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

I’ve been waiting for this wedding for well over a year! When Nick and Jessica hired me to photograph their wedding in Jessica’s home state of Rhode Island, I was super duper excited but the day felt SO. FAR. AWAY because they hired me over a year and a half in advance! Well, time sure does fly when you’re shooting lots of weddings because before I knew it, Nick and Jessica’s wedding day was here and I was on my way to Rhode Island.

This was my first trip to New England, and I was taken aback by how remarkably beautiful the area is. It was quite an experience to drive on roads and walk through buildings that were so much older than the city of Los Angeles. Everything is historic, each nook and cranny has a story. I loved it. Nick and Jessica have a story, too, and one of the biggest milestones of that story is this day that I had the pleasure of photographing. It was a long and beautiful day and I have lots I want to share, so I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking.

But first, I’d like to thank Jessica and Nick for inviting me to be a part of such an amazing day. I have really loved getting to know you two better over the past year and a half and I especially love seeing you both surrounded by so much love and happiness on your wedding day. I’m excited to watch the rest of your story unfold.

And now, onto the photos! To see more from Nick and Jessica’s wedding day, click here to watch their slideshow!

Jessica and her bridesmaids got ready at the house Jessica grew up in. Jessica’s mom passed away six years ago, but she was very much a presence throughout the day.  In Jessica’s childhood underwater-themed bedroom, a painting of her mom on her own wedding day watched over Jessica’s wedding shoes.

Jessica re-used her mom’s wedding dress many times over. Most of it was re-made into a rehearsal dress for Jessica, but the buttons were saved for the back of Jessica’s dress. I love how flawlessly the new dress and old buttons come together.

I spotted a sunflower field down the road from the church and immediately chose it as a location for portraits. Jessica and Nick were delighted when I told them because sunflowers are Nick’s favorite flower. Love when things fall into place like that!

We stopped by the Inn where Nick and Jessica would stay on the wedding night. It and everything nearby was so charming!

You just can’t get photos with a backdrop like this anywhere in Southern California.

Nick and Jessica’s first dance was amazing. It was a waltz and was choreographed so beautifully, everyone was on their feet and wowed the entire time. They did a great job!

Nick’s parents are also no longer with us, so Nick asked his oldest sister, Aimee, to dance with him during what would normally be the mother-son dance.

The rest of the night was one big dance party complete with a live band, led by Jessica’s brother Tommy. To see these and more fun photos from the day, watch the slideshow!

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Alexandra and Michael had a lovely intimate wedding at the Los Angeles Arboretum’s rose garden, a place I’ve shot at before and love returning to. I’ve been looking forward to this wedding since I met Alexandra and Michael many months ago. After having fun with them during their Disneyland engagement session, I knew I was in for a lovely day during their wedding. I was prepared for blistering heat, too, but thanks to our unseasonably mild summer the weather was beautiful and the temperatures lovely. It was a perfect day for a wedding.

Thank you, Alexandra and Michael, for allowing me to share in such a special day. It was truly an honor to witness the love you have for each other. Hope you had a wonderful honeymoon, now it’s time to enjoy married life! Here are a few of my favorites…

The day started at the apartment the couple shares where Alexandra stepped into her gorgeous Maggie Sottero dress. The stunning hair and makeup on Alexandra and her bridesmaids is the work of Kelly Zhang‘s team.

iXora Floral Studio are responsible for the amazing flowers.

I love the way these two look at each other. So much love!

Alexandra and Michael allowed lots of time for portraits around the Arboretum, which was a lot of fun for me!

The reception was held at the Rococo Room at Cafe Santorini in Pasadena. Such a cozy place for a small reception. It was lovely. As was this cake made by Fantasy Frostings!

So, Michael proposed to Alexandra at their favorite restaurant and, unbeknownst to her, had someone filming the entire proposal. He shared the video with everyone at the reception and it was quite sweet.

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Bianca and Chad’s wedding day was as fun as it was beautiful. Stone Manor is one of the most gorgeous venues I’ve had the privilege of shooting at. There are amazing nooks and crannies everywhere you turn and an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean that can’t be beat. My favorite part of this day, though, was watching Chad and Bianca together. On a wedding day, no matter how relaxed and fun, there is a lot going on. It’s easy to get caught up in the action, but these two were more relaxed than anyone and seemed to communicate quietly to one another all day long by sharing knowing looks, quick glances, and warm smiles. It’s quite obvious these two are best friends and love each other so much.

Chad and Bianca, it was such a pleasure to share in this day with you. Your family and friends are amazing, and so are the two of you. Enjoy the beginning of married life together in beautiful Vermont!

Venue: Stone Manor, Malibu, CA
Planner: Center of Attention Events

Chad and Bianca chose to do a First Look. It’s one of my favorites to date.

Bianca and Chad’s sweet dog, Tappy, served as their ring bearer. She did such a good job!

Chad and Bianca’s all-male bridal party consisted of  really awesome dudes.

Okay, so, for their first dance, Chad and Bianca performed a choreographed hip-hop number that was AWESOME.  The groomsmen and bridesmen even joined in at the end. So fun.

Their dance set the tone for some awesomely awesome dancing  for the rest of the night. My job is a lot more fun when everyone’s on the dance floor busting a move.

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Martha and John picked quite a lovely day to have a wedding by the beach. The sun was shinning, the weather was perfect and the couple’s family and dearest friends were there to celebrate. Perfect. You may remember John and Martha from their Los Angeles engagement session at the Silent Movie Theatre and the Urban Light installation outside of LACMA. One of my favorite sessions, so needless to say, I was excited for the wedding! Thanks to my friend Jen Grant for the help on this day, and to these wonderful vendors for helping Martha and John’s day run smoothly:

Venue: Malibu West Beach Club
Catering: Maison Catering
Coordinatory: Wish Wonder Dream
Florals/Rentals: CFS Design
DJ: Cody of Feet First DJs
Makeup/Hair: Joyce P. Luck

Congratulations, Martha and John! It was such an honor to be a part of your wedding day. Thanks for having us!

For their guestbook, Martha and John set out squares of fabric and pens so that guest could write personal messages to the couple. The squares will later be sewn into a quilt for them to keep forever.

Beach balls were brought out for the wedding party portraits and I had the bright idea of having them throw them right at me. I will risk my life for fun photos! Because, you know, beach balls are super dangerous. Practically lethal weapons.

I was in LOVE with the three-piece linen suits the guys wore. And did I mention Martha made her wedding dress herself?! Yes, she is amazing and it was gorgeous and she looked AMAZING in it.

Back at the reception, guests were finding their seats using this fun seating chart. Martha and John pinned polaroid pictures of each guest to a huge canvas. Each print had a table assignment written on it. It was so fun watching everyone find their picture!

Martha and John’s friend (and one of my 2009 brides!), Annie, made tons of lovely macarons as favors. They were gorgeous and I’m amazed by people who can make something so incredibly delicate and beautiful.

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Robin and Alejandro’s wedding at Happy Trails in Pasadena took place on a perfectly lovely summer afternoon. You may remember these two from their La Cañada engagement session. I was looking forward to this wedding because I knew it would be a really casual and fun day, and I was so right!

Robin and Alejandro wanted a simple wedding. No fanfare, no first dance, no cake cutting – just a lovely luncheon with family and friends preceded by a wedding ceremony. The result was a perfect fit for this laid back couple. A beautiful garden-like setting, delicious food, beautiful flowers and lots of love and laughter to go around. My friend Mary Chrisman was there to capture the day with me and we both had an amazing time. Thanks for the help, Mary!

Robin and Alejandro, thank you so much for allowing me to be apart of your wedding day. It was a joy and an honor. <3

Here are some of my favorites…

All of the florals were done by Debbie Fields of Floral Fields. She did an amazing job and I was in love with Robin’s bouquet.

Robin found her super cute earrings at J. Crew and her dress is by Maggy London. Absolutely perfect for a wedding luncheon, don’t you think?

I thought Alejandro looked quite dapper in his custom suit and super cool tie.

I was so pleased to see that Robin and Alejandro had a guestbook made with photos from their engagement session. I think it’s one of the best ways to actually utilize engagement photos!

The thing I like most about Happy Trails is that ceremonies are held under this huge, beautiful tree. So lovely.

Alejandro is a musician and so he chose the band that would play the music at their wedding. The LA Jazz Band was awesome and they really added to laid back vibe of the entire day.

Instead of traditional wedding cake, guests feasted on chocolate cake, pecan bars and even strawberry shortcake for dessert. YUM.

The girl in the left shot of in the striped dress is Robin’s matron of honor, Ingrid. I thought her dress was adorable, wouldn’t you agree?

After lunch, Alejandro asked the band if he could play a song with them. The drummer stepped aside and Alejandro proceeded to wow the guests with his skills. He’s seriously talented and look how cool he looks behind the drums in his snazzy suit!

Since most of the weddings I shoot are very long days that end very late at night, I’m not usually around until the very end when the bride and groom leaves. The nice thing about this wedding was I was there to see the bride and groom make their exit. Fun!

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Yustine and Chris have been two of my favorite people since the day I met them over coffee to discuss their wedding. Yustine is bubbly and cute and Chris is quiet and kind but knows how to be a part of the fun. Together they are adorable and so much fun to be around. I had a great time getting to know them better during their San Juan Capistrano engagement session, and I was really looking forward to their wedding day. That day finally arrived this past Saturday and I was lucky enough to have my friend Ala Cortez along to capture the day.

We started off at the Mission Inn where the wedding party was getting ready. Yustine and Chris opted to do a First Look and left tons of time for portraits before their ceremony so we were never in a hurry and got to explore and use the entire hotel (which is HUGE). The day’s schedule was ideal and I loved having so much time for portraits!

Yustine and Chris, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your wedding day. I think you guys are meant for each other and I’m so happy you’ll get to spend the rest of your lives together. Hope you’re having an amazing honeymoon!

Getting Ready Venue: Mission Inn
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Castaway Restaurant, San Bernardino
Makeup: All Made Up Team
Flowers: Rosebud Floral Design
DJ: California Sounds
Lighting: Inlight Lighting
Cake: Michelle’s European Bakery
Coordinator: Celebrations
Videographer: All Because He Asked

My camera likes Yustine. Clearly.

The wedding ceremony was very emotional. I definitely cried behind my camera a little bit. I’m such a sap.

I have so many photos of Yustine and Chris looking at each other just like they are in this next shot of their first dance. It’s so sweet and genuine. I just love it.

Chris made a surprise slideshow for Yustine that was played during the reception. Love these shots of them watching it.

Yustine is Chinese and Chris is Korean. They had a tea ceremony that combined traditions from both cultures. Very unique!

Chris demonstrated his ability to figuratively support his bride by carrying her on his back around the ballroom. Traditions are fun!

After the tea ceremony, I stole the happy couple away for a few minutes for some night shots of them in the simplified versions of their  traditional Korean outfits.

Perfect way to end the night!

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Heather and Mike were married on a perfectly lovely day in Orange County at Tivoli Terrace. You may remember these two from their Long Beach engagement session. If you recall, Heather and Mike are proud nerds. I like this about them because it is my belief that nerds make the world go ’round. I’m married to one, so I should know.

Heather and Mike’s nerdiness does not stop at wearing matching t-shirts for their engagement session. Because, why stop there when you can nerd out your wedding in amazingly great ways? Needless to say, this was a fun wedding with tons of personal touches. Just as it should be. My lovely friend Jen Grant joined me for this one and we had a blast.

Congratulations, Heather and Mike! Thanks for including me in your day. I hope you’re having a wonderful time in Greece!

Heather’s mom, Jeannie, got emotional the instant Heather was in her dress. It was really sweet.

This is the face of a girl who’s excited to be getting married!

A few rooms over, we popped in on Mike and his guys getting ready.

Mike and Heather opted for a first look so that most of the portraits could get finished before there ceremony, thereby leaving them more time to enjoy their reception. Good idea, I say.

I think this next shot might be my favorite of the day. It’s straight out of camera. The light was perfect and the moment was completely genuine. Love!

Right after the ceremony one of the first things these two did was … change their Facebook relationship status to “married.” Of course!

So here’s where some of the nerdiness comes in. As I mentioned during their engagement session post, Mike proposed to Heather through a game they both love called Kingdom of Loathing. The tables were named after different areas found in the game. The couple also provided little bags full of board games and activities for guests to entertain themselves with. But that’s not so much nerdery as much as it is just awesome.

The cake topper was made in the likeness of Kingdom of Loathing characters by one of Mike’s and Heather’s friends who owns a toy company called October Toys. It was PERFECT.

And let’s not forget the dragon champagne flutes, purchased from the Ren Faire. Awesome.

Heather saw my post about the custom Christmas ornament I had made in the likeness of our late dog, Frasier. She mentioned during their engagement session that she ordered some of their cats and I was so excited to see them make an appearance at the wedding! Thanks to Jen for lining them up to get this shot. The bride and groom on the left are manatees, which is Heather’s favorite animal. The cats are dressed up like Star Wars characters, in case you’re not a nerd.

All of the dances between husband/wife, father/daughter and mother/son were very sweet. Mike and his mom’s dance was particularly emotional. Both of them hugged tightly and cried and I’m sure there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

There was a photo booth with props, courtesy of Party Booths. Heather and Mike don’t usually dress like this for special occasions. At least I don’t think they do.

Say what you will about nerds, the fact is, they sure do know how to party..

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Jackqueline and Jeremy were wed on a yacht! On water! That moved! This was my first boat wedding and it definitely kept things interesting. You may remember this beautiful couple from their Griffith Observatory engagement session, complete with pinwheels.  I know how excited these two were to finally tie the knot and I was so excited for them that their wedding day had finally arrived! I was lucky enough to have my dear friend, Jen Berry, along for the ride. Thanks for the help, Jen! And thanks to Jackqueline and Jeremy for allowing me to be a part of your very important day. It was an honor and I’m so happy for the two of you!

Here are a few of my favorites from the day:

Unsurprisingly, Jackqueline looked STUNNING. She wore vintage jewelry, purchased especially for this day. It was a perfect choice for her.

The ceremony programs were designed using one of their engagement photos, which also matched their wedding invitations, as it turns out. I love when details are all tied together.

After the Western ceremony, Jackqueline and Jeremy had a Chinese tea ceremony to honor her culture. I just adore the idea of tea service in general. There’s something so soothing about it.

I was finally able to sneak away with the newlyweds for a few portraits at the very top level of the yacht. One thing I hadn’t thought about before this wedding – where there’s a moving boat, there’s wind! But Jackqueline and Jeremy were total troopers and braved that cold wind like champs.

When we headed back inside, everything was situated for the party to start. An enlargement of another engagement photo was used as a guest book, which is a great idea!

And the pinwheels from their session made another appearance in the form of place cards, which I LOVED.

Dan of DV Artistry was the videographer at this wedding and he and his team did a same-day edit to show at the end of the reception. It was fun watching Jackqueline and Jeremy’s face light up as they watched it.

Once the boat docked at the end of the night, guests were welcomed by a group of Shaolin monks who put on an amazing performance. They did crazy things like this… (don’t let the calm face of the sledgehammer guy fool you. He was using quite a lot of force and it looked painful).

Also, this… Yes, that is a METAL rod that he is snapping like a twig over his head.

The look of concern on Jackqueline’s face and the look of awe on Jeremy’s says it all…

The happy couple had a fun send off with confetti poppers. While walking through the sprays of confetti I heard Jackqueline yell, “This is SO COOL!” I’d have to agree.

Congratulations, Jeremy and Jackqueline! I hope you two are having the best time in Europe!!

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Annie and Gero’s wedding at The Victorian in Santa Monica was as lovely as it was fun. All of the couple’s family and close friends were there to celebrate the newlyweds and it was such an honor for me and my second shooter, Jen Lauren Grant, to be there.  When I first met Annie early this year, I asked about her wedding and she told me her and Gero had a succulent garden at home and Gero was something of a succulent whisperer, so to speak. So she explained they would be using succulents throughout the wedding in things like the centerpieces. I personally love succulents so I was excited to see what they would come up with, but I loved that they were choosing an element that was very “them” to carry throughout their wedding.

You may remember Annie, Gero and their dog, Marty, from their sweet engagement session in Santa Monica at the house where Annie grew up. Annie and Gero choose to see each other before the ceremony so we’d have plenty of time for portraits, and  even Marty made a quick appearance at the wedding for a sweet wedding-day family photo.

Venue: The Victorian, Santa Monica, Calif.
Coordinators: Paola Carpintero & Melinda Barajas of onefourthree Events
Bouquets and boutonnieres: Ann’s Flowers
Centerpieces: DIY by the Groom
Cake/Cupcakes: {love+cupcakes}
Acoustic Guitar: Buzz Gravelle
DJ: DJ Evil One

Annie’s dress was absolutely gorgeous and my favorite part was the flower details on the back, shown below. The boutonnieres and bouquets were made by Ann’s Flowers. The stems of Annie’s bouquet were wrapped in one of her mom’s handkerchiefs.

Their ceremony was lovely and personal, including readings from seven friends and family members.

The reception room looked gorgeous and the succulent centerpieces, handmade by Gero himself, looked amazing.

Loved the adorable cupcake and cake display by {love+cupcakes}. You really can never go wrong with cupcakes.

Annie’s sister and brother were the Maid of Honor and Best Man, respectively. The two of them gave a joint speech that was really funny and also very sweet. Yay, family.

After dinner and toasts, Annie and Gero invited their guests upstairs where a dance floor and DJ Evil One were waiting to get the party started right. Annie and Gero had their first dance to one of my favorite songs of all time, “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers.

This was probably one of the best dance parties I’ve been to. These people know how to party.

Congratulations, Annie and Gero! Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your incredible day. Wishing the two of you (and Marty!) a lifetime of happiness together!

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Jennifer and David’s LA River Center wedding was undeniably the most relaxed and easy-going wedding I’ve had the pleasure of photographing. I already knew from the day I spent with them shooting their Union Station and Olvera Street engagement session that they were fun people who didn’t take themselves too seriously, so I wasn’t at all surprised that their wedding day turned out to be fun and not too serious. My second shooter, Jen Lauren Grant, and I had seriously the best time ever on this day. Jennifer and David looked amazing, they were over-the-moon happy, and their family and friends were filled with joy. It really was a perfect day.

Laura Guerrie and her team at Rebel Belle Weddings helped plan a lovely intimate wedding for Jennifer and David that was a true reflection of their love and personalities. Laura is great at her job, which made my job that much easier. Thanks, Laura!

I was able to arrange a First Look for Jennifer and David so they could spend some quiet time before the ceremony together. Jennifer looked stunning and David looked incredibly dapper in his custom suit.

Just like during their engagement session, it wasn’t long before someone’s faced started getting munched on! These guys crack me up.

I told Jennifer to make David laugh, which is something I tell a lot of my clients to do at some point during a shoot. This next shot was the first time I achieved this result, though. It happened in an instant and I captured it. Jennifer said it would probably be her favorite shot from the whole day. Ha!

One of the coolest things Jennifer and David planned for the day was renting a bus that had been converted into an extra-large Woody station wagon. The Big Woody brought many of the guests to the venue and took them home at the end of the night. So awesome!

The ceremony was lovely and intimate. The grounds at the LA River Center are quite beautiful.

The lovely flowers were done by Leah of Flowers by Leah.

There was a made-to-order grilled cheese station and incredible appetizers like fried macaroni and cheese balls. I could not make this stuff up. It was amazing. Contemporary Catering was responsible for the food and it was all delicious.

But the pièce de résistance of the reception had to be the cake. I heard about this cake last year when I first met with Jennifer and David to talk about their wedding. Sonia at Cake Studio Café (who actually did the cake for my own wedding, as well!), executed the couple’s vision perfectly. I’ve never seen anything like it before and I loved that about it. This cake embodies Jennifer and David’s playful spirits. They are here to have a good time and be themselves. They are awesome. Also, they are at the top of a burning cake and the military are after them (or maybe they’re saving them?) Either way – RUN!

After toasts and dinner the party got started and the dance floor got going. But not before the couple of honor got their dancing shoes on…

This next shot is one of my favorites because it embodies the relaxed atmosphere of the day. I can’t remember the last time one of my brides had an opportunity to just sit at a guest table and have an uninterrupted and relaxed conversation on her wedding day. I felt like I was watching Jennifer chat with her family at the dinner table inside of their home. It was amazing and I hope I get to see that happen at another wedding soon.

Jennifer and David, it was truly an honor to be a part of this day. You two make an amazing team and I’m so happy for you! I hope you’re having an unbelievable time in Mexico!

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