Dana & Jacob's Beautiful Mountain Wedding- Russell Valley, Truckee CA.

Dana and Jacob tied the knot on Sept. 24th, 2011 in beautiful Russell Valley located in Truckee CA. Dana is a good friend of mine from Truckee so I was super excited to shoot her wedding. For one, I knew she would make an exquisite bride and, of course, Jacob a handsome groom. Additionally, the choice of having the wedding on the edge of a meadow in beautiful Russell Valley was sure to make for a unique photographic experience.

When my team and I arrived in the morning we were greeted with open arms by the entire family...then got right to work. I was to take pictures of the girls getting ready and my second shooter, Don, would photograph the guys. The entire bridal party was to get ready at the Brides house just over the hill from the venue. All the girls were wearing their cowboy boots and their dresses were handmade. In fact, the entire wedding day was filled with whimsical do-it-yourself details and fun surprises.

Once the Bride and her girls were all dolled up and ready to go, we loaded into the Father of the Bride's Army Jeep - photographer on hood, of course - and were shuttled to the meadow. It was time for Dana and Jacob to have their "first look." Because the couple opted to see each other before the wedding ceremony, it allowed me ample time to take a good amount of romantic bride & groom shots in addition to photos of the entire bridal party. This way they would not have to break away from the wedding after the ceremony to rush through the bridal party photo session. After the couple said their vows and were pronounced man and wife, the party began with the entire bridal party having a toast under the photo booth tent. It was an amazing evening of dancing and celebration.

One thing I learned growing up in Truckee is that the weather can be unpredictable at this time of year. Luckily, the puffy, dramatic clouds held their moisture and created a warm glow across the valley. Once the sun was tucked behind the mountains, it cast a beautiful, albeit painfully brief, Alpenglow across Mount Rose in the distance. Really, it was a wedding photographer's dream.

Congratulations, Dana and Jacob. Your day was beautiful. Thank you so much for having me and my team there to document your special day.



































Dana and Jacob knew they would want a photo with the Alpenglow of Mount Rose in the background. These are some of the first "romantic" photos of the couple as man and wife.