Northern California Wedding Photography - Kristine & Jeff's Wedding Day - Idlewild Park, Reno NV

Kristine and Jeff are old friends of mine from the small town of Truckee, CA - we were all on the high school soccer teams together. I remember when news came that they were an item, it was no surprise because they made such a cute pair of high school sweethearts. Eleven years later, when Facebook notified me that they were engaged, I could not have been more excited when Kristine asked me to photograph the wedding. The date? September 9th, 2011. The venue? The Rose Garden at Idlewild Park in Reno, Nevada.

The day began with the bridal party getting ready in suites at Reno's recently renovated Peppermill. From there, the limos transported the guys and the girls separately to the site of the ceremony: the Rose Garden at Idlewild Park. The roses were in bloom and the sound of the Truckee River in the background made it a great venue for this couple with their ties to Truckee. The reception was held only a few steps away at the California Building where Kristine and Jeff began their lives as husband and wife.

Enjoy some of my favorite images from this special day. First up the bride and her beautiful bridesmaids.









The groom and his groomsmen were very photogenic and had a great time striking poses for the camera. I especially love them under the Reno sign, "The Biggest Little City in the World".





Here comes the bride with her Father on her arm. Let the ceremony begin.









Before the husband and wife were introduced at their reception, we took some images of the couple for the first time as newlyweds.









(Sidenote: The California Building and Idlewild Park was a gift from the state of California.)


Thank you Kristine and Jeff for letting my team and me be a part of your special day. I will never forget when I asked you to stand belly-to-belly and you guys chest-bumped. You two are just as cute now as you were back in high school. Congratulations and I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.

Northern California Wedding Photography - Skylake Gardens, Durham, CA. - Jennifer and Kyles Motorcycle Themed Wedding

Since shooting their engagement photo session back in March, I had been eagerly looking forward to Jennifer and Kyle's wedding. They are big time motorcycle riders and decided that their wedding ceremony would have a motorcycle theme.

Just south of Chico, California, in the small agricultural city of Durham lies a little gem of a place called Skylake Gardens . Tucked away amongst the nut and pomegranate orchards, Skylake Gardens rests at the shore of a man-made lake that is lined with massive willow trees. There are multiple gardens containing an array of romantic arches and walkways lined with beautiful flowers and various sculptural elements. The girl's "getting ready room" had a shabby chic style and made for a great backdrop for some fun detail shots. The boy's "getting ready room" was actually located in a boat house looking out on the lake. There were multiple locations on the property to choose from. This venue is a wedding photographer's dream!

My second shooter, my assistant and I showed up early in the morning on the day of the wedding. The girls were already in their chairs and Jen, the bride, had curls in her hair. Hanging in the corner was the dress. We start out shooting images of all the wedding details, and let me say one thing, this bride has style and class. I am always so surprised to see all the wedding details come together and Jen was going to be one gorgeous bride.

According to our Wedding Day Schedule, the majority of the photos would be taken pre-ceremony. The guys were first. Lined up with their shades on, standing along side the motorcycles made for some wonderful groomsmen portraits. Next, the bride and groom would see each other for the first time. Jen was looking down into her flowers as her groom walked towards her creating a beautiful "first look." We spent some time around the willow tree and in the gardens for some romantic, bride & groom portraits. Next, I was able to send Kyle away on a break and the girls were up. They were so much fun and full of energy! We managed to get just about all the photos done before the ceremony allowing for the bride and groom to greet their guests as newlyweds much sooner.

During the summer, Chico (and Durham) can get HOT! Being on a lake helped cool the temperature but the 100 degree weather was no surprise. The surprise was seeing all the motorcycles lined up at the front of the alter come ceremony time. You could hear the gasps in the audience as Jen rode up on the back of her father's motorcycle. She looked so stunning as she got off the bike and walked down the aisle to her groom.

Congratulations to the newlyweds, your wedding was amazing! Thank you for allowing me and my crew to be a part of your big day.

Todd & Corinne Gibson Wedding - Beautiful Chico, CA Wedding Photography - Cory's Country Inn

Since I met Todd and Corinne several months ago at our engagement session at 5-Mile Park, I have been looking forward to their wedding. They seemed so excited about photography and insisted that the venue, Cory's Country Inn , was perfect. You can see on their website that it is a nice venue, but it doesn't compare to what is actually Cory's. For this event, the property was divided into three main areas: the pool area for appetizers and cocktails, the large grass courtyard where they had the reception, and the newly developed Secret Garden with beautiful white crape myrtles was the perfect ceremony setting. Each section was divided by stunning iron gates and arches. One of the best parts about the venue was Cory herself. She is so warm and helpful. We arrived and she immediately asked if we needed anything and told us about her property. Her bright personality really made her venue shine.

Now that we had the beautiful venue all I needed to do was be the wedding photographer. Corinne is gorgeous - her smile can light up a room. She and her bridesmaids really brought a sense of class and happiness to their photos. Then their was the groom, Todd, and his groomsmen. Just two words: Doublemint Gum. Not only are Todd's brothers identical twins, so are his cousins. Both parties were so much fun to photograph and Cory's Country Inn really allowed for some beautiful scenery.

As the time for the ceremony approached, everyone took their places. Finally, the majestic Secret Garden gates were opened to reveal the stunningly gorgeous bride, Corinne, to her waiting groom for the first time. The smile could not be removed from Corinne's face and soon enough, the pastor said, "I know pronounce you man and wife," followed by the nuptial kiss.

For the reception, Todd and Corrine were announced as husband and wife in the courtyard. It was a hot day but, luckily, they had a large tent covering the courtyard lawn which not only made the guests comfortable and happy, it also helped with photography so I wasn't working in direct sun. One fun addition to this part of the wedding was that before being able to get in line for the fabulous buffet, each table had to sing a song to the newlyweds! First up, Todd sang to his bride, then each table earned their spot in the buffet line with a string of fun party songs. Later in the evening, we had another song from Todd. This one was dedicated to his new wife and his parents. His father sang the same song to his mother on their wedding day. The low light and romantic venue made for the sweetest moment during this song - during their first dance the light was just low enough to create a dramatic flare as they danced away.

Congratulations to the newlyweds, Todd and Corinne Gibson!