Wedding Date: October 11th 2025

Erin's dress deserves its own paragraph, honestly. Black and white, laced through with detail, nothing safe about it. The moment I saw her in it I remember thinking, this is a woman who knows exactly who she is. It set the tone for a day that never once played it predictable, and I loved that from the very start.

I've photographed a lot of first looks, but the one with Erin and both of her dads is one I won't forget anytime soon. There's something about that moment that gets me every time no matter how many weddings I've shot. This one hit different. Both dads standing there, and Erin walking toward them, and there wasn't a dry eye in sight, mine included.

And then, before the real first look even happened, the best man pulled off one of the funniest things I've ever caught on camera. He snuck in wearing a full wedding dress for a surprise "first look" with Jared. I watched Jared's face go from confusion to full recognition to complete collapse, doubled over laughing, unable to breathe. The whole wedding party was in on it, trying not to give it away, and the payoff was worth every second of holding it together.

That laughter is what made the real first look land so hard. Because when Erin and Jared actually turned and saw each other, it was a total reversal. Tears immediately, but laughing through them too, the kind of moment where a couple completely forgets there's a camera three feet away. I love those moments more than almost anything I get to shoot. It's the whole reason I do this.

From there the day kept unfolding in these small, specific details that told me exactly who Erin and Jared are. Her bouquet was dark and moody, eucalyptus woven through it, more editorial than traditional, and it fit her perfectly. The vineyard gave us a backdrop I couldn't have asked for, deep oranges and golds running through the vines like the season showed up just for them. Jared had "our Starlord" engraved inside his watch, tucked away where only he'd know it was there, and when he told me what it meant I got the kind of smile you can't fake behind a camera.

Nothing about the design of the day felt like it was trying too hard. Simple, elegant, intentional, the kind of restraint that's actually much harder to pull off than people realize. And then there was the wedding party, who brought pure chaos and joy every single time I pointed a lens their way. They were the kind of group that made my job easy.

The ceremony was outdoor and covered, and the light that afternoon gave us these long, dramatic shadows I couldn't have planned if I tried. Moments like that are the reason I still get excited pulling into this venue after all these years. We slipped back into the vines right at sunset, and the whole vineyard lit up gold around them.

Inside, the reception hall felt like something lifted straight out of Europe, grand ceilings and warm light and just enough elegance to make you feel like you'd been transported somewhere else entirely. Erin and Jared stepped out onto the balcony to greet their guests before making their way down for their first dance, and the room lost it, cheering them down the stairs like they were the only two people in the building. From there the dance floor never really cleared. Fun friends, fun energy, everybody staying out there until the very end.

Thank you both for a fabulous day I won’t soon forget.

Vendors: Villa Bellezza (venue), The Deco Catering (catering), Michelle (florist), Sid (hair), Kali (makeup), Brandon (dj)