Destination Moonstone {Wedding Photographer - Eureka, CA}

You may remember Heidi and Matt from their Redding engagement session here. Although these two are from the Chico area, they have a love for the beauty of our north coast and the bounty of our micro brews and decided to create a mini destination experience for their wedding guests who ventured over the hill.

We started the day at the fabulous Linden & Company salon capturing a bit of girl time, followed by a few minutes with the boys at their Trinidad vacation rental. This bride and groom opted for a fun sneak peek of each other before their nuptials and I had a little fun of my own taunting Matt about how beautiful Heidi looked without allowing him to turn around for looksy. Hee, hee, hee! I know, I'm evil! :)

They exchanged vows at the picturesque Moonstone Beach, with a beautiful foggy haze surrounding them, creating an ethereal feeling to the whole ceremony. They had a gorgeous champagne and blush color scheme that added to the beachy yet sophisticated feel. Their reception followed at the newly remodeled beach house with local beer, brewery inspired food, dancing and a few fireworks as a send off for the newlyweds.

All in all, it was a wonderfully lovely day. We only wish this awesome couple lived closer so we could do a bit of brew hoppin' together!

And one outtake for good measure! :)

If you like any of these images, feel free to borrow them. 

But PLEASE, be kind and classy. Give credit where it's due & don't crop out my logo.

Thanks!

From Redwoods to Potatoes and Back Again {Engagement Portraits, Wedding Photographer - Eureka, CA}

Stacey did her research. From the Land of Potatoes she searched and searched for wedding photographers behind the Redwood Curtain for her July 2012 nuptials. What all her research didn't tell her before she contacted me about her wedding photography needs, is that she already knew me. It just so happens that our brothers grew up together as best friends from kindergarten through high school. So I am delighted that now we, as the big sisters, will have our own opportunity to form our own friendly relationship! 

Stacey and Justin decided to venture back to her hometown for their upcoming wedding, so once they nailed me down as their photographer, they wasted no time in planning a special trip back from Boise to get their engagement portraits done. Now I knew this gorgeous couple would have no problem creating some magical moments in front of the camera, but it was so cute when we first met up and they expressed how nervous they were about the process. So we broke them in slowly to help ease the jitters, and as you will see, by the end of the night, they were old pros! 

I'm so glad they were willing to embrace their romantic sides because it totally paid off! Stacey and Justin, I cannot wait for your wedding day!

If you like any of these images, feel free to borrow them. 

But PLEASE, be kind and classy. Give credit where it's due & don't crop out my logo.

Thanks!

The Festival of Love and Matrimony {Wedding Photographer-Eureka, CA}

We were chosen to be part of Angelina and Will's wedding day months and months ago without ever having met, but once we did finally get the chance to become acquainted during a walk through of their wedding venue, I knew we were a great match! 

Angelina brought out her event planning background and pulled out all the stops to create her dream wedding. They chose Will's family ranch in Freshwater to be the site of what came to be known as "Will & Angelina's Festival of Love and Matrimony" which, for them and a few of their guests, started and ended days before and after the big day. Being a ranch, they had lots of room to spread out, with charming little vignettes sprinkled throughout the property. From the ceremony site in a small apple orchard, to a reception tent, to a mini campground set up for overnight guests, everywhere you looked was a place with a purpose. 

The wedding guests were treated to live music as well as DJ Stir Fry Willy for a variety of great tunes to get down to. But the biggest surprise of this grand event were the fire dancers, of Firefly Entertainment who put on a unique and exotic show ending in the lighting of a huge bonfire. 

All I know is, Angelina could plan my wedding any day! Well done! :)

Flowers by the great Flora Organica, gorgeous as always!

If you like any of these images, feel free to borrow them. 

But PLEASE, be kind and classy. Give credit where it's due & don't crop out my logo.

Thanks!

The Royal-Urban Wedding {Wedding Photographer - Eureka, CA}

I'm so ashamed. With my busy summer season I have SERIOUSLY neglected my blog so I'm having to play a little catch-up. Please forgive me! 

That being said, in this posting we revisit Michelle and Daniel Urban, only this time, for their wedding! I was so impressed by the gorgeous event these two were able to throw together in just a mere two months. They were married at Faith Center Foursquare Church where their families had become acquainted years earlier. With the church's newly installed advanced lighting system that washed the whole venue with lovely hues of lavenders and plums, strategically placed branches and mossy twigs were set off by the white twinkle lights and candles to create a beyond-romantic atmosphere. Their ceremony matched the beauty of the ambiance with a communion for the two of them followed by the pouring of sand together along with Michelle's son Jordan into a single vessel. It was such a sweet official beginning to their little family!

After the nuptials, we whisked the newlyweds away for a private portrait session in Old Town, Eureka where we had a little surprise waiting for them...a horse-drawn carriage! As they rode from the the waterfront to the plaza, greeted by waves and well-wishes by passersby, Daniel said, "I feel like we're the Royal Wedding of Eureka!" with the most giant grin on his face. Priceless!

Congrats, Urbans! You will always be royalty to us! :)

Does his expression not say it all?

If you like any of these images, feel free to borrow them. 

But PLEASE, be kind and classy. Give credit where it's due & don't crop out my logo.

Thanks!

A Family Engagement {Engagement Portraits, Wedding Photographer-Eureka, CA}

We recently had the pleasure of meeting up with Michelle and Daniel for their engagement portrait session in Scotia, California. This couple has only been engaged since the beginning of March and they have such a refreshing, nonchalant attitude when it comes to their wedding plans. So when it came to choosing their wedding date they figured, "Why wait?" and chose mid-May for their special day.

Their engagement session was no ordinary engagement session, we had a feisty little tagalong name Jordan.  Jordan is Michelle's 6 year old son and was such a fantastic addition to the occasion. It was kind of chilly out and was drizzling on us, conditions that have the potential to make most kids be...well...crabby, frankly, but not Jordan! He took the bull by the horns and gladly hopped into shots, many times coming up with his own ideas for poses.

We all had a good time exploring the little nooks and crannies of Scotia, trying to stay dry, and sharing some laughs. It won't be long now and this cute little family will be gracing my blog again in their wedding photos! :)

If you like any of these images, feel free to borrow them. 

But PLEASE, be kind and classy. Give credit where it's due & don't crop out my logo.

Thanks!

Against all odds...{Engagement Portraits, Wedding Photographer- Eureka, CA}

Ever since the fall, when Heidi & Matt booked us for their July 2011 wedding, we had been trying our darnedest to get an engagement session to happen.  Normally it wouldn't be too difficult to be able to schedule with a couple, but when they have to make the four and a half hour drive from Chico to get to me, it makes it a little tricky. 


First, I believe Matt got the flu, poor guy, and they had to cancel their trip to the coast. Re-scheduled. Then the sky decided to open up and dump a ton of snow onto 299 and prevent them from getting here. Re-re-scheduled. Then, low and behold, Heidi came down with that same flu (thanks for sharing, Matt!) ;) We were beginning to think it just wasn't in the cards for us and we almost gave up on the idea since they knew they probably wouldn't be able to make the jaunt until their wedding rolls around in July.  But since the engagement session is a very important step to us in the entire wedding photography process, we decided that we had to make it work and that perhaps we could schedule a visit to Redding during their Spring Break and meet them part-way, so that's just what we did! 


I bet you think I'm going to say that I ended up with the flu and couldn't make it. Nope, but it did try to rain on our parade! We were lucky enough to have window that morning just long enough to squeeze their portraits in.  It must have been because it was St. Patty's Day! We had fun walking around Turtle Bay and the Sundial Bridge and shared a lot of laughs together. I'm so glad we didn't give up after the first three tries, because we never would have ended up with such wonderful results! Enjoy! :)

If you like any of these images, feel free to borrow them. 

But PLEASE, be kind and classy. Give credit where it's due & don't crop out my logo.

Thanks!