Once upon a summer, about 4 years ago, I photographed an intimate wedding at a boutique hotel on the shores of North Lake Tahoe for a wonderfully fun couple – Tracy and Eli. Tracy and Eli were wed, surrounded by a small collection of family members and friends – two of whom I instantly struck up a repertoire with. Hasan, Kenna, Tracy and Eli are all scientists and the latter three had been former roommates. Kenna and Hasan didn’t really know anyone at Tracy and Eli’s wedding and we ended up spending most of the afternoon together. When they became engaged soon after, they immediately reached out and hired me as their Grass Valley wedding photographer.
Kenna’s lifelong dream was to get married on her family’s property outside of Grass Valley and Nevada City. Located in Penn Valley, CA, the ranch boasts massive cliffs with a river running through it, sloping hills, dense forest, and plenty of space for all of their friends to camp and rabblerouse. Their wedding was set for May of 2020. Due to the pandemic, their Grass Valley wedding was set to be rescheduled once, and then again. Two years later, I was incredibly honored to finally reconnect with Kenna and Hasan, as well as Tracy and Eli, and finally be their Grass Valley wedding photographer and help them celebrate on Kenna’s family’s ranch.
Kenna and Hasan dreamed of an event where they were surrounded by all the people they love for days: with music and laughter, skinny dipping in the river under the moon, dogs running amok, great food, camping and fun. Their wedding was all of that and more and I’m honored to have been a part of it.
VISIT NEVADA CITY
Nevada City was originally settled in 1849 as a mining camp and features a charming, walkable and historic downtown district. You can catch a show at California’s oldest operating structure for performances, the Nevada Theatre, built in 1865! There are shops to peruse, bars to imbibe in, and historic hotels to stay in. I recommend the National Exchange Hotel one of the oldest continuously operated hotels in the west. Almost every time I’ve been to Nevada City there has been a street fair or a farmer’s market of some sort that is always worth perusing!
THINGS TO DO IN GRASS VALLEY, CA
Don’t miss wandering around Empire Mine State Park – it’s absolutely beautiful and so fun to explore! Way way way back in 2015 I photographed a wedding there. Interested in wine tasting? Plymouth and Amador aren’t too far of a drive, but if you want something closer to Grass Valley and Gold County, check out Andis, Wise Villa, or Lucchesi, which has a tasting room in Grass Valley itself.
BOOK ME AS YOUR GRASS VALLEY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Interested in more real wedding posts? I have plenty of them up on my blog, as well as tons of wedding planning tips to make your experience smooth and stress free.
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