This was a destination wedding for Erica and Brett as well as their family and guests. Instead of just coming up for the day, they turned their wedding into a weekend celebration. Together they shared their same laid-back style and simply enjoyed life. The day before their wedding, they were wakeboarding and tubing on Bass Lake followed by a campsite rehearsal dinner complete with a bear. 

The next day, they carried that same energy right into the wedding. Two things were instantly clear about Erica and Brett as they prepared for the ceremony; they were ready to spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife, and they were ready to celebrate that fact. The entire bridal party stood by them in celebration and love from that first moment of the day until the last dance that night.

Their ceremony was on the deck at Tenaya Lodge, overlooking a beautiful forest of pines. It was both open and grand while at the same time intimate and personal. Everyone could feel the raw love and emotion. It was the perfect backdrop for them to profess their love for each other.

Immediately after being pronounced husband and wife, Erica and Brett joined their family and wedding party for cocktails. The room was filled with love and laughter. New family members embraced with tears of joy while old friends celebrated this new adventure.

Eventually we joined the guests downstairs at the reception. It was beautifully decorated, complete with outdoor fireplaces to watch the sunset. During dinner, each member of the bridal party was given a chance to share a toast. While no two were the same, their was a constant theme of shared companionship past, happiness for the moment, and the promise of love for the future.

Once the dance floor opened for the night everything else seemed closed.  Everyone jumped out of their seats and danced the night away. It's both rare and exciting to see a bride and groom on the dance floor all night long, but that's exactly where Erica and Brett were. You could just tell they had to soak in every moment of their wedding.

In the end, it was their perfect wedding - outdoors, surrounded by their family, friends, and the beauty of nature. Erica looked stunning and Brett knew it. Together they had a magical connection between them that could not be denied. Congratulations again Erica and Brett, we wish you the very best of life!

A big thank you goes out to James Steed for shooting with me all day and making this possible!

Late the next day they gathered again at Glacier Point, this time to exchange their vows as the sun set behind us. Together with Rev. Carol Dewey, we hiked up a trail a little ways from the amphitheater to escape the crowd and suddenly, it was just us and the trees. Together they shared their love and tears for each other, overlooking the granite of Half Dome. It was a beautiful scene, a husband and a wife embracing in a magical place.

As the sun raced towards the horizon I continued to photograph Rebecca and Timothy around Glacier Point while tourists gathered to watch the sunset. They were playfully in love, knowing that they will always have each other. I love how these photographs are not only drenched with late afternoon light, but also soaked with the strong and tender emotion between a loving couple.

Congratulations again to Rebecca and Timothy!

Although they are both attorneys by profession, Pieter has a love and respect for fire fighting. Once the decided to marry in Mariposa, Pieter wrote a letter to the Mariposa Fire Department asking if they could possibly provide a fireman as a witness. In a move of unbelievable grace, the fire chief Jim Wilson not only acted as a witness for the wedding, but also created a new friendship. Together Pieter and Liselotte joined Jim Wilson and his wife for the day on a tour through Yosemite and even a celebration dinner after their wedding.

During there ceremony I looked at Pieter and Liselotte and saw something that I have never seen before. Throughout the entire ceremony the had their arms across each other in an embrace. It struck me as both odd and instantaneously right. Why have I never before seen a couple start of a wedding so fittingly?

Immediately after the ceremony ended Pieter and Liselotte embraced in a passionately fierce hold. It was not the look of a couple that has been handed everything and simply expects life to be easy - it was the look of honest love, tried and tested by life. It was beautiful and I doubt I will ever forget it.

From that point on Pieter and Liselotte were entirely focused on each other and little else mattered. We walked through downtown Mariposa a bit longer, taking advantage of various textures and lines. At one point, while shooting on the sidewalks of town, a woman from behind me asked if we would like to come in her art gallery. Who could pass up that kind of opportunity?

We stepped into Riversong Gallery and once again Pieter and Liselotte found themselves making new friends with Barbara the gallery owner. She allowed us to enjoy the air conditioning while shooting in the midst of beautiful works of art. As we were walking out of the gallery, Barbara presented the newlyweds with a bottle of Mount Bullion Vineyard's wine as a present.

Although we didn't spend that much time together, we talked a bit more as the evening went on and I am truly impressed by this couple. Such wonderful people focused on the goodness of life, helping other and enjoying our blessings. They are the kind of people that force you to realize how good life is. Pieter and Liselotte granted us an invitation to see them if our travels take us to Amsterdam and I can't wait for that day when our paths cross again.

We pulled over at river view and I quickly looked to see the possibility that was there. Then I just had to convince Shanna and Phillip to hop out of the car and into the cool dark night air for one last shot.

Before we left I had been going back and forth on what camera to take with me. This of course went hand in had with the idea of hiring a model in Mexico for a photoshoot as I have done in the past. My first camera choice would have been to only bring my smaller pocket sized Sigma DP2. It takes up next to no room and I've used the camera for little personal projects, even a few weddings over the past year, and love this little machine. In the end, I had extra room in my bag and brought way too much gear (underwater housing?) but still I was on vacation and no shoots were scheduled.

The flight there was the most difficult part of the trip. Just as we taxied to the runway, the pilot came on to notify us that there was problem with the plane. Instead of taking off on time, we had the chance to entertain our little ones on the plane for an extra hour - thankfully everyone nearby us seemed to love little kids.

Once in Mexico we stayed at the Grand Luxxe, a lavish luxury hotel. It was wonderful to be pampered all week, with dedicated workers offering to clean my sunglasses at any time. We spent the majority of the week chasing Tyler and Sophie through the pools and waterslides. They were on a strict schedule of playing all day and crashing out from exhaustion only to wake up early the next morning for another round.

One morning my brother in law John and I woke up early to head up to Sayulita for a little surf trip. When we go there, the water was warm and the waves were waist high, which made for a good long boarding session followed by tacos and beer on the beach.

Despite these great conditions, the highlight of the day was when the rest of the family showed up; as soon as they got there, I paddled Sophie out into the lineup on the nose of my board to catch her first wave. It was a very cool moment to be able to share with my daughter, and she handled it like a pro. Not bad for a girl that isn't even two yet.

All week long we enjoyed excellent food where ever we went. From excellent ceviche to home made tacos and margaritas that are just too big it was truly vacation. In one restaurant, the waiter even remembered my my sister in law Shannon and John from their honeymoon there one year before and gave them their anniversary tequila shot!

The last night there, the kids went to bed early and Katie and I enjoyed dessert on the deck as the sun slipped below the horizon. They sky was simply gorgeous and I happened to bring a camera out to snap a shot of the colorful sky. It wasn't until few hours later that the weather turned and lightning crashed. Luckily my camera was still outside and I was able to capture a few strikes.

It was a much needed family vacation. Is it any wonder that on multiple occasions during the trip, Katie looked at me and said "I think we should move here"?

It's fairly odd to write the title of this post as "The Glowacki Family" looking at the photographs in this set. Here we have John and Melinda, along with their new-born daughter Savera. But for most of my life, "The Glowacki Family" was John, his two sisters, and his parents - Mr. and Mrs Glowacki to me.

They came up to Yosemite a few days before their wedding to take in some hikes and and find their perfect wedding spot, in the Ahwahnee Meadow just beneath Half Dome. I met them their for the first time and joined them for a beautiful ceremony, just the two of them in the wind whispering through the grass.

After the ceremony Suzanne and Jon told me that I had free control over where we went in the park for photographs. I love this complete freedom and took full advantage of it. Thankfully, both Suzanne and Jon are in great shape and used to spending time outdoors, because I took them up above 8,000 feet to the top of Sentinel Dome. 

The landscape changes so drastically from the valley almost a mile below. The granite dome seemingly sits on top of the world, with views in every direction. It was the perfect place to create these dramatic photographs and it was from this amazing vantage point that Suzanne and Jon shared their first sunset as husband and wife.

On our way down Sentinel Dome, Suzanne and Jon showed a lot of character. I was driving them back just in time to have dinner at the Ahwahnee's dinning room when we encountered a group of lost hikers. The hikers were not equipped for their hike and through a lack of planning ended up about six miles away from their car. Knowing with certainty that it would mean an end to their dinner, Suzanne and Jon knew that we needed to make sure the lost hikers made it back to their car safely.

Sure enough, when we made it to the Ahwahnee the dinning room was closed. As I left them that night, they were heading into the back to their room with smiles on their faces and arms around each other to order room service.

It's really an honor for me to slip into a couples lives for a few hours and share such an amazing part of their story. It is the turning point when a two individual people become so much more. There was so much love this day between Suzanne and Jon that I felt blessed to have been there to see it. And this was not just the sappy date move kind of love. This was the real kind of love, the love that says I will always be there for you, because of you.

Officiant: Rev. John Paris

Hair and Makeup: Bellissimo

Flowers: Sweet Dreams Wedding Flowers

Stephanie and Dominick are outdoor enthusiasts. I think they have tried just about every sport known to man and love to travel together.

I've said this before, but is something magical about an elopement, especial a Yosemite elopement. Once you strip away all of the fluff surrounding a wedding you are left with nothing but the love between a man and woman. Doing this along the banks of a river and under a grove of trees in Yosemite just feels right, like the way love was meant to be.

Vanessa and Marc's wedding was one hundred percent their own. Their love of the outdoors and spending quality time with their family and friends influenced every planning decision they made and set the atmosphere of the day. They created a small destination wedding in Big Bear Lake so that they could slow down and focus on relationships.

Vanesa and Marc rented a large lakeside cabin in Big Bear for their wedding that served as both housing and a reception venue. Katie and I joined them at the cabin early in the morning to find Marc cooking breakfast for everyone in the house. Upstairs Vanessa and her bridesmaids were unhurriedly getting ready. The whole vibe in the house was both relaxed and in quiet anticipation of what was to come. Before we left for the ceremony, Vanessa wrapped herself in a cloak so that Marc wouldn't see her dress.  And did I mention that Marc wore a sword?

Their ceremony was at simple clearing in the forest three miles up a fire road and across "the pit from hell". It was amazingly beautiful and peaceful with the sounds of the breeze pulling through the trees and birds finding breakfast. The story of how they actually found this spot is even more amazing - let's just say it involves about 13 miles more snowshoeing than I would be willing to do.

After the ceremony we all enjoyed a picnic lunch at a campsite down a short trail from the ceremony. It was the perfect summertime hangout, complete with a pinata and kids climbing trees. Once lunch was over, Vanessa and Marc lead a group of their guests on a short hike through the high country, wedding dress and all.

In the evening everyone gathered at the cabin for a dinner reception. There was no formal seating, everyone joined together at tables around the house or reclined in couches to enjoy each others company. It created the atmosphere of a special family gathering rather than a stuffy wedding reception.

As Katie and I left them, the cabin had been transformed. The entryway was the dance floor, the living room was a lounge, and the bar was the place to be. Their personality had been infused into everything and everyone. It was if it was their own home.

Vanessa and Marc made it clear that with each other, you have everything you need. None of the decorations or beautiful locations made the wedding what it was - Vanessa and Marc made the wedding. Congratulations again!

For Shanna and Phillip love is time spent together and they built their entire wedding around that simple idea. That's why they decided to come to Yosemite with their guests to marry. They rented out a set of cabins in Yosemite West for their guests and themselves to enjoy for the entire weekend. Even before the wedding day came, their celebration and the party had begun with late night bbq's and hot tub sessions.

On their wedding day, Katie and I joined them as they prepared in separate cabins. Shanna and her family & close friends were getting ready at a healthy pace, not too fast but on time. Meanwhile, just up the road Phillip sipped from a glass as he leisurely went through his morning. They saw each other for the first time that morning before the ceremony and it was perfect for them. Later that day, they both told me how relaxing it was to be with each other at that moment, as if any nerves washed away.  After all, this is the person that you want to be with for the rest of your life, wouldn't you want to be with them all the time?

Their ceremony was atop Glacier Point on a stunningly beautiful day. The weather was perfectly warm and the view was, well it was the view from Glacier Point. If you haven't been there, it should definitely be near the top of your list. The ceremony was officiated by Phillip's life long friend and former roommate. With firsthand knowledge of their relationship, the ceremony was wholly Shanna and Phillips.

What will stick out most clearly in my mind when I think back on Shanna and Phillip's wedding is the open emotion. During the ceremony, everyone had a tear in their eyes because of Shanna and Phillip's tender love. It was as if we all knew they had stumbled upon one of life's greatest secrets, love. Some of the men even began to joke in good humor that it must have been the sunscreen in their eyes, because it couldn't have been the love that got them choked up. Of course that sunscreen kept running in their eyes all night long - it was beautiful.

On the way down to their Ahwahnee reception, we stopped off at a few places to take in the wildflowers and waterfalls. Shanna and Phillip were so in love and relaxed it was almost like we weren't even there. Meanwhile, a bus took all of their guests down to the Ahwahnee to enjoy cocktails, appetizers and good company. Once we all arrived at the hotel, Shanna and Phillip surprised all of their guests with a specially choreographed dance. Instantly the mood for the night was set, starting off the party right.

A four course dinner was served in the Solarium as toasts and memories were shared. Just like the ceremony, the words had a real weight to them and emotions ran deep. As the night moved forward and dinner ended the focus remained on relationships. Everyone would dance for a while, then step outside into the cool air to share a drink or a story under the stars, only to start the cycle again a few minutes later. Katie and I left Shanna and Phillip back at their cabins just as the after party started. I'm not sure how late it went that night, but I have a feeling the conversation was good.

Throughout the day and especially at the end of the night, Shann and Phillip kept talking about how everyone told them to make sure they stopped and enjoyed the wedding before it passed them by. This too they found out, didn't make sense. While they definitely took time to enjoy their wedding, there was no stopping. You can't enjoy life from the sidelines, you need to get right in the mix and soak it in - sharing hugs and tears. That is how they lived their wedding - right in the middle of it. Pretty darn cool if you ask me.

And after all of these photos, there is still one more picture to come soon.  Isn't there always one more with me?