This is how I first met Nate and Lorabelle: at a wedding fair in January, there was a contest to see who could find a pair of diamond earrings hidden in a huge wedding cake. There was one cake for the brides and one cake for the grooms. Nate and Lorabelle BOTH found the diamond earrings in each of the cakes! I think it was a sign of how compatible they are and I was very excited to work with them. Their wedding reception was held in the newly renovated portion of the Wilbur D. May Museum and was truly beautiful complete with big windows, lots of greenery and a waterfall. I loved working with Nate and Lorabelle because they were a very relaxed couple. They both got ready at home and we did the first look pictures on their front porch. They weren't nervous or stressed because their wedding day truly was about them being united in marriage, everything beyond that was just for fun.
Watson Goss Wedding /
This was such a special day and it was so fun to photograph. I have known Alex for 8 years and it was wonderful to see her get married to a guy who is good enough to deserve her. The wedding took place in her father's backyard in Incline and it was one of the most beautiful backyard weddings I've been to. There were so many familiar faces, I knew almost everyone else that was working the wedding and I felt very honored to be a part of it. I look forward to what the future has in store for this already impressive couple!
Stiteler Wedding /
I have been so lucky to have taken photos of Casey's proposal to Jordan, their engagement photos and now their wedding photos. I've known them since college and it has been such a pleasure capturing every stage of their journey toward marriage. Casey and Jordan are such wonderful people and their wedding day ended up being equally as wonderful. It was a sunny day that gave us stunning light at sunset. Taking pictures of the Stitelers and their wedding party was so easy as everyone looked impeccable. Casey and Jordan have such an inspiring relationship. They are so kind to each other, so playful, and so very much in love. Congratulations you two!
Lots of wonderful people together to make this wedding amazing. Leah of La di Da Beauty on make up, Lindsey Pengelly of Salon Lux on hair, Chair 7 Films on videography, and Chad of Moonlight Mobile DJ.
Weston Wedding /
Anna and Brian's wedding day was a truly beautiful one. I love photographing at Idlewild Park because there is so much greenery and so many little nooks to take good pictures. The river was very low, but it allowed us to walk out onto the river rocks for some fun photos. The bridesmaids and groomsmen were all so much fun to photograph as they were willing to jump, stand on rocks and make silly faces. What made taking photos of this great group even easier is that they planned ahead and allowed lots of time for photos! Even though things were running late, we had plenty of time for photos, an essential thing if you want good pictures of your wedding day! But my favorite part of the day was probably the dad dance off where Brian's and Anna's dads strutted their stuff on the dance floor!
O'Brien Wedding /
I loved Travis and Danielle's wedding so much for so many different reasons. It was at the beautiful Lakeside Ranch, which is always fun to photograph. The groomsmen were so willing to pose for the fun and goofy photos and the bridesmaids all looked incredible with their hair and make up all professionally done. The wedding coordinator made sure we had plenty of time for pictures and the big dramatic clouds made for a great backdrop to our photos. I went to high school with these two, so I knew a bunch of people at the wedding which is always fun for me. But the best part about this wedding was Danielle and Travis themselves. They are some of the kindest, most positive and fun loving people I've ever met. They have been together for so many years and it is obvious that their relationship has lasted so long because it is built on their ability to have fun with each other, make each other laugh, and be each other's best friend.
Rees Wedding /
Katherine and Logan's wedding was truly an amazing day. Katherine looked STUNNING in her dress, her makeup, right up to the flowers in her hair. The bridesmaids and groomsmen were all so fun and so impeccably dressed, it was so much fun to photograph them. The ceremony, the toasts and the dances were all tear-filled, which was not surprising as Kat and Logan are such a sweet, prefect couple who have been together for so long and gone through so much together. So many people (family and vendors alike) came together to make this day so beautiful and special, it made taking beautiful pictures of everything so easy and so fun.
Otto Wedding /
Setha and Donny are such an incredibly welcoming couple. They invited me over to their house to take engagement photos at their beautiful property in Palomino Valley and I am so glad I photographed their 4th of July wedding, a first for me! The lavender at Lavender Ridge was in full bloom and the cloudy skies provided prefect lighting for pictures. It was very fun incorporating American flags into the photos, even more so because Donny and many other people in attendance are members of the armed forces. Sierra Pro Events did an awesome job DJing and MCing the evening. It was such a fun day, I'm so glad Setha and Donny found me just a couple of months and and asked me to capture this day!
Smith Wedding /
Taylor and Kevin's wedding day at one of my favorite venues, the Lakeside Ranch, was a whirlwind of weather! It was blazing hot leading up to the wedding and then right before the ceremony it started to pour rain. The rain cleared for the beautiful ceremony and later everyone was treated to a crazy lighting show. It ended with a beautiful sunset with big dramatic clouds. Taylor and Kevin put a lot of thought into creating a beautiful atmosphere at this lovely venue. They are the kind of people who are so friendly and make you feel so welcome, it was so fun to be a part of their special day!
Roelofs Wedding /
Dawn and Ben's wedding was the first one I booked for the 2015 season, so I have been looking forward to it for a long time and the day did not disappoint! It was a gorgeous day up at the Tannenbaum Events Center; the sun was shining and the venue was so green and lush. Dawn and Ben's 3 year old daughter Olivia was such a trooper as we took what probably felt like hundreds of photos to her! It is always so special when a child can be present at their parents' wedding. The Roelofs also utilized my "photo booth" service, which was a great way for them to create a photo guest book!
Baker Wedding /
Tom and Resa's wedding was like a woodland fairy tale. The green and gold colors with the fairy tale theme made for a truly magical evening in one of my favorite places in Reno, Galena Creek Park. Resa was beside herself with happiness, giggling during the pictures and the ceremony. The sweetest part was when Resa's son walked her down the aisle and gave her away. Almost half of the guests were kids, which added to the fun and overall whimsical feeling of the wedding.
Dugan Wedding /
I have known Chris since he was a little kid so I was very surprised when I first heard that he was getting married! But it really didn't seem so surprising after I met Kristy and saw what a deep connection they have. They are best friends who make each other laugh, enjoy biking and being active together, and generally bring out the very best in each other. It was so fun to be a part of their special day. I am so grateful to have been their photographer and even more grateful to be their friend.
Harris Wedding /
I've been excited for Melissa and Patrick's wedding since I first met with them. Mainly because they were so excited about their wedding, but also because it was Disney themed! It was a truly magical day, from the rainbow colored wedding party to the movie themed centerpieces to the cake that looked like Cinderella's castle. The wedding theme perfectly suited Melissa and Patrick as they are such a positive, kind and happy couple. I had some fun editing some special effects into the light saber photos. It was altogether a magical time!
Carroll Wedding /
For her speech, Jamie's maid of honor had asked Jamie and Casey what they loved most about each other. Casey said he loved how Jamie can light up any room by just walking into it. It was nice to hear Casey say this as it was something that I had been thinking all day. Jamie is such a funny, excited and positive person, it was such a pleasure spending the day around her. Casey and his groomsmen were also very fun to be around; their photo session was full of laughs and jokes. It's always so inspiring to photograph a couple who truly sees the best in each other and can make each other as happy as Jamie and Casey can.
Metzger Wedding /
My favorite thing about Morgan and John is that it is so obvious that they are best friends. They are not afraid to be silly and romantic with each other. They both have big, gorgeous smiles and there was not a moment the entire day when they were not making each other laugh and smile. Their wedding ceremony included Persian traditions that were beautiful and fun. It was a lively ceremony with lots of cheering and laughs. It was altogether a beautiful day, right down to the moments when the rain cleared and the sun came out as Morgan was walking down the aisle!
Venue: ArrowCreek Golf Club DJ: Jason "J-Beats" Bailey Flowers: Candlelight and Roses Makeup: La di Da Beauty
Watty Wedding /
I have known Shelby for several years and it has been so exciting watching her and Matt get so excited about planning this perfect wedding. I was lucky to be involved in the process by taking their engagement photos and Shelby's bridal shower photos. Shelby is one of the sweetest people I have every met. It seems no matter what happens, she is always looking on the bright side of things. Matt is a prefect gentleman and dotes on Shelby in every way that she deserves. The weather forecast for their wedding day was not promising, but as the day wore on the weather got better and better and they were able to have the outdoor ceremony they planned on. The Ritz-Carlton at Northstar was such a fun venue to photograph in and Justincredible DJ had so many fun dances and little games that made the reception so fun. It was altogether a wonderful day that Matt and Shelby greatly deserved.
Roberts Wedding /
Since the first meeting I had with them, Maria and Christian have been one of the most relaxed, easy-going couples I have every had the pleasure of working with. There was a rush on the wedding day to get everything in the stunning reception hall set up, but once everything was done and the big reveal was finished, everyone was back to being relaxed and blissfully happy! Maria and Christian are one of the couples you hear about in stories: high school sweet hearts that have been together for years and are so obviously perfect for each other. They were so sweet and kind to each other and both of their families were equally as sweet, it made my job so fun!
Crichton Wedding /
I have known Allie since middle school, so it was very exciting to see her get married and crazy to be photographing it! The wind prevented the ceremony from being held at the Squaw Valley High Camp, but I think the ceremony in the valley looking up at the mountains was even more beautiful. It was a tearful ceremony and Allie and Adam wrote their own vows, which I always love hearing. The girls were troopers as we took photos in the cold, they all looked wonderful. The reception was full of cute personal touches, it was obvious that Allie and Adam worked very had to make sure everyone enjoyed their special day!
Woodley Wedding /
With the beginning of Spring comes the beginning of wedding season! Cristal and Alex are some of the sweetest, kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of working for. I experienced a few photographic firsts with the Woodleys. We took their basketball themed engagement photos in Lawlor Events Center and on their wedding day we took photos of the entire wedding party under the Reno arch. Father Mike at Our Lady of the Snows was kind enough to ask me to take a picture of all the guests at the wedding ceremony and Sharon, the coordinator at Boomtown, made my job at the reception so much easier as she had everything scheduled down to the minute. There were so many fun traditions and dances at the reception that all the guests participated in. The Woodley’s wedding was so beautiful and fun, it has set the bar very high for the rest of my weddings this year!
Why I don't charge by the hour /
Every wedding photographer knows how long weddings usually last. Every. Single. One.
So why is it that some wedding photographers will charge you thousands of dollars for 4 hours of service (and only give you a limited number of photos in a limited number of forms, but we’ll talk about that later), and then charge you extra for every hour that they stay after that? Because they know that when the 4 hours are up and you haven’t even cut the cake or danced with your father or thrown the bouquet yet, of course you are going to want your photographer to stay. It’s your wedding day, everything looks so beautiful, all your family and friends are here and in that moment you don’t care what you have to pay, as long as everything gets captured.
Photographers know that and will exploit it to their advantage.
I don’t do that. I charge one flat fee and with that you know exactly what you’re getting, including my services from the time you are getting your makeup done to the time you make your grand exit and everything in between.
You should not have to think about what your vendors are doing on your wedding day. What if your caterer stopped making dinner half way through and said you needed to pay more for the rest of your guests to eat? What if your DJ stopped playing music before the party was over and said he’s gonna need a check to play any longer? These vendors have worked enough weddings to know exactly what is going to make your day easy and what is going to make them more money.
Personally, I don’t get it. Aside from what I feel is my duty to capture every special moment of your special day so that you can share those pictures with your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as a wedding vendor I get to be around some of the happiest people in the world on a daily basis. Who wouldn’t want to stay till the end of the party!