Lake Tahoe Engagement Photographer

Working with a couple through their engagement is one of the things I like best about wedding photography!  You get to know the couple so much better when you have those extra few months of chatting, photographing, planning, and just shooting the breeze.  Jessi and Peter booked me to photograph their wedding at Windwalker Vineyards this fall, but before that we snuck in a sweet little engagement session to get these two some pre-wedding practice (and a gallery of great images to include in their wedding, too).  With smiles like Jessi and Peter have, it was no struggle teasing out some great…

Ellee and Jonathan – what a couple!  This was not our first wedding with a full-scale Jenga set, but it definitely was the first where the Jenga did double-duty as a guest book!  It was so cool to see how these two incorporated their love of games and good times into their wedding, giving their guests an opportunity to leave a lasting memory on each of the wooden blocks.  But the individual touches didn’t stop there: hand-wrapped car cans with sentimental sayings hung in the lounge, a birch tree bedecked with Marvel Comic heroes directed guests to their seats in the ball room, and…

It’s no secret that fall in the Placerville mountains is breathtaking.  No wonder Megan and Brandon chose a crisp November afternoon for their engagement session!  I got acquainted with these two when they booked their wedding for Wedgewood David Girard Vineyards.  Sunflower Field, a sister company, is privileged to be a preferred vendor for this gorgeous wine country venue, and even more flattered that Megan and Brandon chose us to document their special day.  Megan said they really connected with the emotion in our work, and if their engagement session is any indication, their wedding will definitely have all the feels. 🙂 Self-professed…

Chelsea and Chava celebrated their wedding on a sunny summer day in August at the Wedgewood Sequoia Mansion – and what a celebration it was!  Between the handmade, personal touches (s’mores trail mix!) and the enthusiastic mariachi band, this was a wedding that was guaranteed to make you smile.  Of course, a bride and groom as completely in love as Chelsea and Chava are doesn’t hurt matters, either!  Chava kept us laughing with his joking ways, and Chelsea’s bridesmaids (who also happened to be her sisters!) kept things light and fun for the bride. Chelsea and Chava shared their how-we-met story…

Late summer in the middle of a four year drought and Elaina and Henry’s wedding day was blessed with summer rain, just as my own had been. The difference for Elaina and Henry was the fabulous undercover arches that David Girard Vineyards has and that provided the perfect plan-B ceremony site. That and the cloud cover that came to filter the sun and create beautiful light that we more-than took advantage of during out time together. I loved Elaina’s father’s speech during the reception which was superbly delivered and very moving. Another beautiful touch was that her dad orchestrated a…

We all got together just a couple weeks prior to Mikal and Michelle’s Forest House Lodge wedding to have some fun on a beautiful property in Placerville. Michelle is also a photographer and as I have said in the past, it is always a little intimidating to not only have been chosen by another photographer to shoot their wedding (i.e., one of the most important days of their lives), but then to actually do it! This session was a good way for all of us to loosen up with each other and just be creative and have fun. Super easy…

Jen and Dave are getting married in August, with a weekend long celebration at the American River Resort in Coloma. And, as you can see, they enjoy kayaking. Living in the Sierra there are so many beautiful slopes to ski, trails to hike, and lakes to explore. I just love it when I run into couples like Jen and Dave who enjoy outdoor adventure as much as I do and want to incorporate that into their session; it’s the perfect blending of my two passions plus it makes their session so much more unique and personal. The “Just Engaged” signs…

I woke up for a sunrise shoot for Amy and Ryan. Just sayin’. If you know me, this is rare. I am a night owl. I shoot the late afternoon light as much as I can. Since Amy and Ryan are a couple who are game for anything- I was too! This was the final of three Tahoe shoots I had that weekend and a great way to start the day(along with the cup of coffee I started the hike with:)  Since I usually shoot in the evening- it was bizarre to have the light increase as we went along…