Sara and Ryan - Barns at Cooper Molera Wedding - Monterey, California

Wowza. Hey ya'll. 👋

This last weekend was something for the books. I was down in Monterey shooting a beautiful 2 part wedding. (And PS. It was my first time in this cute little city and I'm pretty convinced that I will have a house there one day. There were succulents hanging in the streets and the architecture was adorable). I got to explore the aquarium down there and it was just a breath of fresh air.

I drove down to capture Sara and Ryan’s traditional church ceremony on Friday, and then we celebrated with another wedding on Saturday. The architecture of Monterey Bay just blew me away…. (Am I a poet now?) There were beautiful stone buildings, quaint little cafes on every block, colorful walls… Tthis town totally gave me mini Italy vibes!

The girls got ready in a suite at the Monterey Plaza Hotel, right downtown and on the water. The views alone were breathtaking! The guys got ready in the one of a kind Casa Munras Garden hotel a few minutes from the venue. We walked over together to the venue where Sara and her father shared an emotional first look. After everyone had seen the beautiful bride, we got to enjoy an even more beautiful ceremony and witness these 2 profess their love! After that, it was stress-free party time.

The details in this wedding were planned down to the marble name plates on the table. I’d describe how beautiful every single piece was, but that would take all day. From the flowers to the grill cheese bites… To the delicious salmon and remarkable dessert table… This wedding was one for the books. We danced and danced, cut the cake with a firefighter axe, sat by the bonfire and the party didn’t stop at the venue! They moved right along to a cute little bar down the street. In all honesty, I didn’t want this night to end and I’m so happy I can relive it through these photos.

Sara and Ryan, thank you for letting me experience this with you and I will always be grateful for this amazing weekend.

"A wise person once told me that a successful marriage is falling in love with the same person, over and over again." ❤️ - Sara Meier

Sam and Omid - Elysian Ballroom Wedding - Portland, Oregon

Sam and Omid are the type of people you want to be best friends with as soon as you meet them. When we did their engagement session, we wandered around Portland and chatted for hours. I normally get anxious being downtown (because traffic), but these two have such a welcoming vibe about them that it was hard to feel anything but relaxed while hanging with them.

This wedding was photographed by our associate photographers Kathleen and Sierra, and I am beyond jealous that I wasn’t able to be there. When I got the photos back, I spent hours and hours going through these and I felt like I was there the entire time. My team can photograph weddings better than I can even dream of. The details were stunning, and I could feel the energy of the day through the pictures.

The Elysian Ballroom is a venue that most girls only dream of. It’s covered in chandeliers, gold chairs, and elegant fixtures everywhere. The getting ready suite is baby blue accented with gold, and has the perfect natural window light. This venue has definitely been on the bucket list, and I don’t even think that photos will do it much justice or show the actual beauty of this elegant ballroom in the heart of Portland.

Sam and Omid spent their morning getting ready, enjoying champagne (and beers) and hanging out with their crew. They did a beautiful first look on the staircase, and then headed outside into the hustle and bustle of Portland to do some classic bridal party photos.

After a beautiful ceremony, heartfelt toasts, and the traditional cake cut, they spent their night hanging out with tons of family and friends and dancing the night away.

Sam and Omid, you two are some of the most kind and generous people I have ever met. Thank you for trusting our team to photograph your beautiful ballroom wedding and I wish you a lifetime of happiness.