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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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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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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I’ve had the privilege of seeing my work featured in various places the past couple of weeks but I haven’t been able to get around to blogging them until now!

First up, I received word that Dorie and John’s Memphis wedding at the Inn at Hunt-Phelan was featured yet again, and MANY times over! Dorie is a reporter for the Associated Press and she wrote an article all about her DIY wedding. They used some of my photos for the article, which was distributed around the country and picked up by a countless number of media outlets, including ABC News! the other day I got a surprise package in the mail from Dorie and it was a print version of the story that she found in the Athens Banner-Herald in Athens, Georgia. Neat!

And then yesterday I received word that The Knot featured Dorie and John’s wedding in their Real Weddings section.

Up next, we have Annie and Gero’s Santa Monica wedding at The Victorian featured on Love and Lavender, a truly lovely blog. It’s my first feature there!

The Knotty Bride was also kind enough to feature a few images from the same wedding!

And last, but certainly not least, Mekala over at Tie That Binds (I’ve told you about her before) just started a blog and I was lucky enough to be her first featured vendor! She featured Nattida and Chad’s super fun vintage airplane engagement shoot. Check it out below and check out her wonderful custom paper products!

Hooray!

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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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When I first met with Alexis and Mitch and they mentioned they might like their engagement session to take place at the San Diego Zoo, a place they visit together often, I was so excited. I had never been to that particular zoo before and I’m slightly in love with panda bears, something that zoo is known for. The day finally came for me to trek it on down to San Diego for the day and hang out with this awesome couple. It was a fun day full of sunshine, panda bears, laughter…and gelato. Basically a pretty incredible day.

Alexis and Mitch are sweet to one another, without being too mushy. They glance at each other often, as if they’re communicating silently in a secret language only the two of them knows. It’s hard to find someone that knows you so well you can speak to them without saying a word, but these two seem to have done it. I’m so glad they found each other and I’m even more glad I’ll be the person that gets to document their wedding day next year.

Here are a few of my favorites from their engagement session at San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park.

After we finished up at the zoo, we headed over to Balboa Park. When I saw the Spanish Village Art Center I got very excited. I can’t think of a place in Los Angeles that has so much color!

Alexis and Mitch, thanks so much for spending the afternoon with me (and for the yummy dinner and gelato, too!). I had so much fun and I can’t wait for your wedding day!

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