Kelly McCord Photography Blog

Stephanie and Travis at the Santa Rosa Golf Club

        (Stephanie, getting ready, above)

I am so behind in posting, because I've been editing and editing and editing weddings like a it's going out of style. So much editing, thaat I haven't had time to blog.  And, I have so many weddings to show you all, and I've got three new wedding slideshows to show you (and more to come soon), but I want to give each couple their own post, so I decided to not just list each slideshow/wedding to  check out, because these couples all deserve their own post!

(The photo above features bridesmaids out of the catalog, 'Beautiful Bridesmaids R Us.' If that makes no sense, keep reading below...)

So I'll start with Stephanie and Travis's wedding.  I had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie and Travis through a dear friend from Santa Clara university (where I went to college) Eileen (who used to be a Briggs, and who's now a Brinker), who happens to be Stephanie's  sister-in-law (or, Eileen is married to the brides brother, Aaron).  So I knew Eileen, and Eileen told Stephanie about me.  And, keeping it all in the family, Eileen's sister, Julie, who I've written about quite a bit on this blog (here, here ,  and here, to name a few times,) was the wedding coordinator (and I met Julie through Eileen, as well, first when I was her wedding photographer, and then later, we've worked together on a few weddings I shot and Julie coordinated.  I've said it before, but I'll say it again, if you're getting married, I highly, HIGHLY encourage you to have a wedding coordinator, and if you're going to have a wedding coordinator, you should have Julie.  But I'm digressing... 

...but before I get back on the subject, another quick digression!  Above is Eileen, with her daughter Mia, check out how much Mia's grown, here's a shot of Mia and Eileen, (that incidentally is almost the exact same pose), from when we did their family shoot last year, look at how big shes' gotten! And isn't she a gorgeous girl? 

So I met Stephanie and Travis through Eileen, and I'm so glad she introduced me to them, as I really enjoyed getting to know both Stephanie and Travis, and their families.  The ceremony was at the family church, and the reception was at the lovely Santa Rosa Golf club. I knew Stephanie and her mom Julie had worked together planning, and working really hard for months to make the room so gorgeous, and I figured it would be beautiful, but it was even more gorgeous than I expected.  They really had thought of every detail.  Everywhere I turned there were overflowing vases of fresh cut, white flowers, and glowing candles sparkled on every surface, and the smell of fresh flowers literally wafted through the air (and I'm not saying that to sound poetic, there was such a glorious abundance of flowers -  they were so beautiful, and the scent was everywhere. I'm a total flower girl, and to be in a space that was not only beautiful to the eye, but to the nose also, only reinforced how much thought and consideration had gone into this day -  they even took care of smell!  The best word to describe it was elegant.  I know I'm going on and on, but it really was lovely.  If I've captured your attention, and you want to see for yourself,  and you want to see Stephanie and Travis's wedding photo slideshow, you can do so by clicking here: Stephanie and Travis's pictures.

The shots above are just a few of the arrangements - they had different arrangements on every table, and like I said, there were flowers EVERYwhere, on every surface, even the gorgeous fireplaces in the room were bedecked with flowers, there's a shot of them (below) giving a toast where you can see what I"m talking about). But aren't the flowers so elegant?

So the room, like I said, was lovely, and Stephanie looked stunning, and Travis looked great, and it was one of those weddings where every member of the bridal party was pretty, you almost thought she'd picked them on prettiness alone, or ordered them out of a catalog. =) Anyhow, it was a beautiful day, and I really enjoyed getting to shoot this wedding. And completely aside from the divine wedding, I also have to say that Stephanie and Travis have both been great on a personal level -- they were incredibly patient with getting their photos.  I've had a couple computer/software things go down in the last couple weeks (which I'm going to write about soon, so check back in a week or so to hear about the saga of  my computer), that had made their photos take a lot longer than I (and they) would have liked, and while I know Stephanie was dying to see the photos, she was nothing but gracious and patient, and I am so grateful that she was so understanding. I feel like I get the best brides, (sometimes I wonder if they're choosing me, or I'm choosing them?),=)   but when glitches happen, and they are still great, then I feel really incredibly blessed. So Stephanie, thank you, again, for being so wonderful about having to wait a little extra to get your photos. It was an honor to be asked to be included in your day.

If you'd like to see more of my favorite shots, you can do so by clicking, 'continue reading,' below, or if you'd rather just watch the slideshow, then click here instead, and go check out the slideshow.  As always, the photos are clickable, if you want to see them larger...

(Above is a shot of me, shooting Stephanie and Eileen) I thought it was kinda fun, just because I'm usually the one behind the camera.)

Also, like I said, I've got a bunch of weddings to share with you, so I'm going to be posting more slideshows and talk about some of the weddings I've had this season in the next few days, so stay tuned...

Award Winning! AGWPJA

I've written before about how I'm a amember of the WPJA, and also how when I entered my first contest with the WPJA that I placed, and could now be considered 'award-winning'.

Well, I entered the most recent [AG]WPJA contest .  The [AG]WPJA is the 'Artistic Guild' of the Wedding Photojournalist Association, a sub-group of the WPJA, which is -- from the site: "A group of international wedding photojournalists, who  capture unscripted wedding moments as they happen, and excel in the art of post-production image processing," or basically -- you're good at  not only capturing images ina photojounalistic style, but that you're good at Photoshop/post-processing after you've shot the images).   To be listed as a member of the [AG]WPJA (and not just the regular WPJA), you have to have placed in the top ten in one of their contests to be considered a 'member' and listed. 

So, all that to say -- I entered the most recent contest, and placed in the top ten!! So I'm now a member of the WPJA, and the [AG]WPJA.  I'm thrilled, because I think my post-processing is one of the things that sets me apart, and I'm glad to be recognized because of it. 

The above shot is the the image that placed. If you want to see it on the site, you can see it by clicking here. I entered it in the 'details' category. The judges comments were:  Classic, timeless elegance is reflected in this well toned image. The vertical lines of the veil contrast the looped hair which is offset by the ornaments. It's a simple moment that has been pushed along by great toning.

Anyhow, I'm thrilled to have another 'award-winning' image!  Especially because I really love this image -- it's just nice to be recognized doing something you love and have so much passion about.  I also recently had another image get into a wedding magazine.  I'll scan it and show it to you guys soon!

Jacey and Pat's Album

I've been in the trenches trying to catch up and finish editing the rest of the weddings from 2006. Because I was able to be with my grandma for the last few weeks of her life, I had to take a break from photo editing in order to be with her, in her last days. So while I'm incredibly grateful to have had that time with her, it has put me really behind in editing. I'm so grateful to the amazing clients I have, who have been more than understanding about the whole situation.

Not only am I frantically trying to catch up with finishing my weddings, but also trying to get ready for the wedding fair, which  means getting my albums together, to show my more recent work.  Ross has been really helping me put the albums together (what a lucky girl I am, to have such an incredible designer as a husband!!).  One of the albums we made, was from Jacey and Pat's wedding. I really love how it turned out. If you want to see this album, you can do so by clicking here.

Thanks again, to my clients for being so great, and SO understanding.  It really meant a lot to me to get to spend so much time with my dear grandma, in the last few weeks of her life.  So thank you for understanding that, and being so patient. I want you to k now I have (literally) been working around the clock trying to finish up your weddings. For example, I was up 'til 6a.m. this morning, slept from 6-11a.m., and then Ross woke me up with a Red Bull, and I'm off again. I've been keeping a nutty pace like that for the last 2 weeks, trying to get back on top of everything. I obviously can't keep up that pace for much longer, but if I can finish editing the rest of my 2006 weddings, I'll relax and go back to a not-insane schedule.

Jacey and Pat at Meadowood in Napa

Jacey and Pat hired me, sight unseen, after recommendations from the Briggs sisters.  Jacey contacted me after  viewing my work online and hired me. So I had no idea what their personalities were like, or even what they looked like until we met in San Francisco to shoot their engagement portraits. 

They were one of those couples that you like right away. They're fun and outgoing, and from a photography perspective, they're good looking, and game for anything, and willing to try lots of different things. As we walked around Golden Gate Park, talking about their wedding, I could tell it was going to be  a fun one to shoot. And after I got home and saw their engagement portraits (some of my all-time favorites), I was even more excited to shoot their wedding.  About a month before their wedding, I went and toured Meadowood, an absolutely stunningly gorgeous resort in Napa, where the ceremony and reception were located. And after seeing the location, I was even more excited. 

This was a wedding, where everything was perfect; the bride and groom, the location, all the people (there were so many great people, both bridal party, friends and family), the details, the colors, the attire, how well-run the event was -- you name it, it had been carefully thought about and executed perfectly.  Jacey looked stunning, from the top of her Monique Lhuillier dress, to the tips of her gold Manolo Blahniks. The bridesmaids were adorable, and the groomsmen and Pat, handsome and dashing. The location was beautiful, and Jacey's choices from the flowers to the place-settings were impeccable. Every detail was considered. And the staff was on top of everything. Once we were in the car and on our way home, Kim and I looked at each other and just said, 'Wow!'  Now don't get me wrong, I fall in love w ith every wedding I shoot. I really do, which is why I feel like I was made for wedding photography. And while I love every wedding I shoot,  it's really rare when everything comes together in such a way that everything feels absolutely perfect. From the moment I met Jacey and Pat, from the incredible engagement shots we got, (and I hope this doesn't sound like I'm ringing my own bell, but we did get some great shots, (if you want to see the engagement shots, click here), to the end of the wedding things just came together beautifully.

If you can't tell, by now, then let me be blunt -- I absolutely LOVE this wedding, and I'm so excited to show you the photos.  If you want to see all the photos, in their entirety, you can do so by clicking here.  If you want to see the slideshow, (which I really urge you to go check out, because like I said, this is a fun wedding to see - even if you're another bride, it will probably inspire you). To check out the slideshow, click here.  Or, if you want to just see a few of my multidude of favorites, I've posted a few below, so just click on the 'continue reading' link to see a few select shots.  And finally, thanks to the Leverty's for choosing me to shoot your wedding, it was an honor and a delight, and I hope you love the photos as much as I do.

 

Napa Getaway Weekend

Click here to see all the photos from our Napa trip!

Ross and I had the privilege to be able to go on a long-weekend to Napa at the end of August, with our dear friends, Kiersten and Brad. I've finally posted a pictorial, on flickr, if you want to check them out, click on the link above. And if you want to read a little more about the trip, you can read about it on my personl blog, by clicking here.

I love this photo, that I took at Kunde Estate Winery, a lot.

 

Bryan and Alicia

I was privileged to be contacted by Bryan and Alicia almost a year ago, while they were living abroad in Japan.  They found me through my personal blog, and hired me site unseen (which it seems more and more people do lately),  and our first meeting was out their engagmenet shoot in Monterey.

I liked them instantly, and grew to like them even more, after watching them interact on their wedding day. I really like all my bridal couples, but just like in life, there are some that you really click with.  That's the case with Bryan and Alicia.  They are really both great people, and so sweet and kind to one another. 

Alicia (my assistant) and I drove up to Rohnert Park, which is quite a trek coming from Watsonville, and they put us up overnight, so we didn't drive home bleary-eyed and exhausted after the wedding.  When we arrived, Alicia (the bride) met us at the door, in a bundle of nerves. I haven't seen a bride that nervous in a long time. But, she also said the sweetest thing. She said, "I keep telling myself to calm down, I'm a Kelly McCord bride, and everything is going to be great."  I mean really, how great is that?  Alicia and I tried to keep her calm, and fielded questions and concerns at the ceremony site. Every time the door would open where she was getting ready, I could almost physically see her jump. Once the ceremony started, and she saw Bryan waiting for her at the end of the aisle, it seemed like all of the nerves vanished.  The reception was a lot of fun -- the crowd really got into the dancing, and nobody was shy having the camera pointed at them. From a photographer's perspecive, it doesn't get any better.

Their wedding day was really beautiful, and some of the shots I got, I absolutely love.  Alicia is gorgeous, both inside and out, and I think that shines through in the photos. (Bryan, you're great too!). =)  So I uploaded a few of my favorites (okay, a lot of my favorites), and I also made a slideshow. I'm really proud of the photos at this wedding, I really love how they came out.

To view more photos, continue reading.

To view the slideshow, click here.