Jenniffer and Matt were married at the Santa Margarita Ranch. I just love that place, the people, the ambiance, the Oak covered rolling hills, the golden light reflecting off the wheat grass, the music, friends, family, food, dancing, and couples like Jenniffer and Matt… Here is a list of some of the people who all came together to make this incredible event happen: Amy Borba, hair and make-up, the beautiful gown by Alfred Angelo, Floral design by Barbie Kahler, Catering by Bonnie Marie, Cake by Pat Kiselhorst and music by Tristen Ker. See you soon Jenniffer and Matt for our post honeymoon portrait session.

Beautiful couple, colorful personalities, gorgeous bride, fun laughs, sun-soaked ceremony, lively music … another memorable wedding at the Avila Beach Resort.

Even before Lisa and I started shooting the ladies getting ready, we knew we were in for an amazing wedding. Renee and her “posse”, as they were referred to, were full of laughs, joy and excitement from the get go.

Lisa Maksoudian, my second shooter and incredible assistant, took the opening shot as well as the above shots of Renee. Magazine material for sure. Check her blog our for more shots from this wedding. Well done Lisa!

Renee and David went all out on their floral and detail design. Florals were done by Lawren Ussery, Cake by Jeremy Davenport of Eclair Bakery and Reception design by Ricardo Navaro of Elegant Details. David, the groom, even got in on the action by designing and constructing the arch below.

Linda Renfrow, event coordinator at Avila Beach Resort, not only keeps things going smoothly, but was so gracious to take the bride, groom, Lisa and I out to the coolest places on the golf course. I just couldn’t resist taking advantage of the sand trap rakes and having Renee and David strike the “American Gothic” pose.

David, seen here flying over Renee with his youthful zeal.

David and Renee’s first dance. It’s always a pleasure to work with Beau Kramer of Kramer Entertainment, who kept the night running smoothly with all the cool tunes.

 

Greer and Joel were my 7-7-07 couple. The Fuller residence, nestled within the rolling vineyards of Paso Robles was the site of this amazing wedding. Having shot here before I knew it was going to be a stellar event. Greer and Joel, who live in San Francisco were a pleasure to work with. Fun-loving, full of life and greatly in love.

I also had the pleasure of working with an all star cast of vendors. Ann Marquart, who’s wedding I actually shot here two years ago did the event coordinating, the catering was covered by Lisa Jones and Jim Subject and crew from Cahoots Catering, Kathy Bach from All About Tabletops did the reception design, Eileen Hobbs and Laurel White from Adornments did the floral design, Christy Wilkinson from Morning Star Creations did the cake, Gy Ryder was the DJ. and Ken Wagner did the lighting design.

Anywho… here a few from my selection of favorites. Enjoy.

Nicole and Matt were married at the Cambria Pines Lodge in Cambria, a favorite North Coast venue of mine. Even though they live in the OC, Nicole and Matt have always considered Cambria as the special place for them. I think they did well.

As you can see, Nicole was not only a beautiful bride but also graced with an amazing floral arrangement created by Laurel and Eileen Hobbs of Adornments.

Adornments also took over the Lodge with a colorful display for the Gazebo that even had hanging crystal.

Matt didn’t hold back on Nicole’s diamond.

The head table, another one of Adornment’s creations.

Nicole, during the father / daughter dance.

Christina and Mead went all out for their wedding that started out with Christina and the ladies getting ready at the Avila Lighthouse Suites in Avila Beach, then off to the Ceremony at the Mission in San Luis Obispo.

After the Ceremony we headed off to the beautiful Tolosa Winery in Edna Valley. We also stumbled upon the most incredible field of Lavender, see below, that made for a colorful backdrop for pictures. From there we went to Port San Luis Beach for some shots of the wedding party having fun on the beach. And that was all before the Reception even started at the Avila Bay Resort. All in all, Jeannie and I enjoyed all the fun locations and Christina and Mead’s adventurous spirit.

Christina has the most incredible eyes… fun to photograph.

Having fun with Mead while he keeps an eye on the time … just to make sure everything is on track.

Even though I usually prefer outdoor Ceremony locations, the Mission seems to always play host to a sweet, golden light in the afternoon. A great time to ditch the flash and go natural.

The glorious Lavender fields at the Tolosa Vineyard.

Seems like I have had more beach weddings than ever this year. Almost every time we hit the beach something fun happens. Here we see our lovely bride having a few laughs with the resident Lifeguard at Port San Luis…he was all too happy to join in on the fun.

Christina had several of her relatives and friends from New York at the wedding. They were some of the most fun-loving people I have ever photographed at a wedding. Non stop dancing, singing and full on joy … so much fun to photograph. The tent at the Avila Beach Resort … seen below under a big, blue sky.

Kristin and Matt celebrated their wedding at the beautiful Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach, one of my favorite coastal venues. It’s not surprising that they chose this majestic location to do their engagement pictures as well. Anna Fergus, the Cliff’s events coordinator did an outstanding job of keeping all the details of the day running smoothly. Linda Della Pelle from Fig Leaf Production did the videography. I appreciate Linda’s documentary approach that lends itself to allowing all in involved to simply have fun and “be themselves”.

Camilla Svensson Burns did the floral design that was simply over the top. Walking into the reception tent prior to the ceremony when no one was around was almost a spiritual experience. The floral design, amazing colors and detail that Camilla is known for all combined to showcase an amazing work of art.

I love the serendipitous nature of doing wedding party shots on the beach. This guy just couldn’t resist the opportunity to join in on the fun.

A view of the tent prior to the reception. The cake was done by You Take the Cake.

San Luis Jazz provided the Live entertainment. Kristin and one of her bridesmaids enjoying the dancing.