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

Molly and Bret have been dating since Junior High. I guess that makes them Junior High School sweethearts. When Molly told me this during our first meeting together, I swooned. And then, because Bret couldn’t make it to our meeting, she told me all about Bret and she began to swoon. She is clearly head over heels for him and I couldn’t wait to meet him because he sounded like such a nice guy. And he was clearly the perfect man for Molly.

Seeing Molly and Bret together during their engagement session in Malibu hills was such a lovely reminder of why I love my job so much! Bret is such a gentleman and simply adores his fiancée. And Molly is as sweet as they come and is madly in love with Bret. They are completely adorable together, which made them super fun to photograph. Molly wanted soft and romantic photos of the two of them, so we chose wide open fields in a natural setting, which I think worked really well.

Molly and Bret, thanks so much for spending a couple of hours with me. I can’t wait to capture your wedding day!

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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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I’m Rhode Island bound at the moment, capturing the wedding day moments of the lovely Jessica and Nick! It will be my first time on the East Coast and I’m totally excited to take in the scenery!

If you email me I might not get back to you right away, but I will be back in the office on Monday. To spice this post up a bit I’ve included shots of Frank and Roxy, whom I’ve named CEO and CFO of Heidi Ryder Photography, respectively. I’m gonna miss those faces while I’m gone. Have a happy weekend!

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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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You may remember this adorable couple from their fun Griffith Observatory engagement session featuring pinwheels, or maybe their Newport Beach wedding on a boat. Because Jackqueline and Jeremy didn’t want to see each other before their ceremony and the weather and time conditions didn’t allow us a ton of time for portraits on their wedding day, they decided to do a Day After session as an opportunity to get some lovely portraits of the two of them in their wedding attire, without dealing with a less than idea time table.

They chose Thousand Steps Beach in Laguna as the backdrop for this session. It’s one of their favorite spots in the world and is actually where Jeremy proposed! It was a small, uncrowded beach with over 200 super steep steps which act as a painful reminder of how the beach got its name. My legs are still recovering from the climb back up to street level. But! I survived and I had so much fun frolicking on the beach with these two. Yes, I said frolick.

At the end of the shoot Jackqueline decided to brave the ocean in her dress so it also ended up being a Trash the Dress session! Here are a few of my favorites…

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Last weekend I got the chance to photograph a sweet family, right in the middle of wedding season! It was such a welcome change of pace and I had fun hanging out with Daniel, Leigh and little Kolbie. Paramount Ranch is my favorite location for family portraits and I know Kolbie definitely enjoyed seeing the various animals that trotted through, especially the horses and rabbits. In fact, she was much more interested in the animals than she was in having her picture taken, but she managed to cooperate long enough to get some real gems!

Here are a few of my favorites.

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My first conversation with Chad and Bianca happened online. They currently live in San Jose, so we chatted about their wedding and my photography over skype. I knew right away that they were a rad couple who  like to have fun. As it turns out, I like to have fun, too! And so it was.

I finally got to meet these two in person the other day when we met up in Venice for their engagement session and I am pleased to report that they are even more fun in person than they are online.  Hooray! We hit up Abbot-Kinney before heading to the canals and then finishing up at the beach while the sun was setting. They’re getting married in less than two weeks and I am so excited for their wedding!

Thanks for being rad, Chad and Bianca. See you soon!

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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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