Premier Sonoma & Grass Valley Wedding Photographer Blog » wedding gown

Big Sur River Inn | Best Wedding Images

millcottage — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:27:51 +0000

Oh, baby… first of all, kudos to Kelly and Kevin for being the fastest couple this season to give me their album choices, which of course means that they will be sharing this lovely wedding album full of the best images from their Big Sur River Inn wedding during the holidays!! They definitely hit the jackpot in bonus images that I included in their book to really show off how incredible their wedding weekend was… The weekend went off with hardly a hitch, due to the attention to detail and creativity of their amazing wedding coordinator, Diane Allen of Elegant Events and Big Sur Weddings! Yowza, this woman is incredibly talented, full of amazing ideas, and knows everyone in the event industry in Big Sur, Carmel, and Monterey… If you are getting married in that area, give Diane a call and save yourself any headaches…

Next, Kelly’s florist, Christine Cater, laid the scene with just the right complement to the amazing atmosphere that is the Big Sur River Inn… I especially loved the “bling” she added to the bridal and bridesmaids’ bouquets.. awesome. Kelly and Kevin chose teal and purple as their wedding colors, and with the lush green river side location, everything was really just perfect! We spent the whole weekend with them, and everything was casual and relaxed, and we were able to really capture the event well. This is one of my favorite albums I have ever designed, and I can’t wait to hold it in my hands (and place it, ever so reluctantly, in Kelly’s hands!) Don’t worry, I will be ordering multiple copies… Diane and my friends at Big Sur River Inn, and I will have to fight over the rest! ;^P

San Francisco Wedding at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel | Becky & Mike teasers…

millcottage — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 06:20:24 +0000

I am having so much fun processing Becky and Mike’s elegant wedding at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco!! It was such a spectacular day of family, friends and fun that everyone enjoyed heartily!! Becky looked amazing in her custom made gown from Amy Kuschel Bridal Atelier, and Mike was a very handsome match in his tux!! Here are a few of my favorites from the wedding!! I love how Becky and her mom just beam at each other!!!

More to come soon!!

Ralston Hall Wedding | Lisa & Ruben

millcottage — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:43:26 +0000

When I first met Lisa & Ruben they had already booked me to photograph their July 2010 wedding at Ralston Hall… They graciously volunteered to model for a workshop I was teaching, and it was a very rainy day! They did a fantastic job modeling (not an easy task to be “relaxed” in front of so many pairs of eyes, not to mention the camera!) and I knew we’d have a great time together on their wedding day! The venue is spectacular, and Lisa & Ruben worked hard to make every detail magical! Their family and friends had a great time, and um, so did their photographers!! DJ Purple had karaoke in the house… and there were many memorable performances! Here are a few of my favorites from the day!

Sonoma Mission Inn Wedding | Beautiful day in the wine country Fairmont for a wedding!!

millcottage — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:13:24 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I had the great fortune of shooting this wedding with my great friendtographer, Shannon, of Shannon Stellmacher Photography, and it was an amazing day!!! The bride was supremely lovely, and every detail spoke of the couple’s relationship, and was beautifully crafted by their florist and coordinator. Simply put, this wedding belongs in a magazine, but it was real, I swear!! Thanks for letting me come along, Shannon! Shooting with you, and you with me, is a perfect combo… xoxo

Atherton Wedding Photographer | Backyard in the Family Home

millcottage — Sat, 08 May 2010 02:17:34 +0000

When I first spoke to Justin on the phone, I knew I wanted to be the wedding photographer he and his lovely bride, Eliza, chose to photograph their wedding! They were referred to me by my wonderful clients, Krista & Brett, who were married at Nestldown last August. They were in the same marriage prep class! Eliza’s mother grew up in the family home at which she and Justin planned to marry, and married Eliza’s dad in the same spot where the ceremony was to be held. Sadly, Eliza’s parents are no longer with us, so this was such a special tribute to them. Eliza placed special tributes around the wedding, and flowers to honor her parents. There were games, and a signature cocktail, the “CosmopoliJim” that let us know about the special people they were.

Eliza gets ready

invitation, rings and chairs

Eliza's tribute to her parents

Both Eliza and Justin are the kind of people everyone wants their kids to grow up to be… smart, funny, lovely, and with a passion for helping others and fighting for social justice. They are very cherished by their friends and family, and had a record 18 people in their wedding party, which just shows how much they are loved!

Backyard Atherton Wedding | Justin and Eliza Smith

Silverado Country Club Wedding | Napa Wedding Photographer

millcottage — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:12:07 +0000

First wedding of 2010, and what a day it was! We kept having to remind ourselves that it was January! Beautiful sunny skies with white puffy clouds, temps in the 60′s, and a beautiful wedding venue, The Silverado Country Club! Got to shoot with my dear friend, Jill Doherty, whose work you’ll find featured on the cover of their wedding information brochure (way to go Jill!) Just as I promised in my blog post about film for wedding photography, I brought along my Holga, and took some shots of the bride’s beautiful dress… It’s hard to ration myself to one or two shots per photo shoot…

The stunning bride Io was absolutely sweet and wonderful, and the strong love between her and Tim kept us all warm and fuzzy! Her impeccable taste was evident in every wedding detail, and when Jill pulled the wrapping off her wedding gown we both gasped… WOW – there could have been no more perfect dress for this lovely lady! Thanks to Jill for having me along, and all the best wishes for only happiness in the future for Io and Tim!

Shoes and rings and bling, oh MY!

bride Io on the stairs before her Napa Valley Wedding

Perfect Dream wedding dress!

Stolen Kisses on a beautiful Napa wedding day

So much love with these two...

San Francisco Bridal Photography – Bridal Jewelry Fashion Shoot

millcottage — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:39:53 +0000

A few more from the bridal fashion shoot in San Francisco… One blog post is not enough for these images… there were so many different looks created by Armando Sarabia of Get Your DO Up and so much jewelry styled by Carrie D. Mader that picking a few favorites is impossible! PS… being sick sucks… I want to feel all better so I can finish processing all these images!

Stephanie models bridal jewelry by Carrie D Mader

Sunshine loving Allie in "The Cornelia" from Carrie D. Mader

Simply Gorgeous - Hair & Makeup by Armando Sarabia

San Francisco Wedding Photographer – My afternoon at Amy Kuschel Bridal Salon!

millcottage — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:41:00 +0000

When my friend Carrie of Carrie D. Mader Designs dropped me a note through facebook that she was having a trunk show at the amazingly beautiful Salon of internationally known bridal gown designer Amy Kuschel, I couldn’t resist dropping in with my camera bag in tow… on the 5th Floor of a historic San Francisco building bathed in rays of afternoon window light, I had such a great time capturing a few images that showcased some of Amy’s amazing wedding dress designs and Carrie’s incredible bridal jewelry (which like all great marriages is a match made in heaven!) Thanks so much to Amy for letting us borrow her fabulous consultants for a couple of these phenomenal shots! Ladies, this salon is a calm, spacious heavenly spot to shop for your wedding gown, and even have the chance to be fitted by the designer herself. Highly recommend it to anyone you know who is getting married! You will indeed feel like a princess, and these gowns are amazing, not to mention the service from the sweetest and most knowledgeable bridal consultants who graciously modeled for us! Gowns from top to bottom: Hepburn, Muse & Margherita