Fresh Wedding Ideas

A list of wedding ideas someone should do and then hire me to shoot:

1. Get married on an airplane Imagine all of your friends and family flying to an exotic location to celebrate the marriage that took place while flying with your “head in the clouds”…or “floating on air”…a walk down the aisle, bridesmaids and groomsmen dressed in the likeness of 1960’s flight attendants….AND completely unique & amazing photographs. Think about it.

2. Wear something huge on your head A hat perhaps. A HUGE flower. A big collection of fabric and lace and twine and netting piled high. I have the need to shoot head décor.

3. A casually dressed wedding …and by casual I mean jeans & tee shirts. Why do you have to wear a wedding dress and a tux? You don’t. Wear something more you…but maybe not a bathrobe. Maybe get married sitting in the back of a open bed truck driving somewhere fast.

4. A traditional Luau complete w/ an underground pig roasting…and lau lau and poi and lomi lomi AND a ukulele.

5. Elope And have me there to document so your family and friends aren’t that mad. The two of you, an officiator and me. I’m thinking a huge field under a big beautiful tree. Somewhere vast and open. So romantic. Make it all about the commitment between the two of you and no one else. Maybe pack a picnic dinner to eat after…complete with all of your favorite cheeses and fruits. Dream.

6. Poolside Wedding Everyone in swimming suits (OK fine you can wear a cover up). Bride and Groom get married and then everyone goes for a swim. Big sunglasses, flarey light, laying on your lawn chair being served daiquiris and bite sized eats. Great music. Great party, don’t you think?

7. Get married on the subway in NYC during rush hour!! Body to body vows. Think about the amazing variety of people that would witness. I love the feeling of strangers all in it together. Start your marriage with the world cheering you on.

8. Get married in the first place you met. Go back and commemorate fate (or destiny, or timing or any other blessed force) that brought the two of you into each others lives.

9. Get married under the cherry blossoms in Japan. Preferably during the first two weeks in April. Breathtaking.

10. Celebrate in a way that means something to you. Don’t be afraid to be different. Make it match the meaning behind the act.

Leather Craftsmen Custom Books

Leather Craftsmen is one of my favorite bookbinding companies.

This is the 10x10 high end album I offer wedding clients but I think it would also be a nice book to fill with family or vacation memories.

I just love the simplicity and timelessness it has.

I prefer to lay the images out on the pages in a way that doesn't detract from the subject....no crazy overlapping collages in this house.

Let me know if you want one. I can hook you up.

(This custom book was designed for these folks. Loved this wedding)

Featured on La Belle Bride

Haylie and Ross's super awesome wedding was featured on La Belle Bride yesterday. Thank you so much for sharing my work and spreading Parisan love around.

Check out La Belle Bride for this and other wedding inspiration.

(PS. Having too good of a time in Vancouver. Follow me on twitter for updates....and to find out how much I am eating and how many muscles I am shooting. Excited to share the images and stories when I return).

Kate + Jake

Happy marriage to my sister Kate and my dashing new brother, Jake.

I am in love with them.

I am in love her laugh.

Editing through these images, I was so happy for them it was hard for tears not to well up every time I saw her huge open mouth.

See that really tall dad in the family photo? That tall Dad was missing at my wedding. See our other sister? Nope you don't. She was missing at this one. Can't we go back about 15yrs to when we were all living together and avoiding dishes under the counter? Please?

(Remember tonight at midnight is the cut off to enter the Seattle giveaway. I will be announcing the winner tomorrow morning. I'm secretly hoping everyone wins.)

Published in Real Simple Weddings

Real Simple Weddings 2010 featured Lisa and Rodney's August wedding. I was thrilled to be contacted by them and chosen to be in this amazing publication. One of the best parts is the issue is out for an entire year! Thank you Real Simple for featuring my work and thank you to Lisa and Rodney for inviting me to be a part of their wedding celebration.

(Amazing details are huge reason images get published and I owe thanks to Lisa and her wedding crew for the genius behind those details, Aubrey Messick- Flowers and Shauna Lewis- Planner.)

Kate & Jake Get Married

Here are a couple shots of the big day..

It was an interesting challenge to be the big sister AND the photographer. I think we found a balance....I just loved being around for every moment. Grant and I loved all of the time we got to have with just the two of you on such a memorable day. One of the best parts was de-thawing ourselves in the car on the way to the dinner. You two were champs in the cold.

More wedding story to come. xo.

Lindsey & Brad's Wedding



















































Congratulations you two! How fun to get married right before the holidays and get to celebrate Christmas and New Year's as newly weds..and then start the new year with so much excitement and newness. I am so happy for you.

Ceremony- Newport Beach Temple
Reception- Sea Cliff Country Club, Huntington Beach
Flowers- Aubrey Messick

Kevin & Emily's Wedding




































This wedding was in mid November, but doesn't it look like an October wedding? I was happy there was still orange leaves on the trees.

I have shot my fair share of weddings at the Salt Lake Temple, and I love challenging myself to take a new couple and try and give them something unique but still classic in a VERY traditional location. I love shooting images I have never shot before. I love seeing something old, in a new way. It's not easy to do and I'm not saying I nailed it....but when I look at Kevin and Emily in these photos I see newness and something fresh...and that makes me happy.

Happy marriage you two! I loved being able to be a part of your day. There isn't another wedding I would have felt as comfortable falling on my back in front of. WOWZAS. You should have seen my bruise! I love war wounds.

All my love and positive energy for a most happy and successful life together. xo.

Haylie + Ross





























































I don't know about everyone else, but when I look at this bride and groom I just feel kind of good inside. Her smile is happiness, isn't it? She looks joyful. She must be. I don't really think it's very easy to fake joyful.

Their wedding took place in the Portland Oregon Temple and the Dinner at the Ecotrust Building in downtown Portland. We also had some general romping about...which was super fun for me because I had never been to Portland before. I ate great food and fell in love with the public transit. AND everybody in the city rides a bike. Nice.

I am so happy everything fell together and I was able to join you for the festivities. It was an honor spending so much time with you on your wedding day. Thank you for the intimate look at your family and your relationship with each other. Your Paris themed dinner party was amazing, and I'm guessing your Paris themed honeymoon was pretty great too? Can't wait to see all the romantic hand held kissing pictures you snapped by the Siene. XO-Rachel

the woods

I said, "do you guys want to take some photos in the woods?" and they said. "of course we do". so we did.

portland wedding was pretty great. portland is pretty great. haylie and ross were pretty great. the images....well I do think they speak for themselves but they seem pretty great to me. I'll let you be the judge. full post next week.

I am so looking forward to this weekend. I hope everyone finds some time to stare at the sky and think deep.

mandy & brian

































































another great sunshiny southern californian wedding. the ceremony took place at the san diego temple and the reception was in laguna beach at the three arch bay clubhouse extraordinaire.

mandy put me in a trance with her "siren" eyes and I pretty much stared at her all day long. brian was the most adorable groom ever. I'm guessing most guys might not want to be adorable, per say, but he had this smile and this dimple and this madly in love with his wife thing going on AND he was super laid back and nice. sorry dude, adorable it is.

I loved the details at this wedding. peacock feathers, plant take home gifts, blue paper pinwheels that blew in the wind and twinkly strand lights, my favorite. they too had tacos (love this trend), and made to order ice cream cookie sandwiches. forget the chocolate fountain, they did caramel and it was GOOD caramel served with donut holes and a bunch of other eatable dippers. to shuttle guests back and forth to the venue they hired a trolley and I kind of felt like I was in san fransico...or disneyland.

loved meeting the two of you and having our moment on the rocks. I don't regret making the desicion to head back to the party but I do think I could have been perfectly happy bunkering down on that beach for the night. invite us back for smore's! xxoo.

downtown LA wedding- part 3































(we look beat, but I love when a bride wants a photo with us!)

first image, clockwise from left to right:

-halibut (I think)
-caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes
-panna cotta
-molten chocolate cake
-mushroom risotto
-crab cakes

honestly people, we ate so GOOD at this wedding. It is rare that on a shooting day I would ever turn down food. I mean, I'm running around, burning calories, have to keep my energy up......but by the last bite of the 10 course chinese banquet they served us, I honestly thought I wouldn't need to eat for at least another year.

thank you for treating us like wedding guests. everyone keep asking us how we knew you, thinking we were long lost friends. I saw some confused looks when I confessed I was just hired help. after all of our hours together I to felt like a long lost friend. it's true.

the wedding lunchon was held at cafe pinot and the wedding dinner at the new capital restaurant.

grant took notes on the courses while eating dinner:

1. Pork, chicken, duck, jellyfish, seaweed (all served cold)
2. Walnut shrimp
3. Scallops and peas (edamame)
4. Crab egg drop soup
5. Albacore & mushrooms in gravy
6. Lobster
7. Hot chicken
8. Catfish
9. Fried rice w peanuts, shrimp, potatoes, etc.
10. Sweet red bean soup

we kind of like food and photo taking a lot, so we're a little bit into this wedding.

I can't sign off without mentioning the amazing second shooter I hired to work with me on this wedding....mike cunningham of digital orange photography. check out his blog, check out his website and check out a few of the awesome images he shot from this wedding:




the end.

downtown LA wedding- part 2































(click on the images to enlarge. they look so much better when you do.)

images taken at:
-the disney concert hall
-cafe pinot/library/and surrounding sidewalks
-the millennium biltmore hotel

love this bride and groom. wish I was hanging out with them right now.
(kind of feel like I have been hanging out with them after staring at their faces for days!)

downtown LA wedding- part 1


































this was an incredible wedding. start to finish. too many favorites for one post. I can't wait for you to see the beautiful shots we took at the biltmore hotel and the disney concert hall.

getting ready shots- millennium biltmore hotel
ceremony- cafe pinot/ downtown LA library

lisa & rodney- reception- san clemente, ca


























































wedding days are happy and fun (for the most part) and this one was no exception. there's a party, good food, people crying, people laughing, me making people kiss.....but really what I enjoy most about photographing weddings is the intimate look I am allowed into relationships.

I get to spend more time with a new husband and wife on their first day of being married, probably more than anyone else. I get to see them calm each others nerves and look at each other with "new" eyes. I am there to witness a mother and fathers emotion as they kiss their grown child and watch them embark into yet another unknown. I don't really just consider myself a photographer on a wedding day, because I do think that part of my job is to help create a positive environment for everyone I am working with and around. I'm not afraid to give a pep talk or fix hair or yell at the kitchen when it's obvious the bride needs help. I love my role. I love bonding with people in a raw, intimate way. high emotions= being real= no room or time for superficial. ideal situation for ol' rachel.

I think lisa and rodney are great. I loved the bonding that lisa and I did. I am an astute observer (by profession) and I can sense a very happy life for these two. huzzah!