A-WEDDING LOCATIONS- Mountains

This was just one of those weddings. I got a call from Sara about two weeks before the day they planned to marry. We talked extensively about their individual stories and their together stories and the meaning and love surrounding this day. They wanted beautiful photographs captured of their union and wow, what a day it was! Let me be clear, I am a photographer, not a writer. Sara, on the other had- words seem to flow for her, so I’ll keep this brief and let the images do the story telling. What started as a courthouse wedding in Placerville…

Cara and Justin were engaged for over three years having met on Match.com.  With family ties to Lake Tahoe, they wanted to be married on the shore of the lake and chose Lakeside Beach in South Lake. Their reception was just up the road at South of North Brewing Company/Basecamp Hotel which was the first time I had been there. It was a cool venue that was sectioned off for the wedding and the bride and groom seating was right in front of a vintage Airstream. I loved that this brewery was just off the beaten path of a very…

  A gorgeous day, drenched in sunlight and palpable joy, with blue skies overhead and snow on the mountains – it was a perfect Tahoe day to celebrate the marriage of Matt and Madison! M & M first contacted me in January 2020 about their April 2021 wedding…and I bet you can guess how that went. 2020 turned into 2021 that turned into 2022. They both wanted a celebration surrounded by their closest friends and family…and a big ol’ dance party. They would have to wait. During this time they were living in Reno where they had first met at…

Nikki and Laura Sherley booked with me back in June 2019. They connected with my work and after a great phone call where we all connected with each other, I got to be a part of the Forever Shenanigans plan. With their wedding coming up in June 2020, we decided to meet up in February 2020 in Placerville, Nikki’s hometown and close to where I live, too. We spent some time getting to know each other over margaritas, and I got to learn more about what was important to them. Then, all (covid) hell broke loose just a few weeks…

Briana and Danny came ready to party! Taking over an entire mountain-top resort in the incredible Bear Valley, California, this fun-loving couple, their friends and family, started the celebrations the night before we arrived but that didn’t stop the festivities on their big day. The whole day was nothing short of joyful with many unique and personal moments, starting with a unique and heartwarming first-look for Briana, not with Danny, but with her grandparents. It was hard not to have tears in your eyes as they saw Briana in her dress for the first time, or when they walked her…

On July 27, Eric and Jody celebrated their marriage at Strawberry Lodge in Kyburz.(read the history of the Lodge here). Nestled in the mountains at 5700ft., their unique celebration, complete with a castle hand built by Eric, brought together many of their dear friends and family while also expanding their own family to now include their three sons, Weston, Brian and Lucas.  Eric and Jody’s met on a blind date set up by one of Jody’s students… AND the student’s father is Eric’s friend of over 20 years. Don’t you just love that? With Jody’s warm and engaging smile and Eric’s…

Mary Lou, the mother of bride Kaitlyn, contacted me a couple weeks prior to her daughter’s marriage to Chaz expressing that she really wanted to make sure her daughter had some beautiful wedding photographs. I hear this alot especially from people who perhaps didn’t have their own wedding documented or even in a way that they were happy with. It’s a one chance event- you don’t get to do it again and with the unfortunate trend leaning to “Uncle Bob” (with a really great iphone, btw), some folks WANT to get it right. I don’t mind the pressure, in fact…

  Resting or just grabbing another angle? Only I know….., thanks Michelle McDaid

May in Tahoe and the weather forecast was uncertain. Snow had just fallen on the mountain peaks and the wind was, shall we say, brisk. On Friday, gray clouds crested over the hill and the outlook on my assistant’s weather app was for rain right at the moment we were due to be standing in the middle of Squaw Valley’s famous meadow with our bride and groom. We checked our umbrella inventory and made contingency plans.