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.