Groveland, CA

May 1, 2024 Justin Souza

THE BEST-LAID PLANS

About 25 miles from Yosemite Valley Chapel (where Andrew’s parents were married decades before), Rush Creek Lodge and Spa in Groveland would be a great jumping-off point for a Yosemite park wedding and a family-friendly hotel reception. Unfortunately, the roads into Yosemite sustained storm damage and at the last minute, Rush Creek Lodge became the location for Melissa and Andrew’s getting-ready, ceremony AND reception. It was impressive to see how both the lodge and the couple pivoted last-minute to put on a beautiful ceremony on the Rush Creek site itself, which was a short walk/golf cart ride up a trail into a secluded forest area. It may not have been the exact day they dreamed up, but you’d never know it was Plan B. I don’t want to get into too many details about the wedding day because that’s Melissa and Andrew’s private adventure, but I will say that I’m very thankful to have been able to document a small part of their love story.

Michelle + David's Enchanted Forest Adventure Elopement // Purisima Creek Redwoods // Half Moon Bay, CA

March 5, 2024 Justin Souza

What is an adventure elopement?

Unlike a City Hall wedding, an adventure elopement is usually outdoors - getting to the location where you’ll say your vows is an integral part of the experience! It doesn’t always have to be a serious trek, though. David and Michelle opted to get married in the Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve and I would estimate we only hiked 10 or so minutes from the trailhead, though it took 20 or 30 minutes of driving straight into the forest from Half Moon Bay to get to the trailhead in the first place.

Almond Blossom Mini Sessions

February 14, 2024 Justin Souza

What’s a Blossom Mini Session?

For a brief week or two out of the year, the almond orchards in the greater Modesto area bloom with white-and-pink flowers, which makes an incredible backdrop for portraits. A Mini Session is a quick, 20-30 minute shoot for any number of individuals among these stunning blossoms.

Rhiannon + Logan's Rockin' Modesto Wedding // St. Joseph's Catholic Church + Modesto Elks Lodge // Modesto, CA

February 8, 2024 Justin Souza

I love that so many of my shoots come from word of mouth recommendations - Rhiannon + Logan’s wedding was a blast to be a part of, but it was doubly special given that I shot Rhiannon’s sister’s wedding the year before. I’m grateful we’ve made our clients that happy and, to be honest, for the years of experience I’ve poured into shooting at low-light venues, because this day would have been tricky for a less experienced photographer! Catholic churches are notoriously dimly lit and anti-flash-photography, and the Modesto Elks Lodge was a fun, retro venue, but it’s definitely one that requires a multi-flash-setup. There were a lot of killer details in this wedding day, including the groom’s Air Jordans (I am not a sneakerhead by any means but even I could tell they were cool as hell), great hair (scroll far enough for the french braided mohawk) and the tear-jerking first look between the bride and her father. If you have a low light wedding day planned, hit that contact button and we’ll talk!

Melissa + David's Color-Drenched Autumn Wedding // Amphitheater Of The Redwoods // Pema Osel Ling, Watsonville, CA

August 29, 2023 Justin Souza

After shooting so many weddings there, I’ve come to realize that there’s just something about Pema Osel Ling that draws in laid back, offbeat-in-the-best-way, wildly-in-love couples. Part of it is probably that if you’re getting married at the Amphitheater of the Redwoods, you’re doing so because you have a bunch of people you love and cherish who want to spend a whole weekend celebrating with you. Part of it is that it’s hard to be stressed in a gorgeous redwood forest far away from civilization. Whatever the reason, we were thrilled to go back there for Melissa + David’s autumn wedding. There’s way too much to mention here - the lush colors, the music (including the processional that the groom composed for his bride-to-be), the coolest grandma in the entire world, who was sporting glitter platform boots and a mischievous grin the whole day, even Melissa’s fit-for-Grace-Kelly dress - so I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. We’re so fortunate to have been a part of this day.

Rose + Jason's Goth Punk Nerd Wedding // Daffodil House + Monastery Beach // Pacific Grove, CA

March 10, 2023 Justin Souza

It’s no secret that we love an alternative wedding! Rose and Jason’s had it all - Star Wars cosplay, wands, elven circlets for the bridesmaids, a black wedding dress and veil. Set all of that on the backdrop of Pacific Grove in all its cloudy, moody beauty and you can see it was definitely a day to remember! Congratulations, you two, this was truly a joy and an honor to be a part of.

Sarah + Wally's Sweltering Fairy Tale Wedding Reception // Copper River Country Club // Fresno, CA

February 12, 2020 Justin Souza

Sarah + Wally's Copper River Country Club wedding reception, featuring a seriously epic cake, a 106 degree day and a rocking dance floor with live Palestinian music! You know a bride and groom are well-loved when the guests are busting moves in heat like that. When people use the term “fairy-tale wedding,” this is exactly the type of wedding that they mean.

Affordable Wedding Venues in the Modesto Area

January 28, 2020 Justin Souza

The number one question we field as wedding photographers in Stanislaus County is “where can we get married that doesn’t cost a ton of money?” We went sifting through our archives to find our favorite budget-friendly venues in the Modesto area. To the best of our knowledge, all of these places cost less than $2000 to rent, with some clocking in at much less than that.

Kate + Nate's Colorful DIY Circus Wedding // Claremonth Hotel + Piedmont Community Hall // Oakland, CA

January 21, 2020 Justin Souza

We’ve been to a lot of weddings over the years, but never to one this extra - the framed mixed media collage of the bride and groom riding a sports car to a carnival manned by Dolly Parton should be a tip-off to that.

Adeline + Mike's Epic Redwood Forest Wedding // Pema Osel Ling // Watsonville, CA

January 13, 2020 Justin Souza

It’s no secret that Pema Osel Ling is our favorite venue to shoot at, and Adeline and Mike’s wedding really showcased what’s special about the place: the cabins, the redwood forest amphitheatre, the fountains and the flowers and the shrines and the campfire-roasted marshmallows.