Katie DiSimone :: San Luis Obispo Wedding Photographer, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and beyond :: BLOG

Anna and Steve. Oh wait, Steelers. You must mention the Pittsburgh Steelers if you mention Steve. Ok, so Anna and Steelers Steve got married at this incredible oasis called Maravilla Gardens in Camarillo. The gardens and landscaping stopped me in my tracks. I pulled my camera bag out of the trunk of my car and seriously had to stop a moment to appreciate it all. There were flowers everywhere, tall trees, sunlight everywhere to play with. THANK YOU Anna and Steve for selecting this venue, it was a dream to photograph. But most importantly, your friends and family had a fantastic time there! I felt quite safe in the company of all those ER nurses and doctors, and now I know how they all deal with their job stresses. They LET LOOSE in their off-hours! One more special shout-out here to Steve’s dad. He was the best man, gave a hilarious speech which somehow politely included the word “penis” (I’m still laughing), AND he ran his first marathon this year at the age of 71. Three cheers!!! I had a great time commiserating with him about the state of disability one endures post-marathon. Anna and Steve, may this coming football season bring you lots of Pittsburgh Steelers wins and a Superbowl would be good too!

Mackenzie and Adam had some surprises at their wedding…some planned, some not. Like they had a super cool surprise first dance for everyone (and a little unplanned surprise change to it). There was a surprise proposal to the girl who caught the bouquet…totally unplanned but super fun nonetheless. A wonderful surprise handmade quilt from a relative who couldn’t be there. What wasn’t a surprise? Their venue Holland Ranch in San Luis Obispo…amazing views, comfortable setting, and awesome decor. Seriously, the view from the ceremony site is so incredible. Also not a surprise? Mackenzie and Adam smiled and laughed together all day and all night. Their guestbook had a page that summed it up perfectly “Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much”.

Carlene and Dan planned a wedding…and it was planned well. Spreadsheets, cross-references, and color-coding. Now, most people when I tell them that there’s a spreadsheet from the bride will instinctively roll their eyes. BUT, my personal experience is that it works pretty darned well. Maybe that’s because I too am a compulsive To-Do list maker that I can appreciate a girl with a spreadsheet. Carlene knew that everything was on a plan, everyone knew the plan, and that allowed her to completely and totally relax on her wedding day. I have oodles and oodles of photos of Carlene and Dan laughing, smiling, kissing, hugging, dancing, and enjoying their wedding day. Those are my absolute favorite kind of photos!

And one shameless plug for them as well (because I love sharing cool stuff)…Carlene and Dan also made a boardgame themselves. (no…not a cheesy one like “jump to conclusions”…Office Space reference for those that haven’t been indoctrinated) But, a fanastic one called All You Need is Wine. Since I live in wine country, a good amount of my weddings serve some of the most extraordinary wines around. I think this is a fantastic gift idea for anyone coming to visit the area or get married here in the Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo areas. It really helps people understand and appreciate the differences in wine varieties. Very clever. Naturally, there was a little wine theme at their wedding…loved that!

So with that, let’s get on with some photos!

As a parent, definitely one of my favorite perks of the job. Lots of artwork is completed and given to me free of charge. All I have to do is hug and kiss these great kids.

Stephen and Alicia are getting married today. They didn’t want an engagement session, instead they asked me if I would come to Avila Beach and take photos of their friends at their beach rehearsal bbq. Those are the things that are important to them. Friends and family. From Michigan, Tennessee, North Carolina, Northern California, and even more states. They came because they love this couple. And, I absolutely adore this photo of Stephen and Alicia. Taken as Alicia teared up thanking her friends and family for coming all this way to watch her make a commitment to her love. I’m gonna bawl today at their wedding.

Maricela and Paul come from my family*. They are wonderfully giggly. They have a ton of friends who love them dearly. And, based on the stories I heard, Mari and Paul are actually Pari and Maul. As in, they are interchangeably together always. Maricela and Paul got married in her family’s backyard in Fresno, so when you all call and ask me where you can find this venue…sorry. It’s a family affair. They worked for a year to build so many of the incredible parts…a redwood chiller, grapevine-covered pergola with benches, a large grass lawn, lovely flowers, and more. The weather was warm and the party was hopping. If some of the people look familiar to you, it’s probably because Maricela is the little sister of Juan Carlos. You remember his wedding photos? Yup, that’s right…beautiful people run in this extended family!

*Family= Not by blood, but by love. I love their families. Les quiero muchisimo!