From start to finish this session was such a blast. As soon as I came home I couldn’t wait to edit this sneak peek for this amazing couple. This car has been in the brides family for a long time & shooting this session at Chateau Herbe in Ashland Oregon was such a blast! I can’t wait for this summer wedding in Grants Pass, Oregon & to capture even more of these two!
This beautiful wedding took place in the gorgeous Ashland, Oregon! I am always so honored to be a part of these wedding days and it was my joy to be able to be the photographer for these two, Julia and Graham! We started our day at our Lady of the Mountain in Ashland, Oregon and then headed over to the beautiful Lithia Springs Resort for the reception. There were so many amazing places to take pictures of this beautiful couple at Lithia Springs. It’s always so fun as a photographer when you get a combination of a fun and loving couple and a beautiful venue. Congratulations J & G, wishing you guys a life of genuine joy and happiness as you begin your days together.
getting married? I would love to talk to you if you’re still looking for a photographer to capture your special day!
This lovely wedding day at the amazing Hillcrest Orchards was such an honor to be the photographer at. Even though it was a hot Southern Oregon day, the bride and groom still had such a beautiful day. I’m always so honored to be a photographer here in Southern Oregon and this day was no exception. Congratulations B&S!
-Looking for a wedding photographer in Southern Oregon or in the Pacific Northwest? Reach out! I’d love to hear from you!
This wedding was an absolute dream! Set in the gorgeous hills of Ashland, Oregon at the private residence of this amazing family, this wedding was one for the ages. A photographers delight and a true love story, Max and Carolyne were a joy to be with both personally and professionally. The incredible planning, design and set up was all done by the incredible Becca of Events with Becca, and it was a stunner! Every detail was planned perfectly and was a joy to photograph. The florals were done by the always incredible Penny and Lulu and were such a beautiful addition to this set-up. Being a wedding photographer in Southern Oregon is such an amazing journey, discovering new places and getting to meet new people. I am so thankful I get to do the job I do! Congratulations, Max and Carolyne, wishing you a love story that lasts for all time and joy and laughter along the way.
Vendors:
Planner- Becca Buck with Events with Becca
Florals- Penny and Lulu
Photography- Rachel Dale Photography
Videography - Olivia Corin Films
Dj- DJ GEMINEYE
Catering- Larks Restaurant
Beauty- Mimica Blasco
Venue- Ashland Estates by Neuman Hotel Group
Dance Floor- Sights and Sounds Unlimited
Invitation Suite and Caligraphy- Caitlin O’Bryant Designs
Cake- Mrs. Cards Cakes
Cupcakes and Sweets- Sugar Rush Bakery
Rentals- Motif Event Rentals
Strings Trio- Cascade Strings
This was truly one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been a part of. The bride got ready at the historic Wolf Creek Inn, such a fabulous space to get prepared for this day. The rest of the day took place at the grooms incredible family home and property. The amount of love, hard work and preparation that went into this day was amazing and this couple deserved all of it! I was so thankful to be with J&K and counted it a sincere honor to photograph their wedding day.
In the midst of this crazy world these two decided to say their vows amongst close family and friends. It was such a pleasure to be there and I look forward to the big celebration next year!
What a joy it was so be apart of this amazing wedding in Oregon Wine Country! The gorgeous Parrett Mountain Cellars was the perfect intimate location for this beautiful summer wedding and it was my pleasure to their wedding photographer. Thank you K&K for letting me be apart of your day, it was a true pleasure.
Congratulations to A&B! Such a joy to capture your day!
Many couples wonder if having an engagement session with their wedding photographer is really necessary, especially if they have already had some photos shot by a friend or if the wedding is coming up shortly after they booked their photographer. Today I want to talk about why it is in fact really important and will actually make your wedding day a smoother, more relaxed day.
Your wedding day is a super exciting day, filled with joy and excitement, however, it can also be a day of stress and busyness ( is that even a word?) . Any good wedding photographer’s goal is to make this day as easy as possible so that you as a couple can enjoy the day and relax. The more qualified vendors you hire, the more the details will be off your plate and in the hands of experienced professionals. What does this have to do with an engagement session you might ask? Everything!
Engagement sessions have many purposes and I want to highlight a few wonderful benefits of what can be a really fun time with your photographer.
1. Comfort
On your wedding day you will be spending a lot of time with your photographer, and I mean a lot! From getting ready all the way to the reception, your photographer will be with you for most of the day! A huge benefit of an engagement session is that you are meeting, getting comfortable with, and building a friendship with your photographer ahead of time. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve walked into an engagement session with a couple that has a good bit of apprehension on their side about taking photos, only to leave laughing and completely at ease. When this happens, it gets carried over to the wedding day. You now know your photographer a little bit and have established comfort. As a photographer I love showing up to the wedding day already feeling I know the bride and groom well and that’s good news for everyone!
2. Posing
Each photographer and couple approach posing differently. As a wedding professionals, it’s our job to learn how to pose and encourage natural interactions with each couple. Sometimes this is easy and sometimes a challenge depending on the ease that each person feels in front of the camera. During an engagement session some of this can be figured out and by wedding time you both feel comfortable settling into posing or candid moments because you’ve done it already!
3. Wedding Decor
Most every wedding where I’ve shot an engagement session prior has the images from the session displayed at the wedding. You can use your engagement session images for save the dates, invitations, or wedding decor ( most commonly a guest book or canvas to sign). This is a great way to show the fun and joy of your relationship and you can even display them alongside other snapshots you’ve taken throughout the course of your relationship together!
4. Because it’s SO fun!
Last but NOT least, engagement sessions are fun! Creativity can abound here and that brings so much joy. If your wedding is at an upscale venue try an engagement session at the coast or up in the mountains. If your wedding will be in the woods, why not do your engagement session somewhere with dynamic structures or an old building. So much planning and detail goes into wedding planning. let your engagement session just be fun. Laugh, make jokes, enjoy each other and just let that glow go straight on in to your wedding day.
I hope these four reasons why engagement sessions are so important before your wedding day were helpful to you! Even if your camera shy, all the more reason to warm your way into photos by doing an engagement session before your big day.
Congratulations, and I wish each and every couple a joy filled wedding and a beautiful love story as you start your journey together.
xoxo
Rachel
I had so much fun putting together this before and after editing video for you guys! As I mention in the video, I love editing videos and poured over them when I first started with photography . While I ultimately had to tweak and figure out my own editing style, watching videos like this really helped me on my journey. I love giving back and offering education to other photographers so I am more than happy to put this out there for anyone who would benefit from it.
Enjoy!
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Before and After:
This gorgeous La Jolla engagement session has definitely been one of my all time favorites! This sweet couple was SO easy to photograph and it was my greatest joy to photograph them.
I am so looking forward to their wedding in January! Congratulations you two!
This Balboa Park engagement session was a true delight. When I was first contacted by Nicolle, I felt like we instantly connected. Her sweet spirit and attention to detail was evident even in our first emails and when it was decided we would work together I was SO excited!
Their session at Balboa Park was lovely and we had such a good time walking around the park and than finally ending up in the rose and cactus gardens! The night was cloudy at first but as the evening went on we got a beautiful sky as the sun set. It was effortless to get these two laughing and having fun and the very first images I snapped at the water fountain made it look like we had bee shooting all evening. Its was so much fun to watch their love for each other unfold and to capture their sweet personalities together.
I am so looking forward to their wonderful fall wedding coming up and I can’t wait to spend more time with these two soon!
Congratulations you two, wishing you a lifetime of joy as you begin this new part of your journey together!
Who:Daniel and Joy
Where: The Westgate Plaza. St. Michaels Church, Mt. Woodson Castle
When:August 20th 2018
What: getting ready, church wedding, cocktail hour and reception
This gorgeous wedding day was truly magical from start to finish! The day was an absolutely perfect San Diego day! It started out cloudy as I arrived at the ornate Westgate Place hotel in downtown San Diego! What a perfect place to get ready. The atmosphere was so calm and the bride radiant. I enjoyed capturing both Joy and than Daniel as they prepared for their day. We than headed over to St. Michael’s Church, a stunning place for an afternoon wedding! The rest of the party took place at Mt. Woodson Castle in Ramona, California. It was my first time shooing at Mt. Woodson and I was instantly in love. The entire place is a photographers paradise and we had so much fun during couples photos incorporating their venue and capturing their obvious connection. The reception was full of sweet moments and I welcomed every minute of it.
Some definitely highlights: Joy’s dress was handmade by her sister and it was the most exquisite dress. The bride played piano beautifully and serenaded us all in the lobby at the Westgate. The groom was a wonderful singer and sang to his new bride during their reception! The first dance was to “a tale as old as time” which was absolutely perfect for this wedding day.
Thank you Joy and Daniel for choosing me to capture your day, what a privilege!
Thank you to all the fabulous vendors!
Gown: Tanada Couture
Makeup and Hair: Natural Beauty Bar
Church: St Michael’s Church
Venue: Mt. Woodson Castle
Videographer: Current Films
Bakery: Flour Power
Florals: Organic Flora
Catering: Personal Touch Dining
What: Engagement session at Mt. Laguna
Who:Katherine and Jesse
When: Sunday, September 30th
Ive known Katherine for many years. I think the first time I met her it was about 6 years ago. She was barely a teenager and from the minute I met her I loved her.
I’m a mom of four kids and for those of you that have kids you know that there us a special joy in knowing someone that loves your kids and treats them like humans. Katherine is such a person. For a time she would come to my house while I homeschooled my older kids and she would watch my littles. She has always shown such love for my oldest daughter and even as she grew older when most teenagers would have thought it wasn’t cool to hang with little kids, she continued to be the same. Fast forward to now. Katherine is a gorgeous, kind, fun, and fabulous young woman. I knew the guy who would snag her would have to be pretty great,
The day of this gorgeous engagement session was cloudy and I was a tad disappointed to have no sun at all, normally I love a cloudy session but Jesse was really hoping for the sun and I do like me some sunlight filtering through pine trees!
From the start I knew Jesse was a winner. Funny and gentle and extremely mature, I was impressed from the get go. We talked about how we wished the sun would come out and as we traipsed through the mountains we started to see evidence of the clouds pouring down rays of light. By the time we were finished we had gorgeous sunlight and this couple was so easy to capture. You can’t fake that stuff guys! It was really me just sitting back and documenting what came so easily to them.
Congratulations sweet Katherine and Jesse. May your marriage be filled with the same joy and laughter that you brought to our session and may you cherish each other in the same way even after one hundred years.
xoxoxo
