You’ve got to love a family that stops dead in their tracks to watch a sunset. Don’s mother coined the term “beauty alert” to signal such sightings to her clan. Well, even though a breathtaking sunset did indeed make an appearance on Rachel and Don’s wedding day, there was no shortage of other “beauty alerts” to make this event special. For instance, I simply adored the centerpieces. The tables were set in that lush, overabundant way that I just love. Camille Panzarello of Modern Day Design mixed in herbs, succulents, even vegetables to create arrangements that felt homey, chic and very Californian. Speaking of California, bottles of local olive oil bearing hand numbered placards delineated each table. Too cute! The Dawn Peters, of Decadence Fine Cakes & Confections creation was so lovely in its simplicity. It was the perfect backdrop for more colorful blooms. And what do you think of that olive bar? In all the years we’ve been photographing weddings, I’ve never seen anything like it. What could be more perfect for a wedding set in Los Olivos?
Rachel and Don, Larry and I had such a wonderful time photographing your wedding. You and your families could not have been more welcoming and gracious. We hope we came close to capturing your beautiful day.
And to the Carlson clan (and that includes the newest Mrs. Carlson, of course) this last photo is just for you.
Rachel and Don’s lovely wedding at the Figueroa Mountain Farmhouse in Los Olivos was over brimming with charming details. I especially loved the hand painted signs pointing to the “watering hole” and ceremony site.
Rachel and Don had their guests’ comfort utmost in mind as was evident by the parasols provided to shade them in the heat of day and cozy pashminas to warm them by night.
Every little element was picture perfect. Don is a biking enthusiast so escort cards were affixed to vintage bicycle wheels. Not only was that presentation meaningful to the couple, but it fit in beautifully with the rustic setting.
I also thought the colorful, over sized polka-dot table coverings brought the perfect touch of whimsy and were the perfect foil for iced tea filled mason jars.
Camille Panzarello of Modern Day Design, created stunning floral arrangements and bouquets. Not only were they lush but incredibly fragrant as well. The simple lavender sheaf the mothers carried were as elegant as the women they were designed for.
I have lots more to show you of this beautiful event, like a most unusual bar and gorgeous tablescapes, so be sure to come back tomorrow!
I think it’s so smart of our clients to hire us to photograph their rehearsal dinners. Not only will they have wonderful images to remember the night by, but most importantly, it gives everyone a chance to get to know each other.
More than any other vendor, the photographer will have the most one on one contact with not only the bride and groom but with their families and bridal party during the course of the wedding day. By having us all meet before hand in such a relaxed environment, all photo jitters are cast away. Also, for us photographers, it’s helpful to get a “lay of the land” and observe family dynamics. Plus, did I mention how much fun rehearsal dinners are to shoot?
This one was especially so. First of all, it was set in one of our all time favorite venues, Figueroa Mountain Farmhouse. This place makes for a stunning backdrop no matter what the occasion.
Of course, we couldn’t resist the urge to pull Rachel and Don aside for a few minutes to do some romantic shots. That gorgeous golden light was calling to us and we had to make the most of it.
Soon, they were back to their party enjoying a delicious meal and discovering everyone’s “Blues Name”. Have you heard of this game? Find the first letter of your first, middle and last name on the chart and ta-da, you too will have a really cool blues name. You can call me Happy Gumbo Jones!
I’ll be posting lots of images from Rachel and Don’s gorgeous wedding tomorrow so please come on back.
I’m in the middle of editing a lovely wedding we recently photographed and had to share this, my favorite shot so far.
It’s so much fun looking through all the images and discovering little gems like this one. What’s so great about being a wedding photographer is that each day brings not only its own set of challenges but lots of rewards.
I’ll be posting more from this truly beautiful event soon so stay tuned!
We had been looking forward to meeting Jack for quite a while. Our services were given as a gift to Miki, Jack’s mom, when he was born so we were really excited to finally get him in front of our cameras.
Miki wanted to do the session at a beach near their house which I thought was very sweet. We love it when our clients choose locations that are special to them. Having Jack’s grandmother there too made the session even more fun.
As soon as Jack saw the ocean, he was off like a shot. I’ve never met a more fearless little boy! When he wasn’t making sand pies, he was running straight into the waves. He had all of us running around like whirling Dervishes. Pretty soon, we were all as covered in sand as he was.
Taking the time to gather family and having pictures taken is such an important and worth-while thing to do. Time passes so quickly and these idyllic moments are so fleeting.
If any of you reading this are interested in gifting a photo session for the holidays, mention this post and you’ll receive a free handmade accordion folio. Whether you give it to your recipient or keep it for yourself, is totally up to you. 😉
We had the pleasure of being asked to travel to Seattle recently to photograph three generations of the Barizo, Schultz clan.
It was an incredibly warm, beautiful day and everyone was in great spirits. The shoot took place in a lovely neighborhood park where a lush forest overlooked a sandy beach. (Only in Seattle, right?) Layni and her little brother Logan kept everyone entertained (and us on our feet) by busting out into some spontaneous dancing while their mom and dad did a little canoodling under a redwood tree.
I could go on and on describing this really fun photo session but the video below will do a much better job illustrating the day. Hope you like it and that you’ll spend a little time enjoying these last days of summer with your family!
As true artists, Isabel Gomes & Lawrence Gund capture the underlying beauty of life, love, family and friends. Using a wide range of cameras, artistic techniques and real film to capture your loved ones, your photographs will hold the timelessness of your love for one another.
