San Luis Obispo Wedding Photographer Katie DiSimone :: BLOG

Linda and David got married at his grandparent’s house in Montecito. I have photographed many weddings in backyards and family ranches, but this house was really special in a very different way. David’s grandmother was quite the anthropologist throughout her lifetime and collected many incredible artifacts and keepsakes from around the world. Walking through their house was like walking through an incredible museum. In fact, she had several huipiles (traditional Mayan blouses) hanging on the walls of her house, which just happen to be what I have always wanted to display on my own home’s walls as well.

Combine a beautiful garden, fantastic house, perfect Santa Barbara weather…and you have a very enjoyable wedding. David’s grandpa performed the ceremony and it was quite touching. I was so happy with how the final photos turned out, really left me remembering my own backyard wedding and just how family-centric it was.

Julie and Anthony met me at a wedding of their friends Melisa and Justin. I can’t say enough about the spirit and goodwill of both Julie and Anthony. Through the course of hearing their wedding plans, I learned that she had lost her father not long before. And, her beloved Yorkie passed away just days before the wedding in a unexpected accident. There were also some bumps along the wedding day…yet she rolled with them all. Just still enjoying the day and Anthony’s love. I don’t think there was a dry eye when Julie and Anthony released doves during their ceremony honoring her father…we all watched the doves fly their separate ways initially and then come together as a group. Arching circles above us. So graceful. It was so beautiful.

Clos LaChance Winery was an easy venue to enjoy. The party easily moved between the outdoor patios and gardens and the indoor tasting room. Guests danced and drank. There were costumes and jokes. More dancing. More wine. Such a fun time!

Jenny and Avi had their wedding at the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate in Oakland. I was looking forward to this wedding because I knew ahead of time that there were plenty of nice people at this wedding. Not just Jenny and Avi, but also Greta and Juan Carlos from a wedding I photographed several years ago at UCSC campus. (and several mutual wedding guests too!) Combined that with the extended invitation to small babies and kids, I was in heaven!

We started with a little first look session, followed by signing the ketubah, and then the ceremony under the chuppah. Jenny encircled Avi several times representing the virtues of marriage. Avi presented a ring on Jenny’s index finger. The seven marriage blessings were beautifully sung and read by their friends and family. All was so beautiful…but there was a first for me. The first time someone fainted during a ceremony! One of the chuppah holders feel over during the ceremony, giving all of us quite a scare. He ended up being just fine, probably just an empty stomach and dehydration.

Thanks so much Jenny and Avi for letting me be there at the start of your marriage.

Mai and Craig live in the Bay Area, and they originally found me from a search of wedding venues in Santa Cruz. They set a Santa Cruz venue, but then couldn’t get the dates they were interested in. So, they moved the wedding to Napa Valley and I moved along with them. BUT, then Napa Valley venues couldn’t be secured right either…so they decided to move the wedding to Ithaca, New York since they both attended Cornell University and still had families there on the East Coast. Luckily, I was also included on the changes and had to opportunity to travel along with them to New York.

Since this was a July wedding in upstate New York, I will admit I was a little nervous about the weather. I’d heard stories from all my east coast friends about stifling humidity and heat. I heard about random summer thunderstorms. But, I also heard Ithaca was GORGES. Luckily, all of those things came true…but all at the right times. Ithaca was gorgeous the whole time. The thunderstorm came the day before the wedding. And the heat and humidity came the day after the wedding. Which left us with perfect weather for the wedding day!

Mai and Craig had pre-scouted some areas for us to take photos, although it seemed that every corner in Ithaca could have been a great backdrop. We saw green fields, tall trees, super urban buildings, and rolling hills. The photos on the green fields with that superb blue skies were some of my favorites from the year.

An interesting note about the reception venue…it was held at the hotel on campus at Cornell University. That’s right, there’s a hotel ON campus. It is luxurious and used as a teaching experience for students in the hotel and hospitality studies. So, the whole wedding involved service persons who are actually students in the program. They did a wonderful job on everything from the catering, bartending, decor, and meal service.

Julie and Craig had a small wedding at an idealic little white chapel in the hills of the Bay Area. St. Mary’s Church offers a pastor with a thick (and endearing) irish accent, amber stained-glass windows, and the feeling like you just stepped back in time. Traditional vows, intimate family moments, and a casual enjoyment of lifelong friends. The family style dinner at a local restaurant was a great complement to the overall warm feeling of the day.

Celia and Jack planned their wedding at Thacher Winery in Paso Robles. Most people choose winery venues for the summer months when the vines are full of green leaves, but I also enjoy the look of a crisp winter wedding at a winery. And, I think you’ll agree from the photos, that Celia and Jack’s wedding was absolutely as gorgeous as any summer wedding could be, if not more so. Thacher’s venue offers a large historic barn for the reception activities (and we all know I LOVE barns!). The ceremony takes place in a rustic area near the tasting room, under a large oak as a backdrop. Simply beautiful. It gets a five star rating from this photographer.

Celia is a kindergarten teacher and Jack is a principal. I have nothing but respect for both of them, especially since now I am immersed in the California State Education system. I know they have to juggle demanding parents, state standardized testing systems, shrinking budgets, and increasing class sizes. Any one of those challenges would be daunting…but they get them all at once. So I also understand just why their reception was OFF THE HOOK fun. An absolute release of energy. (and a special shout out to Celia’s brother and sister for being so cool!)

I have to give compliments to the wonderful other vendors who worked this wedding…it was a blast! And the Kramer DJ deserves a special award for finding Celia’s wedding ring which had flown off her finger during the dancing!
DJ and lighting: Kramer Entertainment
Catering: Cass Catering
Flowers: Flowers by Kim