Kelly McCord Photography Blog

Jared and Ashley's Nestldown Wedding

I had the pleasure recently of shooting at one of my favorite locations - Nestldown, in the Santa Cruz mountains, with the beautiful Ashley and Jared!  It was a delight from start to finish.  Here are a few of my faves, or if you'd like to watch the slideshow, you can do so by clicking on Jared and Ashley's Nestldown wedding slideshow here.

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Leslie & Scott's Enchanting Nestldown (not Nestledown!) Wedding

First of all - I'm so sorry I've been gone so long!! I've been in crazy-wedding-editing land for the last few months, and I know this blog has seen neither hide nor hair of me, and I while it may look that way, I haven't abandoned the blog! I've just been extrememly busy. I've had the pleasure of  sh0ooting so  many amazing, fun, distinctive and gorgeous weddings in 2008, and I wanted to (properly) share them with you! And I would have done so along the way, however, due to all the time and energy I put into each one of my weddings I haven't been able to find the time to actually blog about them (and I like to talk about the day, not just throw up a bunch of photos, which is why blogging about them takes me a little extra time)!  But now the madness is finally easing up a bit, and so I thought I'd start back up again with one of my wonderful couples; Leslie and Scott, who had their wedding at one of my favorite wedding locations in the entire Bay Area; Nestldown!  First of all,  I must apologize to Leslie, as she's been wanting to see some of my favorites on the blog for awhile, and she has been incredibly patient in waiting on me to have time to write about her beautiful wedding! So thank you, Leslie, for your patience! Now, on to Scott and Leslie's Nestldown wedding!

(A quick aside: I learned last year that it's NOT Nestledown, but Nestldown, with no e! Yet every time I write it, I have to keep going back and deleting the e, since it seems like it should be there. Plus, for those of you who didn't know there was no e in Nestldown, I didn't want you to think I was continally mis-typing it). =)  Glad we could clear that up! Now on to Scott and Leslie's wedding!

I liked Scott and Leslie the moment I met them, when they came for a wedding consultation at my house. They were referred by a good friend of mine, Melina, and I was so glad she referred them to me.  Not only did I like Leslie and Scott right off the bat, but I was thrilled when I heard they were going to be married at Nestldown! Double bonus for me! And their wedding did not disappoint!  Not only was every detail carefully thought out, but they made such gorgeous choices! From the largest to the smallest details'. Everything was classy, yet stylish and modern.  The cake was completely different than any other cake I've ever seen, and all their other details were perfect for photographing them (and looked even better in person!),  the table-number cards, the place settings, the flowers (which were lovely) and bouttonieres and table arrangements, and all the other choices they made, it was just a lovely wedding, and very well done.  Leslie has great taste, and made my job super-easy! I'll talk about more in detail below.

(Another quick aside: As always, if you want to see the photos larger, click on them, and they'll pop up even bigger, and if you don't want to read all about their wedding, in detail, and just want to go directly to the slideshow, you can click here, to go to the slideshow, or if you just want to look at all my favorite pictures, and skip the words (I know I can be wordy!), then click here, and you'll be taken to below the jump to see a bunch of my favorite shots from their big day. ) 

Leslie, getting ready and putting her earrings on.

So as I said, I felt really lucky to be asked to shoot a couple weddings at Nestldown this year, and I say 'lucky' because I really do love it, for so many reasons and while I already discussed some of the distinctive features on Nestldown, in a previous post about another wedding I shot there, I thought I'd give you a quick refresher, in words and pictures, since it's been awhile. =)   To begin with, the property is not only so beautiful, but it's completely unique, as I talked about previously (the aforementioned post when I shot Jen and Jame's wedding there).  

The lovely bride.

I think is interesting that despite having all these amazing and distincltive features all around the property, from the road  you could easily pass Nestldown right by,  if you didn't know what you were looking for.  Nestldown's location is practically hidden up in the Santa Cruz mountains, and if you aren't looking for it, it's easy to miss, and the entrance is fairly non-descript.  Of course, since it's in the Santa Cruz mountains, it goes without saying that  of course it's in a gorgeous spot (as pretty much anywhere in the Santa Cruz mountains is); huge old-growth trees surround the property. There's a profusion of green trees abounding, in particular surrounding and creating the redwoood glen that serves as the ceremony location. The redwood glen is reached by a fairly steep set of stairs (and like the entrance to Nestldown itself, if you weren't looking for it, you might miss it). As you walk down the steep stairs you discover this incredible spot within a spot.  The ceremony glen (which feels almost like an outdoor cathedral), is a hollow, surrounded by all the old-growth trees, with a green bower at  the altar, which stands in front of a pretty little pond, and makes for such an enchanting ceremony spot, as you can see from the shot below:

Scott and Leslie kept the decor around the ceremony fairly minimal, with small green flower balls, tied to the backs of the chairs along the aisle, which kept all the focus on the beauty of the location itself.

Married!  I love the expression on Leslie's face -- such elation.

Surrounding the ceremony location there are nooks and crannies just waiting for photos to be taken.  The shot of Scott and Leslie below was taken just above where I stood to take the ceremony shot, (two photos above).  If you look (two shots above), you can see the little (willow?) bench. That's where they went to sit, immediately after the recessional, when I looked up (from shooting the guests leaving), and caught this sweet photo  (I was somewhat hidden amongst the foliage, and I don't think they were even aware of me -- or anyone else, for that matter, as they were in a little world of their own.

While it's fairly obvious that I love Nestldown's ceremony site, the rest of the property is just as beautiful, and as I said, Scott and Leslie took great advantage of it, using almost the entire property to perfection.  And while the redwood glen is certainly amazing and show-stopping,  it's only one of the many unique places dotting the property. To mention just a few: there is a mini-train and tracks snaking all throughout the grounds (which is such a great way to make a grand entrance into the reception, as Scott and Leslie did, as well as to entertain and give rides to the guests and their kids).  There is also a really nice (and I think relatively new) large barn, which sits alongside another sparkling pond, (topped with lilypads, and full of koi, and which I find myself unable to resist shooting continally -- there's food for the koi, and the guests were feeding them and of course, I was right there with them, snapping away!), and next to the barn and the pond is a large grassy area, where Scott and Leslie had the dining tables, for dinner.  

The barn area, where appetizers and drinks were served, with the barn in the background.

As I mentioned, I loved all of Leslie's choices.  They had multiple table centerpiece arrangements, (other styles below, after the jump). I particularly liked this one, with the three separate flower arrangements. 

From the lawn, as it started getting dark, everyone made their way into the barn, where all the dancing, cake cutting and revelry was held, (and I'll talk about all that fun and craziness more below). Oh! And I almost forgot, there is also an incredible tree fort, (which I used to do some of the groomsmen's photos, below), and a small, Alice In Wonderland house, just big enough for little girls, surrounded with shrubs shaped like animals, and next to the train tracks. When I tell you it's a dream, it really is! I don't think there's anywhere like it in the Bay Area.  

 

The groomsmen, up in the tree fort, for their portraits.

I love all the details, from the smallest of the flower choices...

I loved getting to be there, to shoot their big day, and one of the things that made it so fun for me, (besides Nestldown, whcih I love, an besides the gorgeous colors and flowers, was Scott, Leslie and their bridal party).  I  had a lot of fun shooting them all, and the guys were very sill and playful,, which is always fun for me; to have people who are totally at ease in front of the camera, and are in fact suggesting ideas for photos -- really, could a photographer ask for anything else? 

As I said, everyone was great, and the groomsmen were all very fun, (and silly, as above). Some of their 'portraits' were really funny too, they were suggesting shots right and left (some are below, after the jump). This was an impromptu shot, as he saw me walking around the reception, looking for different candid moments, and I whipped my camera up just in time to catch him! Too funny.

While the bridal party was great, the guests were really awesome too, they jumped right into dancing, and the dance floor was literally packed the entire night -- in fact, we got some incredible (and somewhat crazy; which I  have to admit, I love) photos from the dancefloor.  So I pulled some of my favorites to show on the blog (and there are more below, after the jump), but if you'd also like to see a slideshow from the big day, then you can do so by clicking here, to be taken directly to the slideshow.  

The dancing was SO crazy and fun!  The DJ did an incredible job, and kept everyone on the floor from the moment the dancing began, 'til Leslie and Scott left.  He also had some seriously awesome lighting, which allowed me to get some really fun shots, like the one below, which I absolutely LOVE!  

Really, I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but this was really such a fun, gorgeous, entertaining wedding!  The bride and groom, and their guests, friends and family were all fun and ready for a party, and of course, Nestldown looked beautiful -- Leslie did a great job, and the staff were quick, friendly and efficient and kept everything moving right on track the entire evening.  I was honored to be asked to shoot Leslie and Scott's wedding, and I had a great time, which I hope is conveyed by this blog post, (and hopefully I *don't* sound like a broken record!).  Thanks so much, Leslie and Scott!! 

If you want to see some more of my (many) favorite photos from the day, you can either go see the slideshow (link above), or, feel free to browse through some more of my favorites, after the jump, just click on, ''continue reading.." directly below.

Johnny and Jill's Wedding at Mission Santa Clara (SCU!) & Cinnabar Hills

Walking along the paths, at Cinnabar Golf Course. Love the paths. Love the texture.

I was so excited to shoot Johnny and Jill's wedding, because it was the first time I have ever been able to shoot at my alma mater, Santa Clara University,, (it also happens to be my husband's, sister's, and uncle K.C.'s alma mater), and it was also my first time getting to shoot at Cinnabar Hills, which was a really beautiful location to shoot at.  And of course, Santa Clara is not just a university, it's also a MISSION!  I guess I should be saying, they got married at Mission Santa Clara, as that's a little more apt.  And Cinnabar is a gorgeous golf course, which we got amazing photos at, as you'll see below.  I can't believe that was the first time I got to shoot at wedding at Santa Clara (given that's my school!), but it was, and I was thrilled to do so.

Johnny and Jill are just the cutest, and what I found really fun shooting them, is that they're really contrasty. I know that sounds silly, but because in coloring they're almost opposites, it made for some gorgeous photos (if I do say so myself). =)  She's so fair; super light blond hair, gorgeous creamy complection, and these stunning bright blue eyes, and he's got this amazing darker skin (all-year 'round tan, I'm so jealous!), black hair and dark eyes, and I just think they look so stunning together.  So yes, they're adorable, but they're also really sweet, kind people, and they were really fun to get to know.  If you'd like to check out Johnny and Jill's Santa Clara University and Cinnabar Hills wedding photo slideshow, you can do so by clicking here.  There are also a bunch of my favorites posted within this post, and if you click on, 'Continue reading...' below, you'll be able to see even more of my favorites.

I love this shot, it's the moment right before the make-up artist but the blush brush to her cheek to finish her makeup, but she just looks so quiet and sweet, and I love me some natural light!

We did their engagement shoot at Captiola Village and Beach (which, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I ever posted here, but we got SUCH great photos from their engagement shoot, I should totally post those!), and they were game for anything I threw at them for portraits, and because of that, we got some really beautiful bridal portraits, both at Santa Clara and at Cinnabar Hills.  It was a great wedding, and they seemed so perfect for one another, I hope I get to shoot their family portraits when they decide to go that route, because they're going to have some seriously gorgeous kids!  Speaking of gorgeous kids; their flower girl and ring bearers were absolutely adorable, and I got some really fun shots of them, in fact, I posted some of the shots I took of the little ones below, so you could see.

So thanks Johnny and Jill, for choosing me to shoot your wedding photos!  I was thrilled to get to shoot a wedding at Santa Clara University (finally), and also to get to shot at Cinnabar Hills for the first time, so thank you, and thanks for being so great at every point along the way!!

A different kind of ring shot...

Heather and Chris - The Album

One of my favorite weddings that I shot last year, with one of my favorite families, was Heather and Chris's at Villa Montalvo (one of my favorite wedding sites). And my favorite florists Susi (my Aunt), and Katie, of of Susi's Flowers did the beautiful flowers.  It was another one of those weddings where everything is perfect; the choices made, all the details, the people. It was not only beautiful, but it was fun.  I have hardly uploaded any of my 2006 weddings, because I've been so busy, but now that things are slowing down for the next couple months (okay 2 months), I'm going to be showing you guys a lot more from last year.  So to start, here's the album Ross designed for me, of Heather and Chris' wedding. 

I asked him to design this one.  It's a bit more arty than my standard albums, but I wanted to show a more artistic side, and we thought this wedding woud be the perfect one to design around. It's got a lot of artistic elements; swirls and flourishes --  I think the arty touches really add to the look and feel of the album.

If you'd like to see the album, you can do so by clicking here; Heather and Chris' Villa Montalvo Wedding Album.

There are a couple things to note, first of all, I didn't put the cover in the slideshow, so I included it here (the red cover, above), and the album is a horizontal layout, so it's longer horizontally than it is  vertically.  And because the album showcase software that I use doesn't have a horizontal layout, I put it in the square layout, so you can see how it looks, but there is a lot of white space on the top and bottom of the pages, which isn't how it looks in person.   I love the design of this album, and Ross did such a great job. I love how it turned out, and while it looks even better in person,  this at least gives an idea of what it looks like. 

I loved shooting Heather and Chris, not just their wedding, but their engagement shoot, as well.   And I'm so blessed to be shooting Heather's sister, Oriana, later this year, which will be, I'm sure, another great wedding

Nestledown (or Nestldown) Wedding Slideshow

I just finished editing Jennifer and James' wedding photos. It was so fun seeing them all again, as I've shot so many weddings since theirs, it was like seeing their wedding again for the first time.  Their wedding was at Nestldown, this absolutely incredible location up in the Santa Cruz mountains.  I'd never shot there, and it was so much fun; from the wedding in the redwood glen, to the mini train around the property, the children's fairy-cottage, and animal shaped topiaries, it was a magical place.

Nestldown's  redwood glen was one of the most beautiful ceremony locations I've ever seen.  And, to add to the gorgeousness, Jen decided to use my incredible Aunt Susi to do her flowers of fabulousness. I'm posting a bunch of flower shots, just so you can see for yourself. Susi's a local florist, and I recommend her to all my brides. It's not just nepotism, she really is the best in town, especially at her rates. She's very reasonable, and she and Katie are truly artists.  You can see for yourself below. But if you want to check out some more of her work, you can see her new website, by clicking here.

I made a slideshow of my favorite shots from their wedding, which can be found by clicking here.  If you're not interested in the slideshow, I've posted a few of my favorite shots below, after the jump. The wedding was a lot of fun; everybody danced, it was a beautiful day, and James and Jen were a lot of fun, and up for anything.  Congratulations to both of them, and thanks - I had a great time shooting your wedding!

NOTE: I just realized that it's NOT NestlEdown, it's Nestldown, without the E, sorry about that, Nestldown, I had no idea!! =)

 

Ring of Fire

A few weeks ago, we were having one of the most out-of-control heat waves in my memory.  And to make it even worse, I had to work in one of the hottest days of that heat wave. I wrote about it on my personal blog, about how I (literally) almost passed out a few times. It was defenitely the most physically taxing wedding I've ever shot.  However, the couple, Peter and Emilie, who I talked about before, (when I posted their engagement photos), were troopers, and I had a great time shooting their wedding.  And everybody had a great time, despite the heat. It was a really fun day. (Plus, I really loved their music selection,we like a lot of the same music, and that's always a big plus with me.)

It was the first time I've ever shot a wedding up at Quail Hollow Ranch, and it was  a very fun place to shoot, and Emilie and Peter's theme of honey bees was so charming, I couldn't stop taking photos of all the details -- I think I probably took about 20 pictures of the cake from a gazillion differnt angles.  I was really into their cake.

Anyhow, despite the 112 degree heat, I really loved how their photos turned out. So I made a slideshow, so you could see their wedding, encapsulated.   If you want to see all 800-or so photos, and the wedding in its entirety,  you can do that by clicking here.

Incidentally, it was at this wedding, that I took my 'award-winning' shot. (How obnoxious of me to keep bringing that up, huh?). But if you missed that post, you can click here to see it. =)

Celebs, Suites, The Good Life and More

That's a commercial shot of my sister as model, for my friend Kiersten's company, which I'll explain more below.

Also, I shot my couple-that-I-can't-tell-you-about  last week for their engagement shoot. It was so fun and amazing, and I wish I could show you the photos, and tell you all about it. And I may be able to at some point, but not now.

I will say, shooting someone who is absolutely sure of herself in front of a camera, and used to doing it, is an incredible thing for a photographer, and I think the pictures reflect that.

In other news, our family flew down to L.A. this weekend, to support my friend Kiersten, with a pre-Oscar event her company was invited to participate in. Have you heard of gifting suites? If not, here's a quick run-down.  Celebrities are invited to come 'shop' (which isn't really shopping, because they're giving products away for free) at a gifting event.  So Kiersten was invited to show at this event (which means, give her products away for free).  And because I'm a photographer and because it was also her 30th birthday that weekend (and I wanted to be with her for that anyway), we decided to go down and support her. 

So last Tuesdsay Kiersten overnighted me her latest products for Milkdudz, and my sis and I got to work. If you want to see all the shots from the photo shoot for Milkdudz, you can do so by clicking here. Those are all Kiersten's prouducts, featuring my sister, my daughter Sofia and my nephew Maddox. If you want to hear about my trip to L.A., (or see some celeb shots) continue after the jump...