The Gear and Details

Cameras
Canon r5 - 24-70mm lens
Leica q2 - 28mm lens
Holga 120
Yashica-D - 80mm lens
Mamiya 645 afd - 80mm lens
Canon 1v - 35mm lens
Canon eos3 - 35mm lens

Coverage:
1 photographer over 2 days (14 hours)

Photographer: Sav and Cam

The Portrait Location
We chose this setting for portraits because it’s a pure reflection of The Farm, Kayla’s home and the couple’s getaway place outside of the city. The horses were a bit obsessed with her veil (obviously) so they followed us around everywhere as we wandered through the pastures. I really wanted a frame underneath this one giant tree growing in the hills, with the horses looking on, so I took a step back and framed the shot in order to really set the scene.

A Note on Film

I shot a lot more film this weekend because I was just so inspired by what was around me. Kayla and Oliver’s trust and energy, being on The Farm and having creative freedom, the amazing style - all of it made me really want to lean into film more. It always feels a little risky, to this day I’m always so nervous to look at the scans when they arrive because I have a fear that for some reason nothing came out. But as soon as I went through the images I knew it was worth it. Film is unreplicable and perfectly encapsulates the feelings that I want to convey.

Setting the Scene

“The location itself was incredibly special and an intentional choice for the couple, but more than that, Kayla’s late mom, Donna, was weaved into every element of the day. They found her old journal and turned her handwriting into a font, which was showcased on the invitations to look like a handwritten note to their loved ones, and featured on all of the day-of stationary. Kayla altered her mom’s wedding dress for the perfect timeless vintage rehearsal dinner look. Kayla’s bouquet was made with predominantly calalillies, the same as her mom’s bouquet on their wedding day. The chuppah was placed next to Kayla’s mom’s memorial, a tree that was planted into a soil made from her.

On the day, a massive storm was supposed to hit and it poured all morning. The plan was to shift to the rain plan since it was an all-outdoor wedding, but Kayla and Oliver had such hope it was going to shift and so did I, so we held off. Sure enough, it cleared an hour before the ceremony and didn’t rain the rest of the day. We all gave credit to Kayla’s mom for looking over us.”

Getting Ready

“I always want the getting ready portion of the day to feel relaxed. That isn’t always the case, as wedding days go, but I do my best to be an unobtrusive and calm presence. I really try and focus on the energy around me, and document candidly as everyone gets ready. I’m happy to shoot personal details as well if it’s really important to the couple, but really want to keep the cookie cutter posed shots to a minimum (including the dress hanging expectation that still seems to pop up every now and then).”

I chose black and white film for this moment because there is something truly timeless about a black and white image - it really makes you focus on the emotion or the subject, and thrives in lighting scenarios like this one (at least I believe!) I really wanted to capture the essence of the morning: slowly getting ready while it rained outside, and I felt like black and white enhanced that feeling. A timeless image of Kayla I imagine her kids will love one day.

“In my opinion, you don’t need a lot of images from this portion of the day, you just need to document the feeling, often looking like nerves and anticipation.”

Ceremony

“The ceremony location was incredibly special as it was next to Kayla’s mom’s memorial site, underneath the giant tree in their backyard. It was overcast from the rain earlier in the day, but magically dry the entire ceremony. The florals that lined the aisle and the chuppah felt like they grew up from the ground itself, keeping everything feeling and looking natural, yet elevated.”

Portraits

“We actually did the first round of first look and portraits the day before the wedding, right before their welcome party. There was a massive storm that was supposed to hit on the wedding day, and it was super important to Kayla and Oliver that we got to document around The Farm since it was the entire essence of the wedding day itself. It was all hands and trust on deck as we shifted plans and made it happen. We chose to do the first look in a pathway of yellow wildflowers that Kayla had scouted out and really wanted as her setting - and we agreed! It was really nice to be able to take our time with portraits and get to spend more time together, which was so lovely and really set us up for even more trust on the day itself. As always, we kept it easy going - we just took a stroll all around the property, followed the light, and let the magic unfold.”

Reception

“This wedding made us walk away feeling incredibly grateful, and was eye opening on what a weekend can feel like when you really strike gold with your couple. From the beginning, Kayla and Oliver gave us so much trust and freedom to create and document, and that made a world’s difference. I was able to release a lot of pressure, spend time feeling inspired, and walk away from the experience with new friends and an appreciation for clients who trust us 100%. I feel like I’m always chasing that golden energy where everything aligns. Here’s to more weddings like that for all of us!”

‘A Favorite Image’
I’m always on the hunt for unplanned or unconventional moments. I think it’s really interesting to pay attention and see what you find. I was headed to the tent to shoot details and I saw this little girl playing with her doll. I waited as she threw it into the air and shot the image. These moments make the gallery more interesting in my opinion, and give a little glimpse into the small moments that are happening all around on a wedding day. There’s so much more to a wedding than the bride and groom and the details if you pay attention!