Charise & Cody's Wedding Day - White Ranch Events, Chico CA.

One great thing about doing an engagement session is having professional photos to display and use creatively on your wedding day. The day I took Charise and Cody's engagement photos they knew they were going to want to hang up signs pointing the way to their wedding site. Their venue is sorta out in the middle of nowhere, on the North end of Chico, and having signs lead the way was a great idea. Just as I was arriving to the venue I happened to catch Father of the Bride finishing putting up all the signs. I was so excited to see the 20x30 posters from our engagement session - they really looked great!

Charise and Cody were joined by their closest friends and family for a lovely July wedding at White Ranch Events in Chico, CA. The bride having both a "maid of honor" and a "man of honor" was just a prelude to how fun this group would be. The bridesmaids wore lovely knee-length fuchsia dresses, each designed to their own style. The groom and his men wore all black but the groomsmen donned striking fuchsia ties that matched the bridesmaids dresses and Cody had a white tie matching his black and white shoes. The flowers were bright, warm pinks and oranges that just screamed, "Summertime!"

Although the wedding day happened to fall on one of the hottest days in Chico this year, a few creative solutions helped make the event a huge success. Guests were given complimentary ice-cold water, packets of sun screen and paper fans upon arrival to the ceremony site and the reception area was cooled by a team of large fans equipped with industrial misters. Another nice touch to make the guests comfortable was a "flip-flop dance shoe station." Guests were encouraged to take of their dress shoes and slip on a complimentary pair of flip-flops for a more comfortable dancing experience.

The entire morning before the ceremony we were all about having fun capturing creative photos of the bridal party. Come time for the ceremony everyone was filled with excitement and joy. The ceremony consisted of a few traditions that really made for a touching union of the couple. A word from the bible was spoken by the bride's grandfather, bringing tears to his eyes. As well as the traditional Unity Sand Ceremony, where both mother of the bride and mother of the groom pour sand into a vase, then the bride and groom pour sand into the same vase. During the ceremony, as the sand was being poured, the bride's father (on piano) and brother sang a lovely, touching song. The ceremony was truly touching, witnessing Charise and Cody become husband and wife.

White Ranch Events is a photography-friendly place for a wedding. There are quite a few spots on the property to set up photos including a pond with a gazebo, willow trees, flower gardens, archways, and even a couple of donkeys. As the sun went down and the hot day turned to cool night, the venue lit up with white Christmas lights and deftly placed accent lighting.

Congratulations to the newlyweds, Charise & Cody. Here are some favorite images from your wedding day.

Jenn & David's June Wedding - Boundry Oaks Golf Course, Concord CA.

Ever since Jenn and David's engagement session in San Francisco I have been excited for their wedding day. We had so much fun as we photographed all over the city - I knew their wedding day would be nothing short of awesome. If Jenn & David can keep up with me all day in SF, I was sure their bridesmaids, groomsmen and family members would be up for it, too.

The day quickly approached and Jenn & David's beautiful summer wedding at The Clubhouse at Boundary Oak in Concord, CA, was here. The bride, joined by her bridesmaids, got their hair and makeup done at a cute salon in Historic Downtown Concord called Bridges Salon. This little salon was located in a courtyard, beautifully landscaped with a running fountain. Jenn even had her mom bring her wedding gown for me to photograph on a beautiful brick wall.

The morning went quickly and it was time to meet the groom with his groomsmen. Once they were all dressed and ready to go, David gave each of his groomsmen a pair of unique, themed cufflinks. At that point, I handed him the small gift Jenn had asked me to give him - it was a pair of Superman cufflinks. The girls were just as excited when it came time for their group photos. They had purple heart sunglasses to match their adorable purple dresses and shoes. Despite the summer heat everyone looked stunning and was energetic with every pose I tossed their way.

The time finally came for everyone to start to gather at the ceremony site. Jenn was in hiding with her bridesmaids, mother and grandmothers as the seats filled. David was smiling from ear to ear with tears glistening in his eyes as his Bride walked down the aisle, arms linked with her son and mother. As the two finally met at the alter you could see the joy on both of their faces. Truly a magical ceremony as the sun peeked through the clouds and a hot summer day turned into a cool evening with clouds in the sky and a steady breeze.

Here are some of my favorite images from the day. Thanks so much to the couple for having me photograph their special day and for having so much fun with me in all the photos. Congratulations Jenn & David!!!!

Jen and Travis' Wedding - May 19th, 2012 - Fairfield, CA. Rancho Solano Golf Course

Ever since Jen and Travis' engagement session last August, I had been looking forward to their wedding day. On May 19th, the couple celebrated their love in an absolutely beautiful ceremony at the Rancho Solano Golf Course in Fairfield, CA. After months and months of planning, Jen and Travis' wedding was nothing short of perfect: the colorful rose petals strewn down the ceremony aisles; the cute pink satin table cloths; the stunning floral arrangements and bouquets; the "groom fishing for a bride" cake topper; the "Love Floats" root beer float stand (super cute!); and so much more.

My team and I met with the bride at her hotel for the Getting Ready shots. We took advantage of this time by getting pictures of the wedding rings, the bridesmaid dresses and the wedding gown. Next, we made our way to the venue to meet up with the groom and take care of the groomsmen portraits. I got to ride in the limo with the girls on the way to the ceremony and we got shots of the girls under a group of beautiful willow trees.

The wedding ceremony was beautiful and touching, including the Giving of Roses to the mothers of the bride and groom. After the ceremony I captured as many family photos as I could think up including, my favorite, of the Bride with her two brothers acting as her body guards in the background. As soon as we were done with the family photos the venue provided us with golf carts for our romantic portrait session with only the bride and groom. It was nice because we were able to take our time to find a good spot under some (other) willow trees.

The reception was the perfect ending to a fabulously special day. The venue was elegantly decorated. The food was flavorful. The speeches were thoughtful, memorable and touching. The dance floor was well-lit with a great view. Truly a magical day that I couldn't have been more ecstatic to be a part of. Congratulations Jennifer and Travis Vanella! Here are some of my favorite images from your special day.