2016 Archives

October 11, 2016 by Paige Nelson 1 Comment

San Francisco treated us to a beautiful coastal sunset for Jem and Peter’s engagement session at the Sutro Baths. Northern California is special place for Jem and Peter. It’s where they met, fell in love, and where Peter proposed. It only made sense to take their engagement photos here too.

I was in Big Sur for a wedding the last weekend of September. The next day, Andrew and I drove up Highway 1 to meet at Land’s End for their session.

Mile Rock Beach & Sutro Bath Ruins

Unusually warm weather greeted us in the Bay area. As expected, the Sutro Bath Ruins were packed with people enjoying the rare beach day. To kick off our session, I took Jem and Peter to some secluded spots in the trees away from the crowds. Dodging people somehow managed to take us all the way down the stairs to Mile Rock Beach.

We made our way back to the Sutro Bath ruins just in time for the most spectacular pastel sunset. I had so much fun with this witty duo and I can’t wait to return north next year for their beautiful lakeside glamping wedding! Congrats you two!

If you love this session, I recommend checking out Juliane and Mason’s Point Lobos engagement.

Jessica & Jeff

Vineyard Wedding at Folktale Winery

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

October 6, 2016 by Paige Nelson Leave a Comment

Jessica and Jeff’s vineyard wedding at Folktale Winery in the Carmel Valley was straight out of a fairytale. The winery boasts 15 acres of organically farmed vineyards and is reminiscent of an early century French chateau. Jessica and Jeff invited their entire family and close friends to join them for a fun weekend getaway.

Day Before Portraits in Carmel

The day before their wedding, we ventured to the coast of Big Sur for some intimate couple portraits. Firefighters shut down Highway 1 to the public because of the Soberanes Fire. We settled on Garrapata State Park, which didn’t feel much like settling at all. After a fun evening together, I was excited for the wedding day.

Wedding Party Photos in the Vineyard

After Jessica and Jeff’s first look, the wedding party met up with us for some portraits in the vineyard. Every one was in the best mood on this sunny summer day.

Outdoor Ceremony

Jessica planned everything perfectly down to the last detail. The ceremony was held in the courtyard of the winery. Swenson and Silacci arranged classic red rose arrangements for the bridal party bouquets, arch, and table centerpieces.

Lawn Games & Cocktail Hour in the Vineyard

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed wine tasting and lawn games. We used the opportunity to sneak away for some intimate portraits of Jessica and Jeff inside the beautiful lobby area. Meanwhile, the vendor team was hard at work turning the barrel room into a magical reception atmosphere.

Barrel Room Reception

One of the coolest surprises Jessica and Jeff planned for their guests was a one-take music video during the reception. Each table was assigned a song to dance, complete with a prop box. The video set the mood of the entire evening and everyone found their way to the dance floor! At the end of the night, Jessica and Jeff were sent off with a dramatic sparkler exit.

Congrats you two! Here’s to many more happy years together!

The Vendor Team

Caterer: Classic Catering // Cake: Parker Lusseau Pastries // Day of Coordinator: Kaitlin Ford, Pocketful of Plans // Dress: Allure Bridals // Florals: Andrea, Swenson & Silacci Flowers // Officiant: Brian Lyke, Life Celebrations // Photography: Paige Nelson, Second Shooter: Jamie English // Venue Coordinator: Nina Sherrill // Venue: Folktale Winery // Videography: The Cub Team, Arthur & Daniel

Be sure to check out Jessica and Jeff’s day before session in Big Sur at Garrapata State Park. If you love this wedding, I also recommend browsing through Stephanie and Richard’s Dawn Ranch Lodge wedding.

Juliane & Mason

Point Lobos Engagement in Carmel

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

September 22, 2016 by Paige Nelson Leave a Comment

Juliane & Mason’s Point Lobos engagement in Carmel was super charming and laidback. I met these two earlier this month while I was staying in the Big Sur area for a wedding. We squeezed in just enough time between sessions for their engagement portraits.

We originally planned to meet at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Beach along Highway 1, but the park closures from the Soberanes Fire interrupted most of my weekend plans. As a back up plan, we settled on Point Lobos Natural Reserve…which again, didn’t feel anything like settling.

Monastery Beach Engagement: Carmel-by-the-Sea

The reserve doesn’t open until 8 a.m., so we met at Monastery Beach down the road to kick off our time together. We sipped on hot coffee and discussed their mutual love of triathlons and the story of how they met. Juliane and Mason have a natural chemistry that translates so easily into photographs.

Portraits at China Cove

After the gates of the reserve opened, we piled back into the car and drove inside. China Cove was on my bucket list for years, so we headed straight to the south end of the peninsula first. The water at Point Lobos is even more tranquil and luminescent turquoise than the pictures online.

The scenery around the surrounding cliff areas and little forest grove near the entrance is breathtaking. This place is incredibly picturesque. After so many visits up north, I can’t believe it took me this long to visit! I would love to photograph another Point Lobos engagement soon!

I’m honored and excited to start working out the details of their destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico next year. Congrats you two!

If you loved this Point Lobos engagement session, be sure to check out Jem and Peter’s Sutro Bath engagement in San Francisco or Jessica and Jeff’s Day Before portraits in Garrapata.

Jessica & Jeff

Wedding Portraits at Garrapata State Park in Carmel

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

September 13, 2016 by Paige Nelson Leave a Comment

Jessica and Jeff’s Day before wedding portraits in Garrapata State Park provided the best of both worlds. On Labor Day weekend, I drove up to Carmel to photograph this lovely duo.

Jessica and Jeff knew they wouldn’t have enough time to explore the central coast on their real wedding day. Instead, they opted for a day before portrait session in their wedding clothes to take advantage of the Big Sur scenery.

Day Before Portraits at Garrapata State Park

The evening before their wedding, we ventured to the Big Sur coast for some intimate couple portraits. The Soberanes Fire still burned fiercely, forcing firefighters to shut down most of Highway 1. Garrapata State Park near Carmel was one of the only parks that remained open to the public.

Jessica donned a beautiful BHLDN wedding dress she didn’t mind getting a little dirty before the wedding, along with a pair of maroon booties. (Rest assured, the wedding dress bootie combo will always make your photographer a happy camper). Her wedding florist, Swenson & Silacci Flowers, also created a special bouquet and flower crown for the occasion.

We quickly discovered how underrated and truly otherworldly Garrapata State Park is. With all the chaos that comes from wedding planning, I think this special time together before the wedding was exactly what Jessica and Jeff needed without fully realizing it.

The Vendor Team

Dress: BHLDN, Anthropologie // Florals: Swenson & Silacci Flowers // Photography: Paige Nelson

Be sure to check out Jessica and Jeff’s wedding day at Folktale Winery. If you love this session, I also recommend browsing through Jessica and Paul’s intimate Big Sur wedding at Limekiln State Park.

Stephanie & Richard

Engagement at San Elijo Lagoon

San Diego, CA

September 13, 2016 by Paige Nelson Leave a Comment

We did things backwards for Stephanie and Richard’s engagement photos. In July, I traveled to Guerneville for their summer camp wedding under the redwoods. A month later, they visited me in San Diego. They lived in this city together for a few years and it still holds special memories for them.

The Hidden Mushroom Caves of Solana Beach

Stephanie loves the desert and ocean equally, leaving me pretty stumped on potential locations. I really wanted to treat them to the best of both worlds. After some research, I stumbled on this gem in my own backyard. This miniature slot canyon near the San Elijo Lagoon is lovingly referred to as the “Mushroom Caves” by locals. The trail was closed to the public for a long time to clean up vandalism and only recently re-opened a few months ago.

The unique beauty of this place blew us away. The marvelous sandstone walls and nearby San Elijo Lagoon created the perfect intersection of elements for their session. With so much foot traffic, it was tough to find moments of peace. We made it work, even if we did feel silly squeezing back and forth through the narrows to let people pass.

Sunset over San Elijo Lagoon

The lagoon gave us a beautiful show at sunset, lighting up with vivid colors. Richard was slightly more intrigued by the fish that kept flopping up near the surface. As darkness set in, we slowly hiked back to the top. Afterward, we celebrated with street tacos at Richard’s favorite taco shop.

I’m so happy to call these two not just clients, but great friends.

If you love this session, check out Amanda and Justin’s Elfin Forest engagement or Justin and Rudy’s Lake Murray engagement.

Stephanie & Richard

Summer camp wedding at Dawn Ranch Lodge

Guerneville, CA

September 5, 2016 by Paige Nelson Leave a Comment

Summer camp wedding and redwoods should always be used in the same sentence. Nestled in the Russian River Valley near Sonoma, the Dawn Ranch Lodge encompasses 15 acres of land. Stephanie and Richard rented out the 50+ charming cabins for their guests to enjoy an extended weekend getaway.

Summer Camp Movie Night

After 10 years together, you can imagine marriage comes up a lot in conversation. Richard and Stephanie wanted their day to be memorable for their loved ones. This redwood venue successfully charmed our pants off.

On Friday, festivities kicked off with river canoeing and an outdoor movie night under the stars. Stephanie and I discovered we are kindred spirits after their feature film, Wayne’s World, started rolling on the projector.

Time to go to summer camp and let some images do the talking.

Wedding Day at Dawn Ranch Lodge

The morning of the wedding, guests had more opportunities to explore the river or hang out by the pool before preparing for the day. The guys dressed in the boathouse near the lawn of the movie screening, while Stephanie and her girls got ready in the bridal cabin on the other side of the venue.

With anticipation hanging in the air, we borrowed one of our favorite cabins to hide Stephanie in before the first look. Richard couldn’t keep the smile off of his face as the wedding party giggled profusely in the corner leading up the reveal.

Portraits at Armstrong Redwoods

We managed to whisk Stephanie and Richard away to the Armstrong Woods for some quiet moments together before their ceremony began. Even a slim 20 minutes under these giants can do wonders for your piece of mind. The light poking through the trees in the early afternoon was pure magic.

Redwood Ceremony in the Meadow

We returned to the venue with just enough time to slip in line for the processional. Guests were seated in chairs lining the edge of the meadow, with ancient redwoods as the backdrop.

Richard was emotional, even though he had seen Stephanie minutes before she walked down the aisle. It was so sweet to watch his reaction.

As guests made their way to the apple orchard, we explored the woodsy landscapes around Dawn Ranch Lodge for more portraits.

But the party didn’t start until Stephanie and Richard made their grand entrance to the reception.

Apple Orchard Reception

These two are loved dearly by their friends and family. The reception tables were ordered by cities and countries to signify how far everyone traveled that weekend to be there. The reception hour in the orchard embraced us in a warm glow as the sun kissed the tree tops.

After toasts, guests were invited to the pool deck for dessert and dancing. Everyone found their way to the dance floor at some point that evening. Two of them even made it into the pool, fully clothed. Stephanie was convinced it was the swan.

Congratulations, Richard and Stephanie! May the next 10 years be even better than the first.

Their Vendor Team

Cake: Village Bakery // Coordinator: Meghan Magnasco, So Eventful // Dress: Pronovias Sample // Entertainment: Dart DJ // Florist: Green Petal Designs // Groom’s Attire: Black Tux // Invitations: Good on Paper Design // Make Up Artist: Selyca Medford // Officiant: Irene Kane, Ceremonies & Celebrations // Photography: Paige Nelson Photography// Shoes: Stuart Weitzman // Wedding Favors: Coffee Mugs, Discountmugs // Venue: Dawn Ranch Lodge

If you loved this wedding, I recommend checking out Jem & Peter’s summer camp wedding at Leonard Lake Reserve!

Brenda & Krista

Big Sur Elopement in the Redwoods

Big Sur, CA

August 19, 2016 by Paige Nelson Leave a Comment

Brenda reached out to me at the beginning of this year, excited to share the details of her intimate wedding day in Big Sur. The way she spoke about her love and admiration for her fiance, Krista, melted my heart. We connected right away after that first Skype meeting.

I didn’t have the chance to meet Krista right away, as she was still serving in the military at the time. She was due to be released in early March and the two of them were eager to make it official as soon as possible. Brenda took care of the planning- booking me, mailing out invitations, and sealing the ceremony site… all set for their first of July date.

In April, Brenda emailed me exclaiming how they couldn’t wait any longer and had eloped to the courthouse. They were still planning a celebration up north with their close friends and family, but were soon overwhelmed by it all. They opted to keep it more laid back and hosted a reception party for everyone at the beach instead.

Brenda is a photographer and artist at heart. She still dreamed of romantic images with Krista along the coast and among the woods…and there were still two wedding dresses tucked away in the closet. So we kept our booking and turned the day into a grand road trip adventure.

Morning Preparation in Pacific Grove

We met that overcast afternoon at their little blue Airbnb in Pacific Grove. Brenda and Krista had a make up artist come to the house, who prepped them both individually for their first look. I arrived just after they had been made up and donned their wedding dresses for the first time. We took a few quiet images around the house before hitting the road.

Big Sur elopement in the redwoods

No trip down Highway 1 is complete without a pit stop at Bixby. All eyes were on these two as we waited patiently for the best vantage point of the bridge to open up. The fog blowing over the cliffs in the distance and the rolling ocean below set the scene. Then we were off again.

Portraits in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

We arrived at Julia Pfeiffer around the golden hour. We were grabbing equipment and bouquets out of the back when a ranger walked over to us. My heart sunk a little as I thought she came to turn us away from the park, but instead recommended the best trees to check out and insisted the girls keep their gowns clean. Wow.

The next hour was spent galavanting around the moody forest and staring up in awe at these giants. Cool Ranch Doritos and Cheetos greeted us in the car for the ride home- Krista’s favorite.

These images make me smile so much as I remember this day spent with two of the most gorgeous brides I have ever laid eyes on, both radiating pure happiness.

Congrats Brenda & Krista. Your love conquers all.

If you love this Big Sur elopement, be sure to check out Jessica & Paul’s intimate forest wedding or Hannah & Nick’s intimate Muir Woods Wedding.

Dyllan & Elizabeth

Summertime Mount Laguna engagement

Mount Laguna, CA

July 13, 2016 by Paige Nelson 2 Comments

Dyllan and Elizabeth’s Mount Laguna engagement had summer vibes written all over it. From the moment we met in Julian for the first time, Dyllan and Elizabeth were glowing with genuine happiness. This is the kind of love that is incredibly easy to capture on camera because of its authenticity. They are completely head over heels for each other.

Frolicking in the lupines of Julian

On the drive up to Lake Cuyamaca, I noticed my favorite field of lupines were blooming on the mountainside again. We piled into Dyllan’s Jeep and backtracked a little to frolick amongst the lavender flowers.

We stopped at a vast, rolling field of golden wheat grass and took shelter for a bit under the shade of the pines. We piled back into the car and stopped once more to run around the open road. But I saved the best for last: my favorite secret look out spot where the Anza Borrego desert stretches out beneath you for endless miles.

Portraits at Mount Laguna drop off

Dusk crept over the landscape slowly, transforming the sky into every shade of pastel blue, purple and pink. I had a few sparklers left in my bag from a previous shoot that made for a great finale to an amazing session with these two.

Can’t wait to capture this wedding in January- congrats Dyllan & Elizabeth!