Nate and Shelly are good friends of mine. In fact, if you’ve been following my blog, you’ll remember Nate’s name from my previous post about Kirby and Sam, as he was the primary photographer for their wedding.
Nate really wanted me to photograph his wedding this September (and even consulted me on a date that he knew I would be available) and, believe me, I really wanted to photograph him and Shelley too. But like Kirby and Sam’s wedding, here was another party where many good friends would be present and where I really did want to kick-back a little, enjoy a glass of wine (or two) and spend some time. So we came to a compromise: I would photograph the ceremony and their bride and groom portraits, but would hand the reigns over to someone else I trusted for family photos and the reception.
Thanks to Michelle McDaid, I was able to make this plan a reality. Although, relinquishing my camera is something I’m just not that great at, given I’ve been photographing weddings for more than a decade. But nothing ventured nothing gained. I was determined to do my thing and have a good time.
Our day began in downtown Sacramento where Nate had scoped-out some great spots for photos with his photographer’s eye. He and Shelley live not far from the city and so there were some locations they knew well. We started with a First Look at Old Ironsides (overlooked by curious eyes from the bar, sipping on pre-weekend pints.) Then we moved to the Fox & Goose pub, where Nate and Shelly would go regularly for breakfast when they were dating. Both establishments were very gracious in allowing us free reign, but the staff and manager at the Fox and Goose were particularly welcoming, inviting us back to their gorgeous private dining room for some shots.
Next we moved back to the Sacramento Yacht Club, where Nate has a moored boat, for the ceremony and reception. It was great to be by the water and it added a unique element of personalization to the day that I got to photograph Nate and Shelley beside their boat. Special kudos to our friends at Cocomont Staging and Camino Flower Shop for a fantastic job enhancing the nautical theme of the reception area with flowers, flags, seashells, anchors, and twinkly lights…not to mention that photo booth scene!
Beyond the joy of the locations, Shelly and Nate are so in love, their connection and energy is palpable. I never once had to ask them to kiss or touch or get close, which made them not only super easy to photograph but created authentic and romantic photos that you just can’t fake even with the best of direction. They’re so clearly loving and embracing this new chapter of their lives, together; for some people it just seems that another time around in love can bring wisdom and a deeper connection. This extends to their families too. Both have children of their own who are clearly overjoyed at their new, blended family and who spoke during toasts, leaving not a dry eye in the house.
As for me, I confess that, while I did indeed put down my camera, turning off my brain wasn’t as easy to do (even with an adult beverage in-hand.) It’s still so hard to switch gears mid-event. But I’m glad I did it anyway and had the opportunity to connect with good friends as a result.
Congratulations Nate and Shelly. You’re so lucky to have one another and this incredible relationship.
Photographed by Lisa Richmond and Michelle McDaid, Married by Renee Day, Flowers by Camino Flower Shop, Staging and Design by Cocomont
