How Ruben & Sandra Shot this Lakeside Wedding with Curation in Mind from the Start

The Gear and Details

Camera & Lenses:
Canon R6 II (24-70mm, 15-35mm)
Contax G2 (45mm)
Canon Elan 7e (50mm)

Flashes: Godox AD100 Pro

Coverage: 17 hours over 2 days // 2 photographers + an assistant

Photographer: Ruben & Sandra

‘The Hero’
Because their home means so much to them, we planned every portrait spot around showing the property and the work they had put into it. We scouted the property two days before, shot with tighter aperture so the house stayed part of the story in all of the portraits.

Setting the Scene

“Kat and Brooks wanted the weekend to feel timeless and elevated, but still very chill and true to Idaho, especially since so many guests were traveling in from out of state and overseas. Each part of the weekend had its own feel, from a colorful welcome party overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene to a more playful, 50s themed lake day at their home, so we chose not to build a moodboard and instead let each setting guide us.”

‘The Small Details’
We also photographed small details around the property knowing that would not only help with our gallery curation but also be special to the bride and groom. In hindsight, I wish my team and I had straightened out the chairs for that drone shot but I think guests were arriving by boat and shooting their arrival was more important.

Getting Ready

“For getting ready, we stayed as quiet and hands-off as possible. We knew their time with their daughter would give us more than enough to photograph, so instead of directing, we used foreground, warm lamps, and less gear to help the photos feel like we were simply there with them. Normally we would’ve given some direction and gotten some editorial style photos of the bride but sometimes the best thing you can do is remove distractions and just photograph what happens in front of you.”

Ceremony

“The ceremony light was literally perfect because the clouds kind of rolled in at the perfect moment and kept everything soft. Sandra stayed near the back and Ruben moved around the front, shooting both clean frames and through guests or florals so to get more depth, bring in context, and get reactions instead of only the obvious shots. We skipped the drone because of the trees and tight landing space.”

Portraits

“Because Kat and Brooks’ home means so much to them, we planned every portrait spot around showing the property and the work they had put into it. We scouted the property two days before around the same time we knew we’d be shooting portraits on the wedding day.

‘A Moment’
We love this photo because of the way Kat is looking at Brooks. We were all heading into the reception and Brooks had stopped to admire the Jordan Kahn Orchestra, basically the one wedding detail he really cared about (haha), while Kat just looked at him so sweetly.

Reception

“The reception was lit with garden lights and a few spot lights, and even though it was pretty dim, we wanted the photos to still feel like the space actually felt. Sandra used off camera flash for a few shots during the parents’ toasts but otherwise we relied on the ambient light.”

‘Guests on Water’
The reception was set up on barges, so guests were literally eating on the water. We photographed all of the details earlier in the day but toward the end of cocktail hour the sun started to set and created such beautiful, soft light, so Ruben went back and reshot the entire space. So glad we did.

‘Reception Approach’
For dancing, Ruben loves shooting ambient while Sandra loves OCF. The light in some of these felt a little uninteresting, so we cooled the photos way down in post to bring in more blue and make them feel more visually interesting.

Closing Thoughts

“It was just a really sweet wedding day. The kind where you’re driving home exhausted but feeling so incredibly blessed that this is your job. We kept this one simple and just stayed present throughout the day.”

— Ruben & Sandra