Big Sur Adventure // Pfeiffer Beach + Partington Cove
Stemple Creek Ranch Wedding // Erik + Jane
Dipsea Gardens Fall Wedding // Kate + Luke
You can really name this blog post Kate+Luke+Milo’s wedding ;) Milo is their fur baby and he is SO CUTE! He made his way into many of their wedding photos and I’m thinking K+L don’t mind. So keep scrolling for lots of cute doggy cameos!
Kate + Luke married at Dipsea Gardens in Stinson Beach and it was the perfect Fall wedding day for them. Kate is super crafty and created their signs, table favors and did the watercolor work on the name cards. I totally didn’t intentionally plan to blog on their anniversary but it just happens to be their ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! Congratulations!
This is the first blog post since I attended the All You Witness workshop and I really wanted to focus on showcasing moments from their day so I hope you can see and feel the laughter and smiles through their photos. Capturing the big and in-between moments has always been my focus when photographing weddings and I want to share MORE of those! I realized my IG feed was a mix of moments, but also mostly of my couples portraits. Kind of counter-intuitive if I want to showcase my focus being on your moments. I want to share what I want to book and I would love to continue working with amazing couples that value me telling the complete story of their wedding day! <3
vendor love: venue Dipsea Gardens // catering Paul’s Rustic Oven Pizza // flowers Wisteria Rockridge // cake Live Love Bake // DJ Ceremony DJs // HMAU J’Adore Beauty // rings Studio1040 // photographer Chelsea Dier Photography
Getting married internationally!
Why we chose France and some tips from a fellow wedding vendor
Sean and I got married September 2018 in Provence, France and it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! We honestly couldn’t have planned a better week and everything worked out so well. I feel like most people are happy to be finished with planning when their wedding is over, but I would 100% plan and do the whole thing again!
There were many reasons why we decided to get married in France, even when we live in the beautiful wedding destination of California!
We first decided on a destination wedding because I wanted to be able to spend more than 1-2 days with our family and friends. As a wedding photographer I see how quick the day flies by and I feel like if we are spending all this money for a wedding, I wanted to leave time for everyone to meet and form friendships. It’s also an excuse to keep the celebration going and to make a long weekend/ week out of it :)
We love to travel!! We are super fortunate to be able to travel internationally at least once a year. Traveling is something we enjoy and make it a priority, so that’s where we would like to spend our money. Having a destination wedding was a pretty no-brainer.
France was the first country Sean and I traveled to together so it holds special meaning to our relationship. Sean is a Francophile (sounds so negative, but it really means, “a person who is fond of or greatly admires France or the French”) and spent time after high school and in college visiting, so he knows conversational French. This was super helpful in our planning! It would have been way more difficult/ maybe impossible for us to connect with all our vendors. The French wedding industry doesn’t seem to be as crazy as here in the States (or at least can be), so many of the wedding vendors didn’t have great websites or even a website. I found our florist via Facebook!!
We wanted to give our guests an experience. Many of them had not been to France and for some, it was their first international trip. We were so full of gratitude when looking around and realizing 29 people traveled by plane, train and then car to celebrate us. We wanted to show off how amazing France is and give the experience of the French way. Croissants, wine, cheese and beautiful Provence countryside.
Now a few tips:
It’s so important to decide what is really important to you and your partner. Since I work in the wedding industry and probably follow more wedding accounts than the non-wedding vendor, it was easy to get swayed by looking at others weddings and thinking I needed to do certain things and if I didn’t have things as a part of our wedding, it wouldn’t be great. This is so wrong!! Every wedding is different and if you don’t have things or you have ALL the things for your wedding day, it doesn’t change how important your wedding day is. Remember, your wedding is about celebrating your love and you two, so do what makes you happy! There is no right or wrong way to get married :)
For example: the need for many details, including table design, presentation of food and drinks, programs, invitations, etc.
Honestly, you could have no details and tablecloths on the dinner tables and you would have an amazing wedding dinner. Remember it’s about the people and celebrating your love. Case and point: we had our rehearsal dinner in the same space we were having our wedding dinner and didn’t have anything on the tables (no candles, flowers, tablecloths) and it didn’t affect our dinner. Honestly, our guests probably didn’t notice the things we DID have on the table on the wedding day, haha.
We didn’t send invitations because we did Save the Dates/ tentative RSVPs all-in-one because we needed to know our guest count much further in advance, so didn’t feel like invitations were necessary. We sent these around 11 months before our wedding date. I did ask Stephanie of Bowerbird Atelier to design one invitation for photos though, haha. Kinda silly, but the photographer in me did want one invitation photo!
We did send out “A Pocket Guide to Provencal Success” that Sean created! It was pocket sized so everyone could travel with it and the guide wouldn’t take up too much space. We included our week schedule, directions to the venue, food+drinks to try, road sign examples and what they mean, FAQs and custom wedding playlists for anyone to download. We wanted to give all the info we thought our guests would need in print so they wouldn’t have to depend on phones because you never know if you’ll have wifi access or if your phone will work. I DID want to send something to our guests, so we mailed the pocket guide and our custom made BON VOYAGE luggage tags.
Hire a videographer! Best thing we splurged on. Sean said it was the best thing I convinced him of that we needed. It’s amazing to have video from the day because it captures the movement of the day and us interacting. It also included clips from our ceremony, speeches, and sounds of the French countryside. The video really brings our day to life and makes me tear up every time I watch it (and of course hire an amazing photographer!! Hint hint ;)).
Searching Instagram hashtags was how I found a lot of our vendors. Like I said above, many French wedding vendors didn’t have great websites or even one at all so it was hard to google search and find vendors I wanted to work with. I was able to find recent weddings in the area we were getting married and find the profiles of the vendors they used. I even ended up messaging a bride who got married at our venue to ask her a few questions, which was so helpful! I found her because she had the venue tagged in her photos.
Know that email/ communication response times will take longer - they’re on France (or wherever you’re getting married) time! The time difference made it interesting and not as convenient, as we had a few Skype calls at 11pm or 7am… but TOTALLY worth it :)
Have questions about planning a destination wedding or getting married at Clos d’Hullias? I would be happy to answer any questions!! We highly recommend a destination wedding if it works for you :)
Getting married in Provence? I would LOVE to recommend our vendors!!
venue: Domaine du Clos d'Hullias // planner: Jai 2 Amours // makeup: Belle Comme le Jour // rentals: Couverts Location // dj: Crystal Beats Disco // florist: Ver'Ttige // wine: Famille Perrin (we didn’t use a traditional caterer, so we supplied the wine for the wedding dinner and during the week! So inexpensive :)) // videographer: I am Paul Van (hire him!! He’s UK based, so hire him for any European wedding) // photography: Lindsey Denman Photography (hire both of us for your wedding! She’s one of my close industry friends here in SF <3)
Tahoe Sugar Bowl Wedding // Sally + John
Summer wedding at one of Tahoe’s iconic ski resorts, Sugar Bowl
Sally and John’s wedding last summer was so full of smiles and love, like seriously so many smiles from all! I personally LOVE Tahoe and was so excited to spend the weekend with them and their guests in my favorite summer spot.
We started the celebration with their welcome dinner the evening before at Lake Mary (just down the road from Sugar Bowl), where I got to meet their closest friends and family. There were many heartfelt speeches with no dry eyes to be had and so much excitement for the wedding day!!
Their wedding day was pretty perfect! We did their first look, wedding party photos and their portraits before the ceremony, which allowed them to join their cocktail hour post ceremony+family formals. The pops of red and bright colors in Sally’s bouquet was the perfect addition to her form fitting dress that was PERFECT on her. So stunning Sally!! I also loved her bridesmaids dresses. The light blue color was so flattering on all the women. John, you and your groomsmen were looking handsome as well :)
Once dancing got started we sneaked away for a few sunset (more like blue light, post-sunset) photos at the Donner Pass overlook. My second photographer Lora showed us where the secret swing along the overlook was and took a few photos there as well. It’s always nice to sneak away from your guests for a small breather and really take in that you’re married (!!), before re-joining and dancing your heart out!
The day was so wonderful and I felt so thankful to be included in their day. Thank you Sally and John! <3
VENDOR LOVE: photographer: Chelsea Dier Photography // planner: Tahoe Inspired Events // videographers: Reel to Real Video // venue+catering: Sugar Bowl // florals: Holly Fleur // dress: BHLDN // suit: The Groomsmen Suit // band: The Lucky Devils Band // HMAU: La Di Da Beauty // second photographer: Lora Wagener
bonus image: I photographed Jessie+Shane’s wedding in Brooklyn in 2017, which is where Sally+John saw me in action and wanted to hire me. LOVE getting to photograph my couple’s friends weddings <3
Amphitheater of the Redwoods Wedding // Erica + Riley
Going through their gallery again to make this blog post just made me so happy! I had such a hard time narrowing down their images because I know you don’t want to see 1,000 photos in a blog post, but all their photos are so fun and they had so much going on during their wedding day. They rented out Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center in the Santa Cruz mountains for the weekend and had a weekend long competition with everyone on teams. There was bartering happening, bets being made, and competitions happening for beads... and laughs. Erica and Riley’s main goal for the weekend was for everyone to have fun and to truly enjoy themselves. I think this comes through all the photos, so you know it was a memorable wedding weekend!! E+R’s friends are pros at silly group photos and Erica herself even photobombed one photo. Now that’s the type of bride I want to work with!! :)
It may be a bit much to go from the sweet photo of them above to the games below to her dress, but I think it really paints the picture (wink) of their wedding. Really really sweet, emotional moments, but also being goofy with each other and their wedding SQUAD and really being themselves. They even had custom gold temporary tattoos for all their guests! You betchya I got one.
Oh and one of the best parts was Erica’s dancing shoes! She 100% inspired me to also get lightup shoes for my wedding, which I proceeded to surprise Sean with. Check my insta for a few photos of the reveal. It was ahhhhmazing.
Okay, enjoy looking through the most fun wedding that was set among the Santa Cruz redwoods. Absolutely stunning! Erica and Riley, thank you so dang much for having me photograph your day!! Hugs hugs hugs.
photographer: Chelsea Dier Photography // venue + catering + coordination: Amphitheater of the Redwoods // florals: Still Flowers // hmau: Styling by Amber // rings: Pave
Gig Harbor Private Residence Wedding // Dana + Colin
Dana and Colin’s Gig Harbor wedding was super special to me for a few reasons!
They got married in my home state of Washington! Dana is also from Washington and her parents live on Gig Harbor. In typical WA weather, it was cloudy all day with a high chance of rain, but the rain held off until their reception which they planned for and had a tent to cover the area!
Their wedding was the weekend before I left for my wedding in France!! Maybe a little crazy on my part, but when I first talked to Dana I knew I wanted to make it work — and it totally did and was 100% worth it!
Lindsey is one of Dana’s besties and one of the bridesmaids, along with being our wedding photographer! It was so fun to see her as a guest at their wedding, knowing I would be seeing her in a week in France. World travelers we are ;)
Their wedding was full of Dana’s contagious smile and Colin’s undeniable love for his new wife!! These two were surrounded by family and friends in their wedding party who gave us no shortage of laughs. It was a really good, genuine, no fuss wedding day. They even sneaked in a drink at the local bar before heading to their reception! I also got to work with some amazing vendors!! Their video team was so easy to work with and my second photographer was so helpful. We had such a blast working with each other, we stayed after we were finished and share a few dance moves with Dana+Colin and guests. How freaking fun!
VENDOR LOVE: planner: Laura Gram // videographers: Gently Crafted Films // catering: Act3 Catering // florals: Susan Hoskinson // cake: Maribel Cobey // Dress: Calla Bridal // dj: Events Tacoma // HMAU: Jax Salon + Dolce Salon // second photographer: Carley Jane Photography
Oahu Beach Wedding // Jaime + Darren
This wedding is extra special to me because it is my Aunt and her husbands wedding!! They live in Oahu (lucky!!) and were originally going to get married on the SE side of the island, but decided on Honolulu instead because it’d be easier with family visiting. The Royal Hawaiian is where they had their first date and Darren has been a patron for many years, so it held a special place for them… and they could get away with having the wedding on the beach ;) For their ceremony, we all met at the hotel bar for a welcome mai tai, #obvi, and then walked out and created a circle of sorts around them. They are a mellow couple so it was absolutely perfect for them to be surrounded by friends and family, but in a non-traditional set-up. After the ceremony, it was time for more mai tais, pina coladas and food!
Hawaii has a special magic to it and every time I visit, I never want to leave. But when I do, I come back feeling so refreshed and relaxed, ahhh. Oh and the water is warm enough to swim in! I wouldn’t mind another Hawaii wedding or two this year ;)
Nicasio Backyard Wedding // Liz + Dennis
Oh my goodness, where has time gone?! Liz and Dennis were my first wedding of this year (in April!!) and I am just getting to blog them... whoops! These two married in the backyard of their family friend's house up on the hill in Nicasio and it was the perfect way to start my season!
Guests mingled and enjoyed the views of the then green hills (they are now "golden"), surrounded them with love and shared a family-style meal under the bistro lights. Everything about their day was simple and low-fuss, bringing a calm vibe to their wedding. My kind of people! It was such an honor to be a part of their day, thank you L+D!!
photographer: Chelsea Dier Photography
caterer: Ring of Fire
florals: Naomi McLeod
music: Nick Rossi Trio
dress: BHLDN
suit: Nordstroms
dessert: Bovine Bakery
Wedding Album Offerings
I wanted to share a few examples of the different types of albums I offer. I really love designing albums! Your photos tend to live on your computer in a folder, so having something tangible on your coffee table or bookshelf brings your images life. Being able to look through your album whenever you’re feeling a #throwback is the best thing! My albums are printed on archival photographic papers and handcrafted with great attention to detail. I offer albums with seamless spreads and beautiful cover options that can be personalized.
First up, my high quality flush mount albums with thick bound pages that can be ordered with a leather or linen cover in different color options. Each spread lays flat when looking through your album and this type of album embodies the traditional, classic look that most couples order.
You can also add on a parent album or two, which is a smaller sized replica of your lay-flat album.
And now my hardcover album! A custom album with thinner pages and spreads that do not lay flat. This album can be ordered with a silk or linen cover in different color options. If you album budget isn't as high, this is a great option to still have your photos printed in high-quality and a beautiful way to look back on your wedding day.
You don't have to decide to order an album before your wedding! Once I send you your complete gallery and you fall in love with your images :), I would be happy to design an album for you!! Definitely ask me about my album pricing and size options as we chat about your wedding. I cannot wait to design one for you!
Holman Ranch Wedding // Karishma + Danny // Carmel Valley, CA
This blog post is way overdue! Karishma and Danny got married at the end of November, and now it's February. Where did time go?! Holy guacamole!
Karishma and Danny rounded out my 2017 wedding year with their colorful, super fun, love filled wedding "weekend"! I put weekend in quotes because they celebrated Wednesday-Friday, so a faux-weekend ;) We started their celebration with their Sangeet that involved friends and family performing choreographed skits and dances. These two have some talented friends and it was the perfect way to start their wedding weekend. Then on Friday, it was the wedding day at Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley! I feel like I have now made it to the big leagues in the Bay Area photography world because I got to photograph a wedding at Holman Ranch! It's a very well known and beautiful venue that definitely lives up to its hype.
These two love unicorns, so you'll see a few unicorn appearances throughout their blog. And of course, I totally loved that part too! They even have their rings engraved with a unicorn.
Karishma and Danny's day was a mix of Indian wedding traditions and North American wedding traditions. They started their day with a Barat, which involved Danny approaching the property on a white horse and many of their guests dancing alongside him. So fun! They then had an Indian ceremony along with their friend marrying them. Best of both worlds, I'd say! Before dinner, there was an outfit change to another beautiful Indian dress and tux for Danny. All the better for dancing, which was many hours long!! And these two did not leave the dance floor. (wedding advice: if you stay on the dance floor, your guests will as well! And it allows us photogs to take fun dancing pictures. It's hard to do that if no one is on the dance floor ;))
The best part of their wedding though? On my wedding day questionnaire that I send to my couples before their day, which includes listing all your vendors, Karishma wrote, "A note about vendors. We consciously hired women owned & operated businesses. Who runs the world? Girls!!!"
Karishma and Danny, thank you so much for including me in your celebration and it was so wonderful to spend many hours with you two! Hugs!!!
(^^ thanks for convincing me to join the photo Katie! She connected me to K+D and I'm so thankful for all her friends getting married ;))
Photographer: Chelsea Dier Photography
Wedding Planner: E. Events Co
Venue: Holman Ranch
Caterer: Jalsa Catering and Events
Florist: Floral Creations By Nasreen
Dessert: Gizdich Ranch
DJ: Heart of Gold DJs
HMAU: Vinnia Tjhin, Timsi Malhotra
Dress: Rita Kumar
Danny's Ceremony suit: Manyavar
Wedding bands: D&H Jewelers
Videographer: Meraki Media
Second photographer: Jess Rankin
Rentals: Chic Event Rentals
UC Berkeley Redwoods Amphitheater Day Wedding & Outdoor Reception // Jenny + Rezene
I have never photographed a day wedding before Jenny and Rezene and it was so fun! I started my day around 9:30 and was done at 6pm. It's like a normal persons schedule, just on a Saturday ;)
J + R's wedding was my second wedding this season at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden and Redwoods Amphitheater! I cannot get over how beautiful this space is and I want to continue photographing weddings here! The diversity of portrait locations makes my heart sing and the contrast of the redwoods and botanical garden is just so cool. Include the loveliest couple that couldn't take their eyes off each other and it's just magic!!
Jenny and Rezene were married among the redwoods and then had their reception at a local Oakland hall. The Hall was the perfect space to have a relaxed reception with lots of space for games, relaxing, dancing, and a pinata for the kids! Rezene is from Ethiopia so guests were treated with Ethiopian food for lunch (so good!) and each seat included a hand etched wood place card with their name written in Ethiopian as well. To complete the amazing day, they also announced their pregnancy and it was all cheers and happy tears in the room. I knew they were announcing the surprise and I was so excited for them. Their little one will be joining their family in April, which I think it a great month for a birthday! April may be my birth month ;)
Thank you so much Jenny and Rezene for having me photograph your day and only wish you all the best!! And hopefully I will see you for family photos <3
Photographer: Chelsea Dier Photography / Caterer: Red Sea Restaurant / Dessert: Wooden Table Baking Co. / Dress: BHLDN / Suit: Macy's / DJ: DJ Claude / HMAU: Lea Beuhler, BGorgeous / Day of Coordinator: Melanie Tunison / Second Shooter: Rachel Downey / Venues: UC Berkeley Botanical Garden & Humanist Hall
Rengstorff House Outdoor Wedding // Enissa + Blake // Mountain View, CA
Oh Enissa and Blake! From day one, Enissa made ME feel like a friend and not just her photographer. She has the biggest heart and on their wedding day, she was making sure everyone was taken care of, including serving the cake to their guests! Their laid-back, outdoor wedding focused on what was important to these two. Dancing (including a dress change so dancing was easier!), tacos, loving each other and getting MARRIED! :)
The Rengstorff House is a gem in Mountain View and the property was perfect for all the natural light photos. I am absolutely loving their golden hour first dance photos, which are so swoon worthy! Enissa and Blake, thank you so much for having me be apart of your day! It was an absolute joy :)
Caterer: Madd Mex // Florist: Flower Divas // Enissa's Dress: BHLDN // Blake's Suit: Indochino //DJ: PJ Entertainment // HMUA: Kristen Marie // Invitations: Printable Press // Jeweler: Lang Antiques // Photographer: Chelsea Dier Photography
Redwoods and Botanical Garden Wedding // Noah + Hannah // Berkeley, CA
Where to start with Noah and Hannah?! First, they got ready together with their closest friends and siblings at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley and it was the calmest hours before a wedding I have experienced. There is something special about getting ready together.
We then headed to their venue which I have been dyyyying to shoot at, so I was SO excited when they told me they're getting married at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden and Redwood Amphitheater. It's a dream to have such a variety in the location for portraits! We made time to shoot in both the redwoods and botanical gardens because why not. I'll let the pictures do the talking for how amazing this location is!!
Along with the natural beauty, the work Tumbleweed Floral Truck did to the Julia Morgan Hall to transform it into a cozy, inviting, family style early Fall vibes dinner was amazing... that's why there are so many photos, ha! Fun fact, Kaylia also used to work with Hannah. Oh and Hannah's mom MADE all the bread cutting boards. Hannah knows some very talented folks :)
Also, fun story! I first met N+H when I was working at the coffee shop and one day they came in and I saw the new ring on Hannah's finger and got so excited for them! A few minutes later I handed them my card and said something along the lines of, "I want to be your wedding photographer!" and basically told them they should hire me :) And I am so happy they did! These two have been a dream to work with and I'm so happy I went with my gut and made sure to give them my card! All the hugs to you two! And Noah, keep kissing Hannah's nose forever! :)
Photography: Chelsea Dier Photography // Florals: Tumbleweed Floral Truck // Ice Cream Sandwiches: Tara's Organic Ice Cream // Caterer: S&S Catering // Hannah's Dress: Emerald City Gowns // Noah's Suit: KnotStandard // Band: Kickin' The Mule // Hair: Nicole, Phoenix Salon // Venues: UC Berkeley Botanical Garden
Kendra Renee Jewelry Studio Visit
I recently had the opportunity to visit Kendra's studio and see where she creates all her magic! I have been trying to meet other local creatives that aren't photographers and I was so happy I reached out and asked if I could photograph her space. She had just redesigned her studio and got some new furniture, so it was the perfect excuse to take photos! And she lives about 10 minutes from me and if you know the Bay Area, that's CLOSE! Haha.
I always love seeing where others work and yes, I am one of those who likes to peek in windows to see other's spaces... I know I'm not the only one ;)
Be sure to check out her work and designs! I was swooning over everything and just might have to get my wedding band from her :)
Tales from Freelancing
It's been about four months (wait how has it already been FOUR months) since I went full-time freelancer and it's been AMAZING! It had also been an adjustment of life schedules and finding the balance of fun and work.
Right when I turned 16, my mom suggested I get a job. So right after that birthday we went down to the local Old Navy and I applied to work there. I got the job, and that was the start of my customer service career for the next 14 years. Since my Old Navy days, I have worked at a grocery store, Starbucks, and the local coffee shop here in Oakland, with smaller internships and job scatterings between those years. I thank my mom for instilling a great work ethic in me, and I couldn't image not working. You can image how going full time freelancing could be a big life change for me. I am used to having a set schedule, clocking in and out each day, and requesting time off for vacations and letting my work schedule dictate if I could do something or not.
Going from that to basically total freedom is like WOAH. These past months I have had a "summer" and have done more fun things in a short period than I can ever remember. Sean and I were in Tahoe for the 4th of July weekend and I remember thinking while we were floating the river, "this is really nice that I could join our friends and actually be able to do this!" I am kind of in the honeymoon stage of freelancing, haha!
Some things I have learned so far...
- It's real easy to not eat a real meal until dinner. I will start working and then realize it's 3pm and I haven't eaten breakfast or lunch. Oops! I like to start my day with breakfast, so missing breakfast is not good for me. Eating meals and taking breaks needs to be prioritized.
- Freelancing isn't a 9-5, 5 days of week career. We're constantly thinking about work or doing work when it's accessible. Taking a whole 24hours off is really hard.
- But on the upside, we can take a week day off if needed and can have a more flexible schedule
- Working out, taking walks and breaks become even more important because I sit in front of the computer more than ever
- Coffee shops and co-working spaces become your new bff. I am finding that working at home makes me less production because I get too distracted. (For those in the Bay Area, I find that Philz has the most outlets, which if you're a photographer... you know availability of power outlets are like gold)
- Finding a small group of like-minded entrepreneurs will do wonders for your mental health, business, and motivation. I have found my group and each month we create monthly goals and keep each other accountable/ offer support/ Slack silly things to each other. Having this group makes owning my own business less lonley.
- I am responsible for my time and making an income because I don't have a second job to rely on, which is freakin' scary. But it also motivates me to work hard each day and create goals that will have a positive effect on my business.
- It's easy to not get dressed in real clothes, but you really should shower and get ready. It'll help your productivity and make you feel a part of the "real world", even if you are working from your home.
- I get to dedicate the time I have wanted to my couple and clients because Chelsea Dier Photography is now my full-time job and my priority. WOO HOO!
Here's to all the adventures of being a freelance entrepreneur and #GIRLBOSS! I post #talesfromfreelancing on my Instagram and stories, so if you're a fellow freelancer or pursuing this adventure, be on the look out for those!
Question for you: what have you discovered in your freelance journey? I would love to hear about it!!
Fairfax Ranch Wedding // George + Allison
George and Allison's wedding was the perfect mix of a traditional wedding and representing themselves. Every free moment and weekend that G + A had this past year was spent on transforming the family ranch into their wedding reception venue. The ranch has been in George's family for six generations and they knew this was where they wanted to celebrate with their friends and family! We did their engagement photos in April around the ranch, and the amount of work they did is beyond amazing. They truly put their love, sweat, and tears into transforming the property. These two deserve all the cheers to their hard work! And the ranch created the best soft, glowing light throughout the night. It was heaven for me! ;)
For the ceremony, Allison wore the dress her grandma and mom had worn for their own weddings with a few alterations, like the updated back cut. And then some parts stayed the same, like having to wear a petticoat with the dress. Watching Allison's bridesmaids help with her dress was the true epitome of being their for her and helping with one of the most important parts of her day.
And make sure to not miss their cake cutting below! It's too funny!!
Allison and George, thank you so much for including me in all the fun of your day and I feel truly honored to be able to capture your friends and family celebrating you two and enjoying your hard work on the ranch.
Photographer: Chelsea Dier Photography // Planner + Lighting + Caterer: Mangia Nosh & Marin Event Lighting // Florist: Village Green Floral // Cake: Branching Out Cakes // Band: Mark Heaphy // HMAU: AP LUXE // Photobooth: DNE Events // Limo: Executive Charters // Venue: Private Residence
Ignacio Valley Preserve // Chloé + Ashleigh
I met Chloé and Ashleigh through an outdoors trips alumnae group I am a part of and wanted to get some new photos. They have been married for 5 years so I am so happy they decided to celebrate their love and join me for a photo session! These two were also the sweetest and gifted me a REI gift card. I'm so excited about it that I don't know what to use it towards, ha! Do you ever hold onto gift cards for the perfect purchase and then don't use it for years?
Cheers to many more years you two! <3
Golden Light Beach Engagement // Black Sands Beach, CA
Along with getting together to take a non-cheesy pregnancy announcement photo for Jessica and Alex to share (at the end of the post), we took advantage of getting together to take some gorgeous photos! This has to be one of my favorite sessions because it involves the Black Sands Beach and the Marin Headlands during golden hour. I was so excited when they wanted to meet here! I also really love Jessica's gold boots. I liked that they brought a little spunk to her outfit!
We started their session walking down to the beach and trying to avoid getting caught by the waves. These two didn't let the small pebbles in their shoes stop the fun and loving gazes to each other. As the sun was setting we walked up a small path from the parking lot and found the magical hillside that was drenched in the golden sun! It was basically a photographers dream, haha. And look at the magic they helped create!! I can give posing advice and directions, but 90% of the magic created is from my couples' connection to each other.
Congratulations on your next chapter and thank you for having me along to document it!!
If you're ready for some beachy, golden light goodness, keep scrolling!
