The flowers are ready. The dress is hanging where it should be. Someone is looking for a missing pair of earrings, someone else is checking the time, and there is usually at least one person who has decided that the timeline needs to be checked one more time.
And then there is the bride.
Waiting.
For her, there was an extra 45 minutes of it.
Her aunt's tire had blown out on the way to the ceremony, so the day had to pause while everyone waited for one more important person to arrive.
It could have felt like a problem.
Instead, there was simply more time.
More time with family. More time for photographs. More time to wander up toward the hills and take in the view. More time for all those little conversations that happen when people who have known each other forever are gathered together for something important.
And, perhaps most of all, more time for the nerves to settle.
Because she was nervous.
Not the kind of nervous that makes someone disappear into themselves, but the very real kind that comes when you know that something you've imagined for a long time is suddenly only minutes away.
Soon, there would be a first look.
Soon, everyone would see her.
Soon, she would walk toward the person waiting for her.
But first there was this quieter part of the day—the part where a bride gets to be with the people who brought her here.
There is something particularly meaningful about a wedding when it is the last of four daughters.
The family has done this before. They've helped with dresses and flowers and timelines. They've stood in the same nervous rooms and taken the same family photographs and watched another daughter become a wife.
But this time, it was the last one.
There wouldn't be another sister's wedding after this.
So there were photographs to make. Family combinations to gather. A few minutes on the hilltop. A little more laughter than the schedule probably called for.
And eventually, the waiting was over.
The aunt arrived.
The ceremony could begin.
The rest of the day moved along in the familiar rhythm of a wedding: family portraits, friends gathering close, congratulations, a few stolen minutes together, and eventually the part where everyone stops worrying about the schedule and simply enjoys being there.
That's one of the things I love about photographing weddings.
So much of the day is made up of things that aren't really on the official timeline.
A mother fixing something that doesn't need fixing.
A sister making someone laugh when she's nervous.
Friends who haven't seen each other in years finding one another again.
Parents watching their child step into a life that is suddenly a little different from the one they've always known.
And in between all of that are the details—the shoes, the paper, the flowers, the dress, the little things that seemed important that morning and will become unexpectedly precious years from now.
Looking back, I don't think anyone will remember the 45-minute delay as an inconvenience.
They'll remember that everyone eventually made it.
They'll remember the hills.
They'll remember the flowers.
They'll remember how nervous she was before the first look.
And they'll remember that, for one beautiful day, all four daughters had made it to the other side of their weddings—and this was the last one.
That feels worth remembering.
Fallbrook Wedding Photography
Fallbrook has always felt like such a beautiful setting for this kind of celebration—rolling hills, warm California light and those little pockets of quiet that make room for photographs that feel personal rather than overly posed.
For couples planning a wedding in Fallbrook or throughout North San Diego County, those surroundings become part of the story, too.
And sometimes, if you're lucky, the timeline gives you an extra 45 minutes to enjoy them, and a photographer who still gets you to the party on time.
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We squeaked in the photoshoot before a rain storm blew in.
This wonderful family has such a cheerful disposition and hospitable personalities. And what a bunch of easy smiling kiddos! :)
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The First Sighting
Waiting to walk down the isle.
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What more could a photographer ask for? Maybe a few less Stinging Nettles... otherwise it was a dream!
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This young lady certainly makes beautiful look easy. Her flawless complexion and cherry red lipstick couldn't be more flattering.
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With a little one coming at the beginning of April we decided to spice up my second trimester with a trip overseas.
Starting in Budapest, Hungary in late November.
The fisherman's Bastion was one of our favorite places!
The Chain Bridge (above) is one of the most iconic sights along the Danube.
Next we visited Bratislava's St. Michael's church, Slovakia.
Our absolute favorite little town is Durnstein, Austria. Population 900. :)
I don't think that the cobblestone streets could get anymore quaint if they tried. :)
Salzburg, Austria was hazy and grey but the weather lent itself to a romantic day full of warm drinks and a long walk.
Finally, one of our last stops was in Regensburg, Germany. The stain glass windows in St. Peter's Cathedral were original to the building and were the most stunning pieces of art that we saw along our journey.
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Old Poway Park is known for it's train tracks and rustic buildings but both the photo above and below were taken there.
Grape Day Park in Escondido was the location for the Above Photo.
Old Poway Park's bridge just peaks into the corner and was the location for the Above Photo.
Oceanside Pier was the location for the Above Photo.
This lovely photo was taken in an surprising private location during the golden hour (the last two hours before sunset) It could have been taken in a backyard because those yellow Lantanas behind the subject are a beautiful and common feature around North San Diego County.
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Enjoy!
This post is a little glimpse from our personal like. Our little guy has turned two! I can't believe he has gotten so big already!
A note on the photos- I really don't edit personal photos too much so these are straight off the camera.
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Beautiful Family Photos on Carlsbad Beach. Golden hour, great outfit coordination, and beautiful smiles all around made this an easy photo shoot with some timeless family photos.
In the middle of the edit &After:
Also... my garden is booming this year! :)
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The icing on their flavorful day was their really creative First Couple's Dance. Check out the wedding video below to fully appreciate this wonderful wedding.
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The bride and groom were equally colorful and exciting on this truly beautiful wedding day.
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The biggest challenge was the very direct sunlight. You can see here that I back-lit the couple and then used a flash to fill in their faces so that way the background wouldn't be completely blown out.
Above Left: For some of the images it took several tries to get the exposure just right. Here we used a sun shade diffuser over their faces and we turned off the flash. You can see that it left some beautiful shadows on the left side of their faces. You can see that the smile on our gentleman's face has faded a bit as I have tweaked the settings for about a minute of time here. Although I rehearsed the settings, turning the flash on and off and readjusting the aperture takes time and can leave the client with a faded facial expression.
Above Right: Here is the same pose with the diffuser but a flash fill to make the background less blown-out. You can see that when the flash is used there is typically shine issues on the subject's face. (Especially on warm days)
In these next two photos you can see an example of how some post-production color editing can really change the mood of the photos. We call the coloring on the left our classic and the coloring on the right a warm vintage. The reason for the left one being classic is because that is much closer to how it looking on the camera or in the original state compared to the right photograph.
For these two we took them out of the sunshine and into the shade under the pier. Some of the difficulties here included the very blown out background (from the sun vs shade exposure) and the many lines made from the support beams. One of the reasons I love putting my subjects in the shade is because of the effect it has on their eyes.
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One of the other challenges from this shoot was the windy-messy-hair. The photo on the left was really a beautiful pose for their bodies, I love the exposure of the background, and the light in their eyes make it a keeper in my book. The downside to this photograph is that she will probably never really be happy with it because her hair is flying around.
The photo on the right demonstrates a posing problem I had with them on the uneven rocks. I turned my female to help the wind blow with the part and to have the guy block some of the wind but when I placed him on that side of the rock the pose took a forward lean. Meanwhile I was clamoring over the big slippery rocks hoping that I wouldn't lose the camera in a moment of unsteadiness. :)
Although this shoot had its share of natural challenges, I had a wonderful couple to work with, a great partner to offer me a hand while I climbed over the rocks, and some really beautiful moments captured on camera. Overall I would call it a successful day!
What do you think? I'd love some feedback!
A dozen beautiful outfits, perfect hair and makeup, an ideal rustic setting= over 1400 beautiful photos that are really difficult to narrow down.
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… a dreamy table setting in the woods.
An old-fashioned swing calling your name.
Dinner in an orange grove.
A picnic for two (complete with rubber boots for sea glassing!)
Lanterns in a sheltered nook; the scent of wood smoke.
Just Be You
1. Be Yourself. Don’t try to look or be anything other than yourself. If you are self-conscious about a certain thing and it manifests itself physically, it will ultimately come through in the photography … Be your best self and you can ensure that the photos will indeed portray you as your best self. Jonathan Canlas, Canlas Photography
2. Relax. We’re often our worst critics when it comes to pictures. Remember that you want to be seen the way others see you too. While you want flattering photos, you want to make sure that it still looks like you in the pictures. Shane Snider, Shane Snider Photography
3. Laugh! It’s flattering on everyone. Melissa McClure, Melissa McClure Photography
4. Think about the moment. Capturing the romance of the day, the emotion, excitement & intimacy is what it’s all about. Don’t look at your photographer, look at your new spouse and savor it all. Your photographs will be amazing & true. Kate Harrison, Kate Harrison Photography
5. Forget the camera is there and try your best to be playful and warm. Sarah Rhoads, Sarah Rhoads Photographers
6. Have an engagement session. This is so valuable for client and photographer. The clients have an opportunity to relax and be in front of the camera and the photographer can get to know his or her clients. By the time I am at the wedding we are friends and this makes everyone more relaxed! Susan Adler, Susan Adler Photography
Get the Look
7. Practice in the mirror! Study your face and figure out the best smile (or maybe you like your serious face better) and angle for you. Melissa McClure, Melissa McClure Photography
8. Be comfortable. For engagement and portrait shoots, wear clothing that is flattering, but comfortable too! If your 6 inch stilettos are hurting your feet, it will show in your face! Melissa McClure, Melissa McClure Photography
9. Keep makeup and eyelashes normal and classic. Steve Dohring, Photographer
10. Mind the lens. Try to not allow one part of your body to be closer to the lens because it will make that part appear larger than the rest of your body. Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
11. Get in position. To make your neck look more elongated, drop your shoulders and raise your chin. Imagine that you are being pulled by a string from the top of your head. Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
12. Be prepared. If you are prone to have flyaways or random frizzies in your hair, have a toothbrush with hairspray on standby! One squirt and swoop will tame most frizzies and help your hair look super smooth for pictures. Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
13. Have white chalk handy. White chalk hides stains on wedding gowns. If you are worried about grass stains, general dirt or in case there is a spill on your wedding day, make sure to have some on hand! It works in a jiffy and no one will know but you! Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
14. Dab. If you are planning on getting married in the summer and want outdoor photos, oil dabbing strips are a MUST HAVE! Make sure the groom has a hanky too. Sweaty photos are not pretty! Corey Balazowich,Corey Ann Photography
Strike a Pose
15. Not head on. To look thinner, keep your shoulder to the camera and avoid facing the camera straight on. Hide behind the groom a bit or tuck into his armpit to slim yourself down. Steve Dohring, Photographer
16. Don’t look down. To avoid a double chin, have the photographer shoot from above the eye/face level. Tilt the head a bit sideways to hide the chin and have the photographer avoid shooting from the side. (I also remove as much of the double chin as possible in editing with Photoshop.) Henry Chen, Henry Chen Photography
17. Hand on hip. Every girl feels insecure about her bare arms in a strapless dress. The remedy? Instead of the arm laying flat against the torso and making it look wider, simply toss the hand on the hip. It will make the arm much more toned looking. Sarah Rhoads, Sarah Rhoads Photographers
18. Angle yourself. Balance your weight on your back foot and cross the other foot in front of the other in a T fashion. Pop a hip towards the camera but at an angle. This is universally appealing and slimming, especially when combined with hands on the hips. Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
See the Light
19. Natural light is your friend! Getting ready in a room with windows makes for great pictures. Not only is the light beautiful, it is also flattering and makes your skin look amazing. Opening the shades whenever you can will add a lot to the pictures in any situation. Will and Lauren Aves, Aves Photographic Design
20. Make sure your reception is well-lit. The best wedding receptions seen in magazines have lighting covering the dance floor and on the cakes and table arrangements. Consider hiring a lighting company to light your reception or ask the venue/band/DJ to light your reception for you. The pictures will be amazing and you won’t regret it! Will and Lauren Aves, Aves Photographic Design
21. Don’t let it get TOO dark during dancing. DJs and bands love a dark dance floor to entice people to get loose. Photographers, of course, want this too and want to get fun dance shots of the crowd, but we need a little light to focus on people. Ask the venue ahead of time not to turn off the lights entirely. Also, during your first dance, have spotlights! Will and Lauren Aves, Aves Photographic Design
22. Use spotlights. If you are planning a candlelight ceremony, be sure to have a spotlight shining on the area where you will be saying your vows. Will and Lauren Aves, Aves Photographic Design
23. Prevent the squinty look. If the sun is really bright, close your eyes and ask your photographer to let you know when s/he is going to take the picture. Open them when s/he tells you and that will eliminate the ‘squinty’ look. This also works if you typically wear glasses and do not want to wear them for portraits. Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
Love Yourself
24. Love yourself. After photographing hundreds of brides I can tell you that every single bride is beautiful on this day, regardless if they consider themselves plain, overweight etc. The transformation is always astounding. Accept it, believe it and be confident the camera will see it.Steve Dohring, Photographer
25. Be happy. Happiness is beauty! Susan Adler, Susan Adler Photography
Photos: Amanda and Phil, Geoff White Photographers
It was such a joy to take Kristin's photos.
