunning the architecture is.
Read MoreIt was such a blast getting to photograph Jeff and Terra’s wedding at Cass Winery in Pasa Robles, Ca. This awesome venue has a separate off-site getting ready house for the girls, allowing them to get ready nearby but also free from hassle of any early arriving guests. It also allows for the most gorgeous first look location, up a flight of stairs and under a tree for a private moment for bride and groom. Cass Winery also not only hosts 145 acres of vines, but you can get married under a 200 year old heritage oak tree- which Jeff and Terra did.
These two added in so many special elements to their day, wanting to represent themselves in all of the planning. Besides all of the rustic elements to compliment the venue, they also decided to include a doughnut bar instead of a cake! I have had so many couples tell me that they don’t even like cake, but were doing it because they felt they had to; so when I see one of my amazing couples go an alternative route, I am so so happy for them! The evening was complete with some off the wall dancing, teary eyed speeches, and a evening tunnel leading to their getaway car. Cass Winery actually provides a 1947 Chrysler limo throughout the day to use for pictures, entrance to the ceremony, and a quick get away!
Read MoreErika and Peter had the most unique Do It Yourself (DIY) wedding at a families residence in Santa Cruz, Ca. Between ordering the flowers online from Hawaii to create their arch and bouquets, or staying up all night creating hand waxed place setting- everything about this wedding was straight out of Erika and Peter’s dreams. It was such an amazing experience to get to photograph their wedding day and see everything we had talked about to come to fruition.
Read MoreI absolutely love Limoneira Ranch in Santa Paula, Ca, and it was made all the better by the beautiful presence of getting to photograph Lupita and Omar at their wedding. These two high school sweethearts wanted the day to be about family, and that was exactly how the day turned out. Surrounded by their 300 family members and friends, the day was filled with music and celebration. It was amazing to see Omar and Lupita again after their engagement session at Limoneira Ranch earlier this year. Omar used to work at Limoneira Ranch, so we were able to explore the orchard in all of its sunset glory.
Limoneira Ranch is 7,300-acres of the county’s largest producer of avocados, lemons, and oranges. When someone has a wedding here, the guests get to take home oranges as a wedding favor, which is such a cool feature at the end of the evening. Not to mention Lupita and Omar having a popcorn cart, taco bar, and other delicious reception snacks. These two are absolutely such a blast to get to spend the day with, and I can’t wait to see the adventures they go on next.
Read MoreWhen I came upon Sly Park Falls after a hot, 5 mile hike, I knew that this place was straight out of a fairy tale and the perfect location for wedding portraits. Nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains off of Jenkinson Lake in Northern California near Pollock Pines, it is hard to believe this beauty is man-made. At roughly 33 feet high, you would think it would be a popular swimming hole, but the locals have kept it mostly a secret, and the place usually only has a few visitors.
Read MoreI love Alex and Asa’s boat wedding so much. It was everything that represents these two, and that is unique! They decided to get married at sunset on the Grand Belle of Geneva, on Lake Geneva. While rushing to fight some potential rain on the horizon, we did some fun portraits on the pier than jumped aboard. After getting situated, the Grand Belle took off onto the lake, and then we started their ceremony. Alex and Asa wanted to have a string quartet play during the whole affair, and their goal was to also insert parts of themselves throughout the ceremony. They both said their own vows, basically filled with jokes that had the entire room giggling. I am such a sucker for boats, and the lake; and it was such an adventure to capture this beautiful day for these two! In their words, they wanted “a nautical theme with a classy ambiance (string quartet), but not too serious or stuffy. We'll probably inject some humor into the ceremony,” and I’d say that was the exact definition of the evening.
Read MoreI absolutely love intimate weddings, and Elizabeth and Tim had exactly that. Not only was it a family style dinner hosted by Manuela, serving the best locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients in downtown Los Angeles, Ca, but they also had a very short and emotional mini-mony in the Hauser & Wirth courtyard. Hauser & Wirth is a stunning art gallery installation and communal space in the heart of the Los Angeles Downtown Arts District. Complete with chickens, an underwear installation, and beautifully decorated walls; Hauser & Wirth rotate between local contributions. T
Read MoreAngie and Nick’s wedding at SkyPark at Santa's Village in Lake Arrowhead, Ca was everything they envisioned and so much more. When I talked to Angie about her vision for the big day, she said she wanted it to feel like a “romantic dark forest theme, with a little bit of vintage style as well”. Well I think they absolutely nailed it! SkyPark at Santa's Village is the most beautiful forest venue, paired with an amusement park? Which sounds crazy, but surprisingly works incredibly well. The backdrop for not only the ceremony, but the entire reception is surrounded by a portion of 230 acres of natural forest. The bride and groom even get to adventure into the middle of that forest for their first look, as well as portraits.
Read MoreLalig and Jamil had such a fun wedding in Montebello, Ca with a beautiful wine, navy and gold color palette. But what made this day extra special, was all of the fun Armenian traditions throughout the day. While they did not make the day hundred percent traditional, Lalig and Jamil did add in some traditions to represent their beautiful culture. Before the ceremony, Lalig’s brother placed money in her shoe for good luck and with the help of mom, then placed her shoes on her feet. All of her family is also in attendance, and watches on during all of the events. After her shoes are on, Lalig’s veil was circled over her head three times by a happily married woman to bring her marriage luck.
Read MoreChicago skyline, snow, and a puppy equal basically all of my favorite things. Chi thee Wed agreed and featured all this beauty on their site.
When it snowed in Chicago, IL during one of my brief trips, I knew that I had to photograph someone in all this beautiful winter wonderland. Diana and Darek and their gorgeous dog Dustin was the perfect family to get to explore with. They were married a few months prior, and were unable to bring the third member of their family to the big day.
It’s no surprise that Diana and William had an absolutely gorgeous summer wedding at the Palm Event Center in the Vineyard in Pleasanton, Ca. With the vineyard background at sunset, and their selection of burgundy and other complimentary fall colors; the vibe was extremely welcoming and filled with love. The Palm Event Center in the Vineyard is aptly named for their sprawling palm trees that decorate the driveway, as well as their wine-producing vineyard that is barreled in house.
Read MoreMelissa and Martin had a beautiful night wedding at the Vizcaya in Sacramento, Ca! Filled with winter touches like an adult hot chocolate bar, and neutral colors, the whole evening also combined Martin's Filipino culture and their love of nature and the outdoors. They wanted to keep things simple and elegant, to compliment their minimalist tastes. Mixing in greenery with their neutral palette, the whole wedding was just perfectly complimented the historical mansion venue of Vizcaya. Built in the 1890’s, the mansion has several locations for ceremonies, and a beautiful reception hall. I have some quotes from Melissa spread throughout the photos, so scroll down to see what she had to say about all the beauty of their wedding!
”Enjoy every moment because the day will fly by and be over before you know it.” - Melissa
Audrey and Dwight traveled from their home state of Oregon to get married where they grew up in Southern California, and the historic Bard Mansion in Port Hueneme, CA. This stunning historical venue, made for the perfect location for all of their out of town guests to join for their wedding. Besides just wearing her Nana’s beautiful dress for the better part of the day, (scroll down to see a side by side shot of Audrey and one of her Nana from her wedding day!) her friends and family came together to help make the entire day special.
Read MoreI am absolutely in love with everything about Blyth and Danny’s beautiful, offbeat wedding at Eden Gardens in Moorpark, Ca. Blyth and Danny are definitely two individuals who beat to their own drum, and that drum just happens to be a very Nintendo colored one. Irish born Blyth dreamed of being a princess at her wedding, and with the picturesque Eden Gardens as their venue choice, and her Maggie Soterro gown, she achieved it. What sets her apart in her princess dreams, was it just happened to be Princess Zelda.
Read MoreThere is nothing I love more than seeing my couples featured on amazing sites like Something Turquoise!
Elizabeth and Caleb have been married for 10 blissful years, having met in high school and just recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary. They had planned on renewing their vows as well as having photos taken to commemorate the occasion, but through unforeseen life circumstances the plans fell through and it was put off. Elizabeth is a local photographer to the Flagstaff area and Caleb is a firefighter, so their schedules allowed for us to make this occasion the something special they both deserved. Lucky for us, the morning of the 25th the Grand Canyon released that the South Rim would be open for visitors and we were greeted with snow capped peaks and 18-degree weather.
Paola & Zach dreamed of a destination wedding in Costa Rica where Paola was raised, and their dreams of eloping came incredibly true with the help of her friends and family. Renting a private house with an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, they chose to drive down to the nearby beach for an ocean view ceremony complete with thunder clouds. What made the day extra special though, was the random tropical storm that rolled in as quickly as it rolled out. Drenching everyone to the bone, it cleared up just in time for their ceremony to be had in front of their beach location.
Read MoreThe only thing missing from Katie and Brian’s beautiful spring wedding at Limoneria Ranch in Santa Paula, Ca was their Siberian Husky Dakota. Dakota was able to join us for their engagement session at Placerita Canyon State Park, CA, but would have been just too excited for all of their family and guests. Founded in 1893, Limoneria Ranch is smack dab in the middle of Santa Paula’s “Citrus Capital of the World”, and is the county’s largest producer of oranges, avocados, and lemons. If the venue couldn’t be any cooler for a wedding, guests are allowed to walk around the orange grove and take some home! But nothing could have made the night more special than the love between these two, and all of these gorgeous emotions.
Read MoreThis amazing vow renewal was featured on Adriana Weddings! I am so in love with this whole day!
Janet and Nate were married at this exact same location at the Paradisus Punta Cana Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 5 years ago! They swore that one day they would be back to renew their vows after their incredible wedding day, and that day came exactly 5 years later. With a few friends along for the ride, they celebrated their relationship, their hardships, and everything that originally brought them together in the first place.
Read MoreI love that these two were featured on Big Love Small Weddings! Such an amazing blog!
Megan and Jonathan had an absolutely beautiful elopement with their families at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, Ca on October 2nd. Meeting these two souls was no coincidence, as I was lucky enough for an introduction from their amazing friends Lindsey and Bryan. Being a photographer isn't always puppies and rainbows, and the summer months sometimes get a little insane. But it is weddings like these that remind us of why our jobs are so incredible, and make coming home to edit just all the more worth it!. From the moment of arriving, to staying late to capture the stars in the sky; every second was filled with such love shared throughout all individuals present.
This amazing wedding day was featured on Every Last Detail! Go check it out!
Jeff and Aurora had an absolutely beautiful wedding at Gerry Ranch in Camarillo, Ca. You wouldn't even know that this day reached over 105 degrees in mid September, with winds up to 55 mph. Through 5 layers of sunscreen, a veil blowing away during the first look, and gallons and gallons of water; the day went off without a hitch. Their wedding was filled with intimate touches of nautical elements, including tying a knot that will never break and the two concluding their personal vows promising to always be the best first mate or captain they could be. This tied in perfectly to their engagement session hats, which I can honestly say I kind of missed!
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