Lauren and Christian’s wedding in Monterey was a truly elegant event. With family ties to Carmel, the Coast was a perfect location to celebrate their marriage. The weekend started with a rehearsal dinner in Monterey at one of the couple’s favorite restaurants, Il Fornaio. Christian and his Groomsmen remained in Carmel for the wedding morning, while Lauren and her bridesmaids prepared for the day at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey. The entire weekend focused on close family and friends, many who travelled from Fresno to celebrate with the couple. After the beautiful ceremony at the First Presbyterian Church, which was officiated by the family’s “Badveli” (Armenian minister), they were treated to an elegant reception in the ballroom of the historical Hotel Del Monte, which was built in 1880 and is now used as the Naval Postgraduate School. The Del Monte was a resort that hosted guests from Theodore Roosevelt to Ernest Hemingway, as well as many early Hollywood stars, before the Navy requisitioned the building during World War II. The architecture and decor of the reception was classic and beautiful, just like the bride. After dinner and toasts, the ballroom was the perfect place for guests to dance to the band, “Pure Ecstasy,” who played an energetic mix of blues, rock, soul and jazz. It was obvious that family is so important to the couple and it was beautiful to see their marriage and joining of two loving families. Congratulations Lauren and Christian!

Jessie and Ryan were married on a crisp Fall day at Tenaya Lodge, just outside of Yosemite. Yosemite is a sentimental location for both of them, so they decided to have their first-look and couple photos in Yosemite Valley in the morning. After getting ready at Cedar Lodge, Ryan was waiting for his bride-to-be at Sentinel Beach. It was so serene and beautiful to be at the Merced River bank alone and without the tourists and rafters that fill the area in summer. They had the beach to themselves with a view of Yosemite Falls. The morning light was so beautiful that we shot many of their couple photos there before moving on to other spots in Yosemite. Jessie had shared with us that she has family ties to John Swett, a close friend of John Muir. To honor her ties to historic Yosemite, we shot at the historical landmark, LeConte Memorial Lodge, a unique stone building hidden near Curry Village. We returned to Tenaya Lodge for their ceremony and reception. Rich fall colors filled the ceremony site and reception room. Everyone had a fun time with dinner and dancing. They definitely get our award for best cake smash ever! Congratulations Jessie & Ryan!

The minute we first met Jordan and Mike, we knew their wedding was going to be a blast. They are full of so much fun and enthusiasm and their wedding really reflected their personalities. The wedding morning began with Jordan and her friends and family gathered at her family’s home for hair and makeup, while the guys prepared for the day at a local hotel. With Jordan being a cosmetics expert, her parents kitchen was transformed into a fully-stocked beauty salon. Their wedding ceremony was a traditional Catholic ceremony and was followed by a reception held at a private Fig Garden estate. Guests were all seated poolside for a family-style dinner and toasts. It was so touching when Jordan’s twin brother spoke. The reception had unique touches including the couple’s “Bee’s Knee’s” signature drink and dessert table full of cupcakes. The first dances included a serenade by Mike’s fraternity brothers and the parent dances were very emotional. Once the DJ music started, the dance floor was packed beyond capacity as everyone celebrated. Congratulations Jordan & Mike!

Gillian and Jonthan’s day started out in a beautiful and historical spot….the Presidential Suite (aka JFK Suite) at The Ahwahnee Hotel. There was plenty of space to be surrounded by family and friends as they prepared for their special day. They exchanged personal gifts in the morning (Boston Red Sox cuff links and a heart necklace) and an ipad delivering a video message created by Gillian. The Ahwahnee Bridge was a beautiful location for Gillian and Jonathan’s first look and couple portraits. The skies and weather were gorgeous and we were thrilled that the storm clouds held off for the morning. The only thing that was a surprise was the hail storm that hit minutes after climbing in the car to head to the ceremony at Yosemite Chapel. We were very thankful that we left early as we watched traffic come to a standstill and ill-prepared tourists dashing across Yosemite Valley seeking cover. Guests filed into the Chapel with umbrellas in tow. During the middle of their Catholic ceremony a beautiful thing happened. The rain stopped and beams of sunlight filtered into the Chapel. Waiting back for everyone at The Ahwahnee was a beautiful reception. All of Gillian’s personal touches were evident in the elegant decor which perfectly matched her yellow and navy blue theme. The guests’ seating cards were a display of personalized cake pops and for the ladies Gillian had a basket full of shawls in her wedding colors as favors. As an alternative to the popular candy buffet, they had a trail mix bar (healthy and perfect for Yosemite) with nuts, dried fruit, white chocolate chips and other goodies. Everyone enjoyed dinner and dancing and there was not a dry eye in the house during the first dances. Congratulations Gillian and Jonathan!

Lindsey and Chris were married at the beautiful Wonder Valley Resort in Sanger, California. With both of them growing up in the foothills, this location was perfect for their wedding day. Surrounded by hills, the resort was a wonderful destination for everyone to enjoy the weekend and celebrate with Lindsey and Chris. Their wedding day was full of unique touches including Lindsey’s purple bling wedding shoes, monarch butterflies release, sand ceremony and horse and carriage ride after the ceremony. These high school sweethearts celebrated late into the night surrounded by family and friends. Congratulations Lindsey and Chris!

We first met Lori and Bob up at Glacier Point in Yosemite the morning of their wedding day. They had been camping in Yosemite Valley with their families and snuck away for a pre-wedding photo session. They were full of love and laughter and we could see such a fun connection between the two of them. Their wedding was an intimate event with close family and friends and the ceremony centered around their children and the uniting of two families. Following the wedding, everyone enjoyed a dinner reception at the Yosemite Lodge Cliff Room. Congratulations Lori and Bob!

Emily & Matthew’s wedding at The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite was one that featured simple elegance. Their theme revolved around the idea of “Simple Gifts,” which was the song they walked down the aisle to. Their ceremony was personalized with a reading from the “Velveteen Rabbit” and was officiated by the bride’s sister. Their wedding rings (sitting in ceramic ring bearer bowl) were passed around during the ceremony to give every guest an opportunity to bless the union. Personal touches were also part of the reception decor. Emily’s Great-Grandmother’s beautiful glassware was used in the floral centerpieces, wedding favors were homemade strawberry jam and guests signed their well wishes on antique Yosemite postcards at the guest book station. The wedding also featured Thomas Kemper Ginger Ale as a signature drink, guests and the wedding party wore crazy, colorful shoes and an adorable hand-made peg doll was their unique cake topper. Everything about the wedding had a sweet, relaxed and loving atmosphere to it, matching Emily and Matt’s friendliness. Of course, the fun and crazy side came out the minute Emily and her bridesmaids hit the dance floor. These former show choir singers danced and sang the night away! It was the only wedding we’ve shot that ended with everyone singing along to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Congratulations Emily and Matt!