Heidi Ryder Photography: The Blog » Southern California and Destination Wedding Photography

Sherry and Aaron got married at the gorgeous home of Aaron’s brother in Simi Valley. I actually met this lovely couple on their wedding day, which is always slightly nerve wracking because you never know how well you’re going to click. I soon realized I had absolutely nothing to worry about because these people are so genuine and kind it was impossible not to click with them.

Their wedding was a simple and elegant affair and it was such an honor to witness the celebration. Their friends and family were so happy for them and it was clear that the couple is madly in love. That’s the stuff memorable weddings are made of. Sherry and Aaron, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your day. I know your life together is going to be wonderful and full of so much love!

The other vendors:
DJ: Raul of Elegant Event Entertainment
Caterer: Red’s Barbecue
Cake: Westlake Village Viktor Benes Bakery
Second Shooter: Jenny Smith

Sherry wasn’t interested in having photos of her getting ready, but the room she got dressed in was so beautiful, it would have been a shame not to photograph it.

I asked Sherry if she wanted to get a head start on Aaron and warm up to the camera first with some portraits and she decided that was a good idea. She looked absolutely stunning, don’t you agree?

During the ceremony, I was so moved by the way these two stared into each other’s eyes. Their love for each other is very obvious.

Married!

This photo cracks me up. These kids were mesmerized by the disassembling of the cake. They stood there like that the entire time. Hilarious!

Sherry and Aaron got the dance party started and their friends and family quickly followed suit. It was so fun to watch them all cut a rug, and they were all dancing away even when it was time for me to go home. Such a great party!

Congratulations, Sherry and Aaron!

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I’ve got a bunch of stuff to blog. Truth is, I don’t know if and when I will get to them and I’ve decided not to give myself a hard time about it, so please accept this non-work blog post as a substitute. Hopefully I’ll catch up at some point.

I’m like many other photographers in that I am often not in photographs because I’m always the one taking the picture. I can’t say that I’m personally bothered by this – I’ve definitely got some “problem areas” and the less photographic evidence there is of that the better, I say!

However, I was pleased as punch when I got these behind the scenes shots in my inbox the other day. They’re from Annie and Robin’s engagement session and were taken by Annie’s friend Stacey, who joined us on the shoot and kept an eye on Tipper when he wasn’t in the spotlight.

These are some of the first photos that I have of myself in action and I think they’re fun. Thanks, Stacey!

When I first met Annie at our consultation meeting, she couldn’t talk about Robin without a smile and a sort of giggle. It was obvious he made her laugh, even when she didn’t want to admit it. I could tell this was a fun couple and know their wedding is destined to be fun. I’ve been looking forward to this engagement session because I knew the two of them together would be equal parts hilarious and adorable.

The three of us met at Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino because Annie and Robin wanted some photos made in the Chinese and Japanese gardens there. The gardens are a nod to their culture and their upcoming wedding, which will include many awesome surprises that I cannot wait to document.

Robin began making Annie giggle and smile immediately, which helped us all warm up really quickly! It was a challenge not to crack up the entire time, myself – it’s hard to look through a camera’s viewfinder when you’re doubled over with laughter! But, I managed and I think we got some lovely shots that are reflective of this amazing couple.

Here are a few of my favorites from the Huntington Gardens.

Robin kept striking intentionally cheesy poses and Annie would try to her best to act annoyed for a second, but ultimately all anyone could do is laugh.

Every once in a while I managed to get some serious ones in, though.

After we finished up at the gardens, we all loaded into one car and Robin drove us out to Malibu for some beachy goodness. Annie and Robin brought their dog, Tipper, along for the ride. As soon as he was let out of his little carrier, he hopped right up on my lap and I was instantly smitten.  When we got to Paradise Cove, I began snapping away and made sure to get some good ones of my new best friend – who got dressed up especially for me!

I couldn’t decide which I liked best out of these next two, so I picked them both! This is my blog, so I can do that sort of thing.

Annie and Robin, thank you so much for spending that marathon day with me! I wouldn’t want to be held hostage in a car headed to Malibu by anyone else. See you in September!

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I am not a pet photographer. You know this, and I know this. I’m definitely not venturing into that world with these photos, but I did have a lot of fun with Duke.

Duke is the beloved dog of my very close friend, Alicia. Last week Duke was diagnosed with cancer and Alicia is (naturally) devastated. When she told me, I did my best to console her, as friends do in these situations, but I felt helpless because I knew there was nothing I could say or do to make her feel better. I knew just how much Alicia loves this dog. She talks about him a lot and is constantly taking pictures of him with her crappy camera phone and showing them to me. This dog is adored.

A couple of days after Alicia gave me the news, I noticed she had posted some pictures of Duke to her Facebook page. I think most of them were from her camera phone because Duke looked like a blur of fur in most of them. It suddenly occurred to me what I could do: I could take some nice photos of Duke for Alicia to have for always. She accepted the offer happily and yesterday the three of us spent some time in the park.

You’d never know by looking at these photos that Duke is sick. He’s still got a light in his eyes and I honestly think he looks like a puppy, his face is so adorable! Underneath all that fur, though, he’s skin and bones and his walk has turned into more of a wobble. Despite that, Duke was a very sweet dog with tons of patience and you could tell he isn’t uncomfortable or in any pain.  It was a real pleasure to take some doggy portraits of Duke and I hope Alicia and her family love them!

Putting hats on Duke is a favorite pastime in Alicia’s house, so we obviously needed to get some shots of him in his favorite hats.

Not gonna lie, I’m absolutely in love with these next two. The one of Duke by himself makes me a little weepy.

Thanks for being my best canine client so far, Duke! You are a really great dog.

Annie and Joe had a charming ranch wedding at Lake Oak Meadows in Temecula on a perfectly overcast day. The excitement in the air was palpable among friends and family in attendance. This was a happy day. Before the ceremony, Annie got ready with her bridesmaids, mother and mother-in-law while Joe and his guys hung out on the other side of the venue. As Annie spoke about the days leading up to the wedding and the typical stress involved with planning such a big event, she mentioned Joe as he one thing that kept her sane. They are best friends and both of their faces lit up the minute they saw each other. It was such an honor to be a witness to this very special day. The über-talented Heather Kincaid invited me along to shoot this wedding with her, so a big thank you to her and to Annie and Joe for being so welcoming. Here is their day.

I had a lot of fun with the juxtaposition of Annie’s fancy dress and shoes against the country roughness of this cabin at Lake Oak Meadows.

Annie’s bracelet was amazing!

I’m in love with this next image on the left. There’s just something so timeless about a little flower girl standing back to watch a bride get ready on her wedding day. This particular flower girl was in absolute awe of Annie.

The flower girls and ring bearers were just so sweet!

I loved all of the charming details.

Best wishes to you, Annie and Joe!

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One year ago today I stood up in a beautiful dress and, in front of my friends and family, promised to spend the rest of forever with my best friend. It was a  promise was six years in the making and now, a year later, I’m amazed at how much my love and devotion has continued to grow. I’d make the promise again a million times over, because that’s how much I mean it. It’s been a lovely seven years together, but this past year has been the most special, by far.

Of course marriage is not all sunshine and rainbows, but what is, really? Our time together has not been without its hardships. Arguments, hurt feelings and annoyances rear their heads at the most inopportune times, but that’s life. We both know that neither of us is going anywhere. And so, we learn from our mistakes, apologize for our weaknesses and move forward, hand in hand. We’re partners, together taking on whatever comes our way.

Chris- Happy One-Year Anniversary, bud! My world is a better place with you in it and I am a better person because you love me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for loving me.

We’re in Santa Barbara right now, enjoying each other’s company at a little Bed & Breakfast near the beach. I can only imagine we are having a lovely time. I wrote this on Thursday and it self-published today (isn’t technology grand?), so no, I am not ignoring my husband on our anniversary by blogging.

Happy 4th of July, everyone! I hope you’re spending it with your best friend, just like I am.