I was loving this adorable letter board. I love when couples add little details like that, so I had to make sure we grabbed some photos highlighting their creativity!

This mother daughter moment was so beautiful. The brides mother was radiant and kind. You could truly sense the joy and celebration this entire group brought to the day!

One of our favorite things about the Palms Event Center is this incredible, romantic barrel room…. the lights are low, and it just feels so intimate. We love the floral and candles accents this couple added to the day!

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This cathedral veil though…. you guys…. this is one of my favorite things to work with…. it’s just magical! (Hence the overload of veil shots below).

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Since this wedding was in the midst of winter the vineyards take on a completely different look and feel. We loved how these turned out.

WE LOVE these twinkle lights… I mean lets be real… who doesn’t love twinkle lights!

The post Kristen & Michael- Palms Event Center in the Vineyard- Pleasanton, California Wedding appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

Happy 2018 everyone! It’s January, the start of a new year. I always start the new year reviewing the previous year, and WOW are we so grateful. I finally have time to start sharing some of the AMAZING weddings we photographed. This beautiful wedding was photographed just outside of Sacramento, CA and the amazing Catta Verdera.

Jenn Robirds coordinated this event and did an phenomenal job. Not only is she an extremely talented coordinator, but she also did ALL of the floral from this wedding. I was just blown away and how she brought to life the vision of this incredible couple.

Brittany & Jess are such a fun and loving couple. We felt fully immersed in the celebration, and we are so grateful they invited us into their beautiful Love Story! Enjoy a glimpse into this INCREDIBLE DAY!

The post Catta Verdera Wedding Photography, Sacramento CA appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

This was an incredible and inspiring day. The moment I arrived to begin photographing Melissa on her day, I was greeted with a warm hug, and a smile. She was so peaceful, and excited. The atmosphere as she began to prepare for her day, was joyful and relaxed, setting the tone for what I knew was going to be a beautiful celebration.

Justin and I had scouted out some incredible locations along the coastline for their first look, and settled on this amazing cliff/stairway that overlooked the ocean. I love that Melissa an JB were on board with trying something a little different for their first moment seeing each other before they said I DO!

We had a little time to sneak in a few couples photos on the coast before heading over to their amazing venue. The Bargetto Winery in Soquel California was a beautiful backdrop for the celebration! We hope you enjoy a glimpse into this beautiful Love Story, as much as we enjoyed photographing it!

The post Melissa & JB – Santa Cruz California Wedding Photography appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

It’s been ridiculously HOT here in Northern California. SO I loved that this couple was willing to do a few photos in the lake. It made for some fun photos, and I’m not gonna lie, it was AWESOME going in the water and cooling down for a minute! Enjoy a glimpse into their AMAZING Love Story!

The post Lake Engagement Session – Redding, California Engagement Photography appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

Today’s BEAUTIFUL couple had their wedding at a private estate located in beautiful Vacaville, California. We worked with an incredible team (Listed below) and days like this one remind us why we love doing Wedding Photography.

We hope you enjoy a glimpse into this beautiful wedding, as much as we loved photographing it!

Coordinator | Alluring Events & Design

Video | Classic City Films

Florist | Dixon Florist 

Rentals | Blossom Farm Rentals & Celebrations Rentals

Makeup | April Lopes 

Hair | Noelle Radosevich 

DJ | Ron Landaker

Signs | Chalk and Design

Catering | Buckhorn Catering

The post Lexi & Jon – Vacaville California Wedding Photography appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

The post Courtney & Matt – Tahoe Wedding Photography appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

I’m so glad we had the opportunity to explore Sacramento with this amazing couple! I loved the moody feel we got from a mostly overcast day, and of course anytime we get to meet up and start our session at a coffee shop we know it’s going to be a good day!

The post Katie + Jake – Sacramento, California Engagement Photographer appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

We had such an amazing adventure yesterday in beautiful Northern California. We explored Mill Valley, and Stinson Beach which is located just north of San Francisco, California.

Melissa and JB showed up ready to rock their engagement session! The results highlighted what a fun, whimsical, and romantic Love Story they truly have.

Justin and I are overwhelmed with gratitude to all of the amazing couples inviting us into their story. We feel privileged to have the opportunity to photograph such beautiful memories.

Enjoy a glimpse into this fantastic and adventurous San Francisco, California Engagement Photography Session.

The post San Francisco, California Engagement Photography | Melissa & JB appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

We traveled a TON this year, and we loved every minute of it. We started the year with this incredible wedding located in Trinidad, California. On the Northern California Coast.

This cliffside image was taken in Jenner, California.

The sunlight is always on point at Gover Ranch located in Anderson, California

Old Sacramento California ended up providing a unique and romantic backdrop for this beautiful Love Story!

This skyline was out of this world at Ponderosa Ridge Ranch in Anderson, California

Breathtaking garden backdrops at the White House, located in Redding, California

Sacramento, California was perfect. We loved photographing at Arden Hills Golf Course.

We always enjoy capturing the beauty Mt. Shasta, California has to offer

The Palm Event Center located in Pleasanton, California was FANTASTIC! 

The romance at TBS Ranch in Palo Cedro, California is just out of this world.

Alameda, California was the perfect backdrop for this engagement session. SO MUCH so that it landed us in an ELLEdecor Blog!

Helwig Winery located just outside of Sacramento, California in beautiful Plymouth, California was amazing. We hope to go back there again soon!

The U.C. Davis campus located in Davis, California provided a stunning backdrop for this Love Story!

We loved exploring Half Moon Bay with this amazing couple!

Lands End located in San Francisco, California has the perfect view of the Golden Gate bridge.

We love the ocean, and this spot located in San Francisco, California was just perfect.

We ended our incredible wedding season nestled in the beautiful redwoods at Deer Park Villa located in Fairfax, California.

The post Happy New Year – Northern California Wedding Photographers appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

This was our first time working at Deer Park Villa in Fairfax, CA and we just fell in love with this magical venue. It’s tucked amongst a majestic redwood tree grove and the lighting it over the top romantic. Katie the bride really had a strong vision for what she wanted and her vendor team beautifully brought it to life. We were truly inspired by this incredible wedding, and phenomenal couple! Enjoy a glimpse into this beautiful Bay Area California Love Story!

{VENDOR TEAM}

Venue | Deer Park Villa 

Catering | Fork Full Of Earth

Floral | Home Sweet Flowers

Photo Booth | The Booth Bus

Coordinator | KAI Squared Events

The post Katie + Paulo – Deer Park Villa Wedding appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

The post Brittany + Jess – Sacramento, California Engagement Session Photography appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

The post Andrea + Rob – San Francisco, California Engagement Session Photography appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

We’ve been so busy this year. (Thank you for all the love, we are so thrilled to be meeting such great couples and photographing so many beautiful love stories). But today I am taking a minute from this wild wedding season to blog this beautiful engagement session.

We were originally going to meet Lexi and Jon on the coast to photograph their Engagement session where Jon proposed.  However the weather was being super tricky, threatening to crash our plans with thunderstorms and rain. So last minute Lexi and Jon picked a beautiful location a bit closer to their home. It was all for the best though, as it turned out Davis, California was the perfect place for an Engagement Session.

The weather ended up being PERFECT, and the location was filled with incredible backdrops. We had so much fun chatting with this couple, and exploring the extremely cool and electic UC Davis campus. Enjoy a glimpse into this beautiful Love Story!

The post Lexi + Jon – Davis, California Engagement Session appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

Shout out t0 Helwig Winery located in Plymouth, California. Their venue and staff were outstanding!

Make Up: Vanessa Luna Make Up  | Venue: Helwig Winery | Rentals: Simple Country Weddings | Catering: Beth Sogaard & Christy Vance |

Videographer: Kyle Mize | Florist: Homegrown Floral Co. – Janelle Lehnard & Kayla Roberts

If you’ve ever wondered whether or not you need 2 incredible photographers…. this is one of the many reasons I always recommend two… this perfect romantic moment, captured from two different perspectives, both offer something special.

I can’t say enough how grateful and honored we are to be invited into such beautiful love stories. This is truly a dream job, and we are humbled by the love and kindness of our incredible couples!

The post Angela + Kevin – Helwig Winery Wedding Photography appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

The post Cherilyn + Jamie – Alameda California Engagement Photography appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

Delicious cupcakes and cakes provided by the very talented Erika owner of  Cupcakes For the Kingdom. We are always so excited when we know they’ve provided the cakes for any event we’re working!

The weather had not shaken them one bit, and their positive attitudes totally paid off, when I kid you not the clouds parted and the sun shined the very moment our stunning Bride Maggie stepped out onto the aisle. We were all in complete shock how it went from pouring, to sunshine in a matter of minutes. The day turned out to be incredible. Justin and I loved every minute we spent photographing this celebration, and meeting all the incredible people who contributed to this amazing wedding. The coordinator Brittany was FABULOUS. The Florist “the Floranthropist” is one of my all time favorites, and I was literally giddy to see her arrive with all of the mind blowing bouquets, and centerpieces, not to mention this arbor . I don’t know how you top yourself every time Katie, but you always do! The make up artist did an incredible job on all the ladies, and worked so quickly, leaving some extra time, for amazing pre-ceremony bridal photos.

The post Maggie + Kort {Love Story} – Redding California Wedding Photographers appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

We not only got to photograph their amazing wedding day, but we also had a special romantic couples session, a few days after their “I DO”. This allowed for two different looks, and a bit more spontaneity, since our couples session didn’t have any time constraints, we were able to just be creative and soak in the emotions they display as a couple. The day of their couples session was pretty windy, however we were able to use that to our advantage, and what we ended up with were some incredibly romantic images. ENJOY this glimpse into the Love Story of Rachel + Kris!                 

The post Rachel + Kris – Romantic {Love Story} California Wedding Photographers appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

The post Kim + Truong- Trinidad California Love Story appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

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After photographing this incredible Love Story, we received one of the sweetest and most thoughtful review  from this incredible bride. THANK YOU Miya + Marco for choosing us to capture your day!

“To me…the most important part of a wedding comes after, it is the photos. The most important thing in life, is photos. That is largely due to the fact that I only remember bad things, and I struggle to keep any memories that are joyful. Life is nothing but moment after moment and I needed someone who would help me always remember.

I knew that I would search and search and I would find a way to get the money together to pay for my photographer, whoever they may be. I searched every photographer in California and Nevada. But it is was always Essence. As soon as I saw their site, I knew. Everything about their photos are timeless and quiet, and lovely. If photographer soulmates was a thing, I swear they would be mine!

My husband and I were never able to meet Betsy or Justin till the wedding. While Betsy was nothing but kind and wonderful in her emails, I was still a little apprehensive. Mostly, because my husband hates taking photos and I get anxiety from photographer appendage placement instructions! Haha
Our wedding, originally in Georgetown, CA, switched to Foresthill, CA, both locations hours from their home, but they didn’t mind! Betsy was so understanding and reassuring when I told her of the venue change 4 days before the wedding! (Yeah some madness happened LOL)

Come the day of the wedding and Justin and Betsy are sweet, relaxed, fun, and totally in control of the situation! They both provided polite helpful instruction and kept us laughing and smiling the whole time. They really became part of our wedding. They mingled with all of our guests! And all of our guests had nothing but the nicest things to say about them!

I don’t want to say how quickly we received our photos, in case they can’t always achieve that, but holy cow, it was fast! I have heard horror stories of brides getting photos 6-12 months later, but not Essence! 🙂

I didn’t cry on my wedding day (hubby didn’t want me to and kept making funny faces), but looking back at our beautiful photos I finally get a chance to reflect all the love we have for one another and get a good cry going!

I have never encountered a business that I wanted to keep for the rest of my life! We cannot wait for maternity photos and family photos later down the road!

So, in short…hire Betsy and Justin, the dream team! They will not disappoint!” – Miya & Marco

The post Miya + Marco – Woodland Wedding | Auburn, California Wedding Photography appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.

The post Allison + Amit {Gover Ranch Love Story} – Anderson, California Wedding Photographers appeared first on Essence Photography | California Photographer | capturethestory.com.