Tag Archives: carmel

Holman Ranch wedding feature | Smitten Magazine | Carmel photographer

I loved getting to re-live Kyle & Dylan’s beautiful wedding full of rustic elegance up at Holman Ranch thanks to Smitten Magazine’s recent feature. This was such a sweet couple to work with alongside Allison from Engaged & Inspired and the talented team over at Fionna Floral, and I love that we’ve kept in touch with them both ever since. Kyle’s family owns the company that make the iconic Ball mason jars, so it was beyond fitting that they used those jars throughout their design. You can see more details and highlights over at the Smitten Magazine feature here.

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kari & nick | preview | holman ranch wedding

If you ask me, any couple who have custom made bobble head figures of themselves donning the top of their gorgeous wedding cake are the kind of people whose wedding you definitely want to attend. Kari and Nick are one such couple, and their wedding was completely filled with beauty, personal touches, elegance and a whole lot of dance floor fun. I have to thank Amy and her team at Amy Byrd weddings for making the day look so impeccable and flow so smoothly, as well as Fleurs du Soleil for doing such a great job with all of the floral designs. I can’t wait to share more from their beautiful day, but in the meantime here’s a little preview of what’s to come.

sheena & adam | holman ranch | carmel wedding

This was a wedding that affirmed all of the reasons why I had to become a wedding photographer. After I had spent the day documenting this couple having the time of their lives in a location as beautiful as Holman Ranch, I drove home well aware of the fact that my job is pretty close to perfect for me. I love feeling a part of something as honest, inspiring and joyful as a wedding day unfolding, and this was a day that unfolded without a single hitch. The day was filled with lots of laughter, from the ceremony, (when the bride was asked to take her bride) to the speeches, (when a Lithuanian folktale and its theme was improvised and a Hogwart’s-inspired incantation was recited) to the dancefloor (when a rockstar guest became the pole for the bride to dance around.) Sheena and Adam, you two seem so perfect for each other and I know there will be a whole lot of happiness in your future together!

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anne & ganesh | e-session | carmel photographer

My neglected little blog is still missing many a post, but seeing as wedding season is rapidly approaching, I thought that I’d start to catch up with a beautiful Carmel engagement session.  I had never actually met Anne and Ganesh before this shoot, but the minute we met and starting talking, I knew that I was going to be one lucky girl to document the story of these two kind and interesting people. Anne told me about how she re-designed the dress she was wearing from an old dress that her mom used to wear, and that she had an Indian sari to change into to honor Ganesh’s Indian heritage. Anne continued to impress me as she managed to remain radiant and smiling in both of those outfits despite the intensely cold weather in Carmel that day. Ganesh talked about how he was born in Jamaica, raised with Indian traditions, and later received his higher education in the States. It was when he was living on the east coast that he met Anne and together they have now made California their home. I love that they will be celebrating both of their heritages on their wedding day by including both a traditional Indian ceremony followed by a western ceremony at the beautiful and unique Cornerstone Gardens later this spring.

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the holidays are coming | carmel family portrait session

The holidays are rapidly approaching, which means that I’m crazy busy editing family portrait sessions and designing holiday cards. I had to share this one that I just designed for an awesome family who recently relocated form Boston to Carmel. I love a personalized holiday card, and this one really shows the beauty of their new baby girl who is so incredibly full of joy, as well as the beauty of their new home on the California coast. This is a 5 x 7 card with the letters on the front and the family portrait on the back.

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jenny & jef | holman ranch wedding | carmel

This might break the record for longest blog post, but I have a hard time letting beauty go undocumented. Jenny and Jef are one of those truly radiant couples, and then they chose a venue as stunning as Holman Ranch in Carmel, so there was a whole lot of beauty for me to capture that day. Jenny and Jef are Carmel locals and they fell in love with this property the moment they saw it. Holman Ranch creates this amazing atmosphere that’s intimate yet expansive and rustic yet elegant, and that is exactly the feeling that Jenny and Jef wanted to create for their guests that day. You really do feel like you’re a world away up on that warm hill overlooking the Carmel Valley. The entire day felt so relaxed, as I arrived to find Jenny wandering the gardens to find fresh flowers for her hair while the guys were out for a morning surf. The ceremony felt equally casual and personalized as they had their dear friend as their officiant, a song performed by another friend, their rings passed from guest to guest so that each person could bless them in their own way, and vows that they each wrote themselves. After cocktail hour guests were served incredible farm fresh food by Paradise Catering and seated at family style tables. I love that dessert was a variety of local pies from Gizdich Ranch instead of a formal cake. The party then moved out to the barn area for dancing, hanging out by the fire pits, playing horse shoes and joining in on the fun of Jenny’s homemade photo booth. I have to thank my wonderful assistant Marisa for her skills and her spirit, and Karissa and Heidi from Coastside Couture for bringing Jenny and Jef’s vision to life so well. That night as Marisa and I were zoomed down a wooded path on the back of a golf cart to reach our car, we couldn’t help feeling elated and inspired by the enchantment of the whole day.

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carmel beach | engagement session

Carmel is one of those rare places that can retain its beauty and charm despite the absence of sunshine on a summer’s day. Jenny and Jef are Carmel locals who contribute in a huge way to the charm and beauty of the town. They gave me a very personal tour of some of their favorite places, and made me love Carmel in a new way. We started with their secret picnic spot with views out over the Pacific, then  followed the wildflower covered paths and made our way down to the beach where I fell in love with all of the amazing rock formations. After the beach and a quick outfit change, we went to the majestic Carmel Mission and progressed to Jenny & Jef’s new house where they picked up their bicycles (which hold great significance, because their first pseudo-date was a bike ride together) and we cruised down a few cypress covered blocks to the ocean to see Jef’s favorite surf spot and the place where they love to bike to on a Sunday morning.

Jenny and Jef are getting married at Holman Ranch later this summer, and I am beyond excited for it. They’ve both found a lot of their wedding inspiration in the rustic, laid-back elegance of the venue, together with the vintage yet modern feel of  all things ‘anthropologie’ so we wanted their engagement photos to reflect that same inspiration too.

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