outdoor reception Archives – Paige Nelson Photography

November 1, 2016 by Paige Nelson 2 Comments

In early October, I traveled to Roseville for my cousin’s intimate backyard wedding. Stephanie married her dream guy, Kord, in her grandmother’s backyard. Her mom was married in the same house, so many years ago, when she was still with us.

Kord has been like a second father to Steph’s first son, Julian. And in June, they brought a new bundle of joy into the world: Jameson. My cousin deserves all the happiness in the world and my heart is filled to the brim watching their family grow.

Meaningful DIY Details

My family is full of creative women and this day was infused with so many meaningful details. One of my favorite details of the day was the cake topper Steph hand painted of their family.

Steph brought a few old photos from her mom’s wedding day for us to recreate. She also salvaged pieces of her mom’s wedding dress to add fabric flowers to the bouquet.

My grandmother was an amazing artist and her floor-to-ceiling landscapes are the statement piece of every room throughout the house. I carefully hung Steph’s dress on a few of my favorites to ensure her presence was felt that day too.

This day is also featured on Intimate Weddings! Check it out here!

An Intimate Backyard Wedding

My Aunt Cathy, with the help of my cousin Annie, refinished her backyard for the occasion. She hired an electrician to string market lights and a chandelier through the handmade wooden altar. Cathy also stitched the fabric backdrop, created the centerpiece arrangements, and baked Steph’s favorite applesauce cake.

With only a handful of their closest family and friends as witnesses, Steph and Kord exchanged vows in a short and sweet ceremony.

Before the rest of the guests arrived, I whisked them away to a nearby oak tree field for some romantic alone time. In our golden hour frolicking, we disturbed a resting buck. Kord was ready to ditch the reception to run after it. 😉

We arrived back to the house as the glow in the sky was started to fade. A standing ovation greeted Steph and Kord in the backyard. We listened to four touching speeches, feasted on BBQ, and watched Kord almost drop Steph during their first dance.

While they were preoccupied with hugs and goodbyes, Kord’s groomsmen decked out their get away truck in stickers, tin cans, and toilet paper. Then they escaped in the night while we clapped and whistled.

Congratulations, you two! Love you both so much.

Their Friend-or Team

Fabric Backdrop: Cathy Zampa (bride’s grandmother) // Cake: Cathy Zampa (bride’s grandmother) // Cake Topper: Stephanie (bride) // Flower Crown: Stephanie (bride) // Table Arrangements: Cathy Zampa (bride’s grandmother) & Annie Burnette (bride’s aunt) // Rings: Etsy (bride); Tiffany & Co (groom // Photography: Paige Nelson // Venue: Private Residence

If you love this wedding, I recommend checking out Jessica and Paul’s intimate redwood wedding in Big Sur!

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.

I want to extend a huge thank you to my good friend and second shooter on this trip, Brogen. 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; Second Shooter: Brogen Jessup // 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!

Rachael & Sam

Art-deco picnic wedding in Golden Gate Park

San Francisco, CA

November 9, 2015 by Paige Nelson 2 Comments

I was honored when Rachael and Sam asked me to photograph their Golden Gate Park wedding in San Francisco.

Rachael has been my best friend since elementary school and I am so happy she found her person in this world. If you’re around Sam and Rachael for five minutes, you can see why they belong together.

Sam and Rachael are both bookworms and die-hard Harry Potter fans. They chose Hellman Hollow in Golden Gate Park for their wedding because of the namesake to “Godric’s Hollow” in the books. Their wedding date is also the birthday of both J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter. Was it really an accident? 😉

Rehearsal in Hellman Hollow

A few days before the wedding, I arrived in San Francisco to explore and attend their rehearsal. The weather in Northern California is always so unpredictable. The wind chill crawled through your skin and stung your eyes to tears. We huddled in a circle to share our favorite memories of Sam and Rachael, in front of the giant tree they would exchange their vows. Then it was time for pizza to warm our bones.

Wedding Day in San Francisco

It was cold and drizzly the morning of the wedding, but it didn’t dampen any of our spirits. I spent time with Rachael and Sam in their separate rooms at the quirky Oceanview Motel as they prepared for the day. The anticipation got to them both. It was so sweet to see how nervous, and terribly excited, they were to see each other.

It was a truly unique experience to capture their special day as it unfolded in front of my lens. Congratulations you two! Your joy is contagious and I love you both to pieces!

Rachael & Sam’s San Francisco wedding is featured on H&H weddings. Check it out here.

Private First Look in Golden Gate Park

We picked a crooked, Roman-looking monument by a small pond for their first look. All the nerves and stress of the day disappeared after that small shoulder tap. You couldn’t wipe the smile off their faces after that if you tried.

Picnic-style Ceremony in Golden Gate Park

Everyone rolled out a blanket and found a seat in the grass before the ceremony began. The celebrations concluded with a fist pumps as they walked back down the aisle together.

Bottles popped and hugs were exchanged. In true picnic style, the reception consisted of dancing in the grass and lawn games. Classic Sam and Rachael.

Portraits at Land’s End & Sutro Bath Ruins

Rachael, Sam, and I took an Uber later that day for the last of their couple portraits at the Sutro Bath Ruins. It was foggy and cold, and we were exhausted, but it was so worth it. What a magical day.