A Carmel Valley Ranch Wedding

Marc Howard shot Carlie andJoe's wedding at Carmel Valley Ranch.  I was the second shooter at their wedding.  Before the ceremony Marc took these great still lifes...These are the shots we like to take while the bride is finishing her hair and makeup.

The Ceremony site overlooks the Pinot Noir Vineyards at the Ranch.  It also has a spectacular view of Carmel Valley...not a bad backdrop for the bride and groom.

I like that the Vineyards are right there....Marc Howard's great shots of the bride and groom

Carli and Joe CV Ranch

Carli and Joe CV Ranch

Carli and Joe CV Ranch

Carli and Joe CV Ranch

Carli and Joe CV Ranch

A Carmel Valley Wedding

At Bernardus Lodge couples get married in a rose garden setting with a view of the mountains.  It's a great country walk for the bride to walk from the resort down to the ceremony site.  Another great wedding to shoot...Mark, the father of the bride was very involved in the wedding planning, and I tried to capture his moment walking his daughter to her groom.

The shoes,  the brides jewelry and bouquet create a still life.  For me, it's like painting with my camera.

I always say a bride is not a bride until she puts on her wedding dress.  To me, it's a significant part of the wedding.  

The groomsmen's shoes- I am always looking for these detail shots.....

Carmel Valley weddings are a great setting for an elegant wedding.  The Father of the bride making "the walk"....

During the ceremony we had 2 photographers.  I always like to have 2 angles of view, and especially  during the ceremony.  One view of the groom, and one photographing the bride. 

The guests threw rose petals to the happy couple.

This is one of my favorite bridal party groups shots- weddings should have moments of fun - like this!

Another favorite group shot.

Photographing Wedding Rings

Wedding rings are a symbol of eternity with no beginning or end. They represent the continual bond of when two people fall in love. The circle of the rings are also symbolize the sun, earth and universe and represent holiness, perfection and peace. The reason the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger is it was believed that it is the closest to the vein that runs to the wearers heart - also known as "the vein of love."

As a wedding photographer, I always view the wedding rings as art and place them in or around the bride's bouquet, wedding invitation and sometimes with the bride's shoes or jewelry. I usually photograph these shots as the bride finishes getting dressed and before the ceremony.  I want them to look like sculpture or a painting. 

I prefer not to shoot the rings on the hands as the fingers can be distracting. I use a special macro lens and selective focus to highlight the design of the rings.