Samira & Faraz Holman Ranch Wedding

Samira and Faraz had a multi-day event in keeping with their Pakastini background. The mehndi party was held a day before the wedding, at the Portola Hotel in Monterey. The couple’s friends had put together some highly entertaining performances and some choreographed Bollywood style dances. Colored glow sticks being waved around artfully made for some really great photographs, using a slower shutter speed to capture the movement. The cultural rituals and games made the evening fun for all.

Every wedding is different and has it’s own set of challenges, but one of the most dreaded challenges for any photographer shooting weddings is rain, especially cold rain. When we arrived at the Holman Ranch wedding venue the next day, we were greeted by a cold drizzle and occasional showers. Thanks to modern smart phones and surprisingly good 3G reception at Holman Ranch we kept checking the weather radar every 10 minutes to get a sense of the situation. The ceremony (Nikka) was held outside as planned with bucolic views of the Carmel Valley. A rainbow appeared just before the couple took their vows, a sign of good things to come! The weather never fully cleared, but the threat of heavy rain had subsided. The ceremony was touching and beautiful. It goes without saying that Holman Ranch is absolutely gorgeous, indoors and out.

After the ceremony Samira had a dress change, while the guests enjoyed some hors d’oeuvres and mingling in the cozy rooms at the ranch. Needless to say the rain and the delays it caused, put a serious dent into the planned schedule, in fact we never got to do our photo session with Samira and Faraz during daylight. Fortunately, we always come prepared and bring our own lights. Pressed for time, we managed a “blitz” portrait session with them, which may have set some kind of  speed shooting record! : -) Working in the dark is always a challenge, working in the dark with a cold drizzle and having no time  . . . well let’s say it keeps you on your toes! Fortunately Samira and Faraz didn’t let a little bad weather get in the way, and lit up the scenes with their beauty and radiant love for each other.

It was great working again with Filmmaker and wedding videographer Martin Meyer.

From Back Yard to Destination . . . Smrutha and Girish’s 3 Day Indian Wedding

What does Flamenco music, Convict Lake, wine-tasting and a incredibly fun Indian wedding have in common? The answer: Smrutha and Girish. Their wedding started out with a small ceremony on a Thursday in June. The ceremony started at 7:30am, which saw even the priest napping though he had determined that the stars were aligned best at that time. But even such an early ceremony would not keep Smrutha and Girish’s friends and family away. The ceremony was heart-felt, emotional and fun. The next day it was off to Convict Lake Resort, where the reception was going to take place on Saturday. Convict Lake is a beautiful Lake on the eastern side of the Sierras, close to Mammoth Lakes, which is about a 6-8 hour drive from San Francisco Bay Area. Everyone arrived in the late afternoon, where the festivities commenced with a BBQ. It became very clear to us that evening that this crew liked to party and dance and we soon felt like we had known everyone for years. Even some curious deer showed up to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately we were not able to party too late (we left at 1pm!) as we had scheduled an early morning portrait session with Smrutha and Girish on Mono Lake. Apparently we missed some really fun dancing

We started the next day bright and early, with the help of an awesome coffee shop in Mammoth Lakes (Stellar Brew) that had some of the best coffee we’ve had in a long time.  We met up with Smrutha and Girish at the resort and took them off to Mono Lake. Thanks to Marcel’s fly fishing habit he was very familiar with the area. We had a fun session at Mono Lake, and after shooting at a few other spots we rushed back to do some wine tasting. This was a first for us, as we have never helped a bride and groom pick wine for their reception. Needless to say, that we all had to have a short nap after that.

In the evening we met up with all the guests for some group shots at Convict Lake. The scenery was just breathtaking. Most of the guests were dressed in traditional Indian attire which made for some spectacular portraits in this alpine setting. The reception was held in a tent at the resort. The catering company drove in from San Francisco that day and created an exceptional Indian meal. They even brought their own clay oven to do the Naans, which were fantastic. The music during the reception was provided by the James Robinson Group, a bay area flamenco band. After the dinner was over, we all headed to the bar where the celebration really started. The James Robinson Group put up quiet a performance, and kept everyone on their feet. The vibe was so incredible that we somehow felt transported into a different time. At one point Meher couldn’t take it any more and put down her camera and started dancing.

Smrutha and Girish we had a great time and thanks for making us part of your family and friends.
You can see their slideshow here: http://www.marcelsieglephoto.com/clients/10-sg-slideshow.html