ars magna studio – photography blog

in vino veritas

[or amo, amas, amat]

And they love wine, and good food and joyous dancing. They love each other, sharing their lives with each other and their families. They stand a little in awe of each other, at having found each other.  There were authentic tears of happiness, eyes glossy with love. It was a California wedding; a bit of the Southern California in a spectacular Northern California landscape.

Both the ceremony and the reception took place on Boot Hill at the Kunde Estate Winery.  A.’s brother played the guitar.  Earlier in the day I found him and A.’s mom practicing their harmonies in the backyard of the house while the bride prepped. In the shade of two large trees, A. and J. stood facing each other and listened as the father read a poem he wrote and one brother of the bride read his unique/untraditional/playfully imaginative.

The wind picked up, but the temperature dip didn’t affect the crowd; the dancing and wine drinking keeping them warm enough. Their choice of first dance song was Ray LaMontagne’s Hold You In My Arms, the rest of the wedding party joining the couple as the chorus began. The dance floor perched to watch the sunset unfold over the vineyard, under a canopy of oaks and strings of lights. Port, chocolate truffles in lieu of a wedding cake(second sighting of Port in all its dessert beverage glory in the last few months.  For the record, I’m a fan of Port’s return to the wedding zeitgeist)

Official party winding down, I remembered that the bride confided they would keep the party going at a local dive bar in Sonoma. That’s my kind of couple.

Practicing for the ceremony.

Groom rocking the silver monogrammed cuff-links.

The father of the bride, watching his daughter attempt to re-tie his tie.

A final adjustment of the shoes.

The the cool wine caverns moments before the ceremony.

Ceremony, under the trees, in the afternoon sun.

Proof that this was about the love of wine.

Listening to heartfelt toasts.

At the end of the night, the small ones conked out.

Several glasses in, the guests are nearly impervious to the wind chill.

The Cupid Shuffle.

Congratulations to A. & J!

Wedding Coordinator – Amy Byrd Weddings

Ceremony and Reception Site – Kunde Estate Winery

Caterer – Alex’s Catering

Photographer – me!

Ceremony Musicians – Dan Neilan (brother of the bride)

DJ – DJ EV

Florist – Christine Freeman Floral Design

Hair  and Makeup – Heidi Valesi,  stylist at Lauthr Salon

One Wish. Two Wish. Red Wish. Blue Wish.

The bride wore red. The groom did not wear his leprechaun suit. San Franciscan’s love a costume.

They met on Halloween, and so it was obvious that their rehearsal dinner should also be in costume; T. as a Vampire and R. as a leprechaun. But the pre-party wasn’t the main event.

T. and R. chose a naturally stunning venue to host their weekend long marriage celebration, the Pema Osel Ling Retreat in the Santa Cruz mountains  Beautiful day- sunshine burning through the cloudy morning and filtering through the redwoods.  Not only did R. write and record the song “Little Red Bridinghood” that T. walked down the aisle to, he created countless hours of [kick-ass] playlists that appropriately accompanied the various activities of the weekend.

T. radiates a delightful enthusiasm, she bubbles over with a warm and loving laugh. It is a soulful joie de vivre. Arriving at the Round House, where the bride was getting ready, gales of laughter echoed in the room.  Surprised to find myself in the middle of scene I don’t usually encounter on a wedding day: the bride and her bridesmaids meditating (and giggling) in a near empty room.

Their friends and family gathered in a grove of redwoods for the ceremony. The officiant performed a custom blend of traditions new and old, referencing Catholic roots and acknowledging their Buddhist location and the calendar day for Rosh Hashanah.  Directly after the processional, the bride and groom had their own version of yichud – where they knelt together and had their first meal as husband and wife (which was pie). Rather than a traditional receiving line, the bride and groom were blindfolded and passed between two rows of guests, each person whispering a deeply felt personalized wish for the newly married couple.

T. is a graphic designer, and created the exquisite invitations, programs, place-cards and menus herself.  And it wasn’t only paper that she had a hand in.  The reception began with a toast of hand crafted mead. T., mind you, is an actual Beekeeper Bride. Her first batch of honey became the celebratory drink for her wedding. This beverage making is apparently part of the family spirit, as the bride’s brother brought cases of his own home-made beer to share with all the guests.  A full candy bar (gummy worms, jelly beans, caramels) and single servings of mojito cheesecake made the dessert buffet.

Bride and bridesmaids meditating to begin the wedding day.

T., looking the part of graceful composed bride.

The red wedding dress.

The groom, getting his tie on. [one of Melissa's images]

Mother of the Bride and grandmother of the bride adjusting their corsages.

Sewing on the crystal worn by the groom’s mother and the groom’s sister on their respective wedding days.

Bride and Groom in a small grove of redwoods.

Whispering a secret.

A pensive moment before the ceremony begins.

I love the nervous gesture of the groom’s hands here.

A gorgeous setting for the ceremony – a platform in a grove of redwoods.

Being blindfolded before embarking through the wish line.

T. receiving a wish from her friend.

A shot of mead being poured before the toast.

Dancing to Flight of the Conchords.

Kiss. Kiss.

Enchanted when they offered the extra cots made up in the yurt in case I was tired at the end of the night. Special thanks to Melissa Schwartz of Organic Photographs for shooting with me this weekend.

My wish for the couple – That they continue inspiring love in others.

Ceremony by the Sea

Flowers everywhere. Air filled with sea spray and waves crashing against the coast in the first big winter swell. The depths of the ocean, the mist in the air, a buoyant spirit and a formalized ritual; all a counterpoint to the wedding their wedding a week before at the playa at Burning Man.

It was a dual approach offering two very different spiritual experiences. Not contradictory, but complimentary.  It was families united across cultures, across coasts bonded by a deeply caring and tender love.

The mother of the bride grew all the flowers for the bouquet, as well as the table centerpieces that doubled as stunning colored aisle delineation on the cliffside meadow where the ceremony was held. Grestle Cove, this stretch of romantic coastline was the actual site of the marriage proposal.

The bride and groom were grateful for the people gathered in this rugged special place.  A pair of the groom’s friends from architecture school, self-styled ‘chuppachitects,’ built an amazing site-specific chuppah using lengths of driftwood found along the shore.

The bride finished her beaded wedding gown with her grandmother’s restored vintage earrings and necklace set. The groom wore a vintage three piece formal Western suit he found out here in San Francisco.

Dinner was held at Stillwater Cove, outdoors, with a view of the water and of the flock of sheep and pair of peacocks.
The night concluded with a dance party, DJed by J-Boogie,  under the canopy of paper lanterns.  The three tiered red velvet cake disappeared in minutes after the cake cutting.  At the end of the night, as she urged me to put down my camera and dance with her, the bride expressed her bliss to be surrounded by her friends and family; all united in joy.

The Mother of the Bride designing the florals.

Eyelash indulgence.

Finishing touches.

Not quite as dramatic a perch as I framed it in camera – I promise.

Seaside, with parasol.

On the path to the proposal spot.

Clifftop meadow ceremony, standing under the beautiful custom driftwood chuppah.

First Dance

Enjoying the first bites of the Red Velvet cake from The Cakemaker