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!
Read MoreMelissa + David's Color-Drenched Autumn Wedding // Amphitheater Of The Redwoods // Pema Osel Ling, Watsonville, CA
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.
Read MoreRose + Jason's Goth Punk Nerd Wedding // Daffodil House + Monastery Beach // Pacific Grove, CA
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.
Read MoreSarah + Wally's Sweltering Fairy Tale Wedding Reception // Copper River Country Club // Fresno, CA
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.
Read MoreAffordable Wedding Venues in the Modesto Area
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.
Read MoreKate + Nate's Colorful DIY Circus Wedding // Claremonth Hotel + Piedmont Community Hall // Oakland, CA
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.
Read MoreAdeline + Mike's Epic Redwood Forest Wedding // Pema Osel Ling // Watsonville, CA
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.
Read MoreChante + Christian's Rockin' Victorian Mansion Wedding // McHenry Mansion // Modesto, CA
Modesto’s McHenry mansion is a great place for a wedding! If I accomplished anything with these wedding photos, I hope I accomplished capturing just how much fun Chante + Christian have together. The day, from start to finish, was filled with Chante’s throwing-her-head-back laughter. Everyone there had an ease with each other that made the day such a joy to shoot.
Read MoreBrittany + Josh's Elegant Downtown Wedding // Greens on 10th // Modesto, CA
There were so many things to love about this day. Most of the weddings we shoot are in the Bay Area or Sacramento region so for us, personally, a wedding at Greens on Tenth was a treat from minute one. We were amazed at how many little hidey-holes there were inside the building - the ceremony and reception were in one room, the cocktail hour was in another and then there was an entire giant upstairs where the wedding party were able to get ready and take pictures.
When we say the event was great, though, 99% of that was because of the incredible couple and their family and friends. Brittany and Josh were such a treat to work with - they were totally at ease with one another and that lent the day a relaxed vibe that was so fun to capture. It was lightly sprinkling for most of the day, and yet the whole wedding party was game for walking across the street and posing for photos in an alley. This was a wedding where everyone just wanted to have fun, which is to say, it was our perfect clients!
Read MoreShruti + Tony's Color-Drenched Hindu Wedding // Oceano Hotel and Spa // Half Moon Bay, CA
It’s taken over a year to get to it, but we’re so excited to share Shruti and Tony’s color-drenched Half Moon Bay wedding on the blog today. Shooting a Hindu wedding is always a treat - the intimacy and ritual of the ceremony is a joy to capture and we are, admittedly, in love with vibrant color!
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