Tag Archives: Outdoor Wedding Photography

Melissa + Scott – Upstate New York – Adirondack Wedding

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Bit of a side story here. I grew up on the east coast until I moved to CA when I was 16 years of age.  Man, what a cultural difference.  Southern California was like a foreign country. The styles, the freeways (The 5, The 405), Hal Fishman reporting what the Hollywood Stars were doing on the local evening news, the way people talked – it was all so different. But now I am one of them, and it’s the east coast (northeast) that is so foreign to me. There’s this immutable intensity that shrouds everyone, and for no particular reason. Maybe it’s the winters and ice and salt coupled with the bitter cold? But the moral is that I miss parts of it.  I miss those lush, fecund, green summers.  I miss rain squalls that brew off in the distance and march unstoppable, bringing a deluge of cascading sheets of rain, whether it’s needed or not. I even miss that intensity, which I rekindled – not on my own terms however – but a 1/2 mile from the car rental kiosk (sorry I missed the turn and stopped short guy.)  Nothing like getting a huge and agro middle finger waved at you for a greeting.  Ah, much as it ever was…  And with that, I give you Scott and Melissa’s Wedding in the Adirondacks.

Melissa and Scott have been together for a long time.  Like a loooooong time.  I didn’t know this until I got out to NY.  I mean, I had chatted with Melissa on the phone about some general details, but we didn’t go into great depth about her and Scott.  So it was a surprise when I kept hearing these repeated phrases as I walked around, sipping on a few beers at the rehearsal, “Yeah, I didn’t know if they’d do it, but here we are.”  And there I was as well, a few thousand miles from home photographing someone’s wedding in upstate NY.  Honestly, sometimes I have to step back and look at the duality of my job.  On one hand, it’s totally rad that I get to travel and photograph a couple’s destination wedding, and on the other hand, it’s absolutely ludicrous!  Either way, I was thrilled to have attended and been allowed the honor to capture Melissa and Scott’s wedding at the gorgeous Burlap and Beams. What follows are some of my favorites.

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Rachel + Paul – El Dorado Hotel and Restaurant – Sonoma

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The minute I met Paul, I liked him.  Maybe because he dropped an F-Bomb after 5 minutes of talking.  I have been known to have a salty mouth myself, and after   living on a sailboat for a few years, you just sort of become a pirate.  But I digress…  Rachel.  What’s not to like about Rachel?  She’s sweet and kind, beautiful, and she drinks beer, nay, enjoys it, which is always a plus in a good woman.  To think that Paul almost missed out on all this goodness because he waited like a month just to call her up gives me shivers.  Thankfully, by the time he got the nerve up to call her, she was still available.  In the end, these two (who I can assure you are made for each other) came together and got married on a damn fine day in September in Sonoma.

Rachel + Paul

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Melissa + Michael – Portola Valley

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I’ve been looking forward to this wedding for a long time.  Mainly because it’s in my neighborhood, seeing as I live in Redwood City.  I ride my bike on these backroads, and I love looking at all the Coastal Live Oak, hoping to stumble upon some chanterelle mushrooms in a leaf pile.  I love the light that filters through the trees, the autumnal grass blanched a golden honey, and the way the wind whispers through the canopy when you sit somewhere in stillness.  How could the day get any better?  Well, both Melissa and Michael are uber chill people, along with both sides of the family.  Heck, I even keep bees at their house.  After our first meeting it came up (well, I always seem to be able to mention my bees in any conversation) and Melissa’s mom was interested in having a few hives on their property.  So not only am I their photographer, I am also the family beekeeper!  Does it get any better than that?  I think not!

But enough foreplay.  Let’s get to the wedding day, because it was amazing; filled with love and emotion like a good wedding should be.  Enjoy!

Melissa + Michael

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Scott + Jeanne

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Been waiting to write this one up for a while.  So much love here, it was crazy.  The ceremony was gorgeous; the site, the words, and the moments as well.  When the officiant opened his mouth for the first time and spoke, I think rays of light emanated forth, and thus, I shed but a single tear.  That’s saying something – for my tears are as valuable as Phoenix tears – they can mend any wound.  But enough Harry Potter trivia and silliness.  Scott and Jeanne do share an insane amount of love, and it was a wedding I was proud to photograph and attend.

We had lots of luck, from an amazing spot, great light, and some rain that was in the forecast, but held off for just long enough.  Come on up to Mt. Tam with me and check out this amazing wedding!

In the trees at the Amphitheatre atop Mt. Tamalpais.

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Bill + Heidi

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Bill and Heidi tied the knot at a place that speaks to them and for them, as they are creatures of the outdoors to say the least.  Evergreen Lodge lies a few miles away from the entrance of Hetch Hetchy and the West Entrance of Yosemite National Park. With its cute little cabins, rustic setting, and lack of cell service, it makes a pretty good retreat sans distractions.

If you caught the blog a few months ago you’ll remember Bill, Heidi, and I traipsed around Pt Reyes National Seashore (in the rain, uphill, both ways) for some great shots. Heidi enticed me on a walk that was “…only a mile or so.” About 5 miles later, back at the car wet and exhausted, I could only smile and shake with happiness and hunger pangs; the journey was worth it, for we got some great shots.  Well, we went a little further this time, but I reckon the shots came out even better. There are a few more than normal, but that’s just because there are so many epic shots, I just had to include them all.

Here’s proof!

Bill and Heidi, exchanging breath in the Maori tradition called Hongi.

Told you…  Enjoy the photos!

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