year in review Archives

January 9, 2019 by Paige Nelson 2 Comments

2018 marked my fourth year as a full time wedding photographer. This year was full of hard lessons, soul searching, and a lot of obscure opportunities for personal and professional growth. I lost my footing a few times, but now I finally feel like maybe I found my stride.

Coming out of a jam-packed 2017, I intentionally strived to carry a lighter load. I traveled more for my couples than I ever have before and we often spent multiple days together as their wedding day stories unfolded. You took me up and down the coast of California, to the tropical waters of Puerto Vallarta, and across the Atlantic to Italian paradise, just to name a few of those magical places.

2018 at a glance

27 intimate weddings & elopements
15 engagement, couples & portrait sessions
21 flights & 12 road trips
4 states & 2 countries
15 National & State Parks

I can safely call 2018 the rollercoaster year of highs and lows. Right in the middle of my busiest season, we had to surprise move out of our house. Then, a few weeks after getting settled in our new place, we lost my grandmother to terminal cancer. And two months after that, I got engaged to the love of my life. I struggled to balance work life with my personal life and was dealt an incredible amount of self-doubt along the way.

New Year, New Goals

Maybe it’s cliche to make new year’s resolutions, but I love a fresh start. I have some big plans for 2019…especially when it comes to balance. Every year, I cut back on the amount of couples I work with so I can invest more of my heart into each one of you. The longer I do this, the stronger I believe that wedding days should be an intimate affair, not impersonal. That includes the experience your photographer gives you. After all, the words “spread thin” and “intimate” do not get along with each other very well.

For 2019, I’m limiting myself to 2 weddings per month and no longer taking big weddings (100+ guests). This has been on my heart for awhile, but I’ll be diving deeper into my niche of intimate wedding and elopements. To all of my couples who I’ve already booked with for your big day, please know I am over the moon to be there for you. You are some of the lucky last few to close this chapter with me.

Like last year’s round up, I decided to structure this post to celebrate the realness of a wedding day. The image sequence is similar to how an actual day would unfold…and just made the most sense to me. I love that it highlights our differences, but more importantly, captures our shared humanity. Thank you with my whole heart to everyone who made this year exactly what it was.

If you liked this post, check out my best of 2017 wedding round up here.

Year in Review

Best of 2017 Engagements, Anniversaries, & Couples

San Diego, CA & Beyond

January 12, 2018 by Paige Nelson Leave a Comment

Last year connected me with so many amazing couples in every season of their relationships together. A lot of you were celebrating a new engagement, others were honoring a marriage anniversary, and a handful more chose to document their togetherness just for the hell of it.

I think it’s important to remember the ordinary days in your relationship are just as important as the milestones. I’m hoping this post might convince you to make a new resolution for 2018. Celebrate love every day, without any reasons why. Don’t wait until you’re 10 years deep in it together to convince yourselves it’s finally a good time. Photos are one of the few keepsakes we have that increase in value as the years roll by.

2017 AT A GLANCE

34 intimate weddings & elopements
43 engagement, couples, & portrait sessions
9 flights & 5 road trips
4 states & 1 country
13 National & State Parks

It was a year of exploration! I traveled to Yosemite for the first time, romped around the cliffs of Big Sur, scaled mighty boulders in Joshua Tree, and trekked to Horseshoe Bend. If you love nature as much as I do, you know how special it is to travel with your best friend. But sometimes the best adventures can be right in your own backyard. If your most cherished place together is in the sanctity of your own home, I think that’s beautiful too.

Once again, my sincerest thank you to all of you who put your trust in me to capture these memories for you. Congratulations to everyone who tied the knot in 2017! And to my couples this year, I am STOKED to be there for you on your special day! We’re going to create magic!

If you’re fan of these year-end visual roundup posts, go check out my Best of 2017 Weddings & Elopements for more of my favorite images!

Year in Review

Best of 2017 Weddings

San Diego, CA & Beyond

January 9, 2018 by Paige Nelson Leave a Comment

Where did 2017 go? Here we are, one week into the new year already. 2017 was a tumultuous year, to say the least, and I think we are all relieved to close that chapter for a fresh start. I rode my own highs and lows, but going through these images reminded me of how much good and love there still is in this world, despite the ugliness that dominates the news.

This summer will mark three years of running my photography business full time. It took a huge leap of faith and overcoming a whole lot of self doubt to get to this point. Looking back at how far I’ve come since then is incredibly humbling and mind-blowing. I shot the most weddings and couples sessions of my career and traveled to some gorgeous places in the name of love. This year my work took me all along the California coastline, to the surreal red rocks of the Southwest, deep into the redwood forests, and across international borders to the sandy beaches of Mexico.

2017 at a glance

34 intimate weddings & elopements
43 engagement, couples & portrait sessions
9 flights & 5 road trips
4 states & 1 country
13 National & State Parks

I owe so much to the couples who trusted in me to document their special days. For all of you reading right now, thank you infinitely for allowing me into your lives to capture your love. Thank you for revealing your truest selves and valuing the art as much as this human behind the lens. Foraging new friendships and being a part of your story is the most rewarding part of wedding photography. There is something to learn from each one of you and every type of wedding day I’ve experienced has taught me how to be a better storyteller…and a better person. Without you, none of this would be possible.

My first cull of the archive left me with more than 300 photos…an accomplishment in itself but way too many for this post. As I went through them again, the photos that jumped out at me were those moments suspended in mid-air. Those fleeting, blink-and-its-over-kind-of moments rich with emotion, spontaneity, and silliness. To me, those are the most powerful images that trump even the most epic landscapes.

This is a collection of images that celebrate the realness of a wedding day. From early morning preparation to late night dance parties, I organized this post based on how an actual day would unfold. It highlights some of our differences, but more importantly, our shared humanity. Sit back, hit play, and enjoy. I would love if you shared your thoughts in the comments!