A Campsite Engagement Session with Stellie and James

We love being outdoors. And when we find couples that love nature as much as we do, it really is a match made in heaven. We headed outdoors to meet Stellie and James for their engagement session, and were thrilled when they suggested we meet them directly at their campsite. Having met in medical school, the two are planning a 2020 wedding in Banff. But, for their super cute engagement sessions, we used their campsite at Lake Tahoe’s Fallen Leaf Lake to create the perfect laidback, outdorsy backdrop we all wanted.

Living and working in San Francisco, Stellie and James get outdoors as much as they can to escape the hustle and bustle of big city life. Truly the ultimate weekend warriors, everything about them is super rad. We connected immediately over our shared love for bikes, travel, and everything else that falls under the umbrella of outdoor adventuring.

It was instantly clear how much the couple loves being outdoors because they were so relaxed during the engagement session - from start to finish. Not only were we able to get the cutest photos of the two relaxing in their tent, but the lake cooperated perfectly to create super cool reflections of the still snow-capped mountains.

Incredibly fun and obviously in love, our time spent with Stellie and James was enjoyable to say the least. And, to make things even more perfect, Stellie was kind enough to text us after previewing the shots to tell us how much she loved the shots, which totally made our day!

Our First Wedding of 2019: Rio + Jess’s Romantic Wedding Lost in the Sierra's

We were so happy to be back at Chalet View Lodge with Rio and Jess for their wedding after shooting their engagement session earlier this winter. The couple, who are from Los Angeles, was surrounded by a village of loving people - their friends and family members were all such amazing individuals to be around. 

As per standard at Chalet View Lodge Jess and Rio had the whole venue to themselves all weekend long which really made it the perfect wedding venue for them and their love for the Sierra's. It all worked out perfectly even the rainy forecast proved to be a false alarm - instead, there were just a few drops before the sun decided to come out, allowing us to have some great light throughout their whole day.  

Some of our favorite details from the wedding included the mini mason jars (engraved with R+J for the couple’s initials) filled with shots of tequila, the Easter egg hunt planned for the day after the wedding, and the amazing live band that made all of us dance from beginning to end. (We were also super impressed with some of the dance moves we saw - everyone's dance lessons definitely paid off!) However, one of the most memorable moments happened at the reception, when Rio’s brother, Forest, gave his speech via Skype on a big screen. He couldn’t make it to the wedding because he is actively serving in the military, so it was so sweet and incredibly moving how he was included. I don't think anyone could hold their tears back hearing him talk so sincerely about God and the love Rio and Jess have for each other and in their families.

As the evening continued, we helped the couple sneak away (along with their dog, Reagan) for a private walk so they could soak it all in (complete with their newly embroidered Mr. and Mrs. jackets). To end the perfect day, everyone sent Rio and Jess off with sparklers and, our favorite, ice cream sandwiches.

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Photography: VILD PHOTOGRAPHY | Venue & Planning: Chalet View Lodge | 
Catering: Cocomoe’s BBq | Hair & Make-up: Megan Scott & Edin Carpenter | Flowers: Gary’s Flower Garden |
Band: Retrofit | Dress: Watter’s

Two Locations, Two Texas Transplants: An Epic Engagement Session with Perri and Tyler

We met Perri and Tyler at one of our new favorite spots to start their engagement session. Still snowy, the bright white made a perfect backdrop for Perri’s stunning green velvet gown, the perfect formal choice for a winter shoot. The snow was still deep in quite a few places, making it impossible to avoid sinking in every now and then (we’re used to it by now).

Thankfully, Perri and Tyler were up for the adventure.

The couple, who are planning to move from Texas to California later this year, are getting married in 2020. (We’ll be shooting their wedding, too and we can not even begin to tell you how excited we are about it!) Fun, outdoorsy, and wonderfully outgoing, the two come to Tahoe whenever they have the chance so that they can enjoy all of the awesome outdoor activities Tahoe has to offer, like skiing and snowboarding this time of year.

Serious travelers as they are, the couple has journeyed together to Paris, Jerusalem, and Italy - just to name a few. In Tahoe, however, their favorite spot is Sand Harbor, which is why we headed there for our second location. Perri and Tyler switched into more casual clothes, creating two distinct looks for their engagement shoot.

We absolutely loved having both locations completely to ourselves, which made the entire afternoon and evening super peaceful and relaxing. At Sand Harbor, we simply walked in a big loop so that we got to go across the beach as the sun set. And what a sunset it was! The water on the beach was so still, it acted like a big, beautiful mirror for that famous warm Tahoe sunset.

One of our favorite parts about the shoot (besides getting to hang out with these two) was the incredible engagement ring the they made. It was crafted by reusing all of the stones passed through her family, making it as stunning as it was sentimental.

We can not wait for 2020 to come around!

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A (Almost Cancelled) Dreamy Winter Engagement Session with Ryan and Nina

If bright blue skies set against a wintry backdrop of white snow isn’t enough to make you fall in love, Ryan and Nina absolutely will. We met this sweet couple in February to take their engagement photos on the trails in South Lake Tahoe, but we almost had to cancel because of all of the (massive amounts) snow! Thankfully, as the sun started to peek out, we decided it was worth it to brave the snow - and Ryan and Nina agreed!

The couple, who met six years ago on a company softball team, got engaged at Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove near Monterey, California. Planning an outdoor fall wedding, the couple is (thankfully) adventurous, which means they didn’t hesitate to trek out into the deep snow with us in order to capture some seriously gorgeous shots.

Although we all fell deep into the snow at some point or another (sometimes all the way up to our hips!), we knew that since this was just a mini session (only 30 minutes) we were all going to be okay.

The couple dressed perfectly for the day - his bright shirt popping against the fresh snow and her gorgeous skirt (which she made herself!) being the perfect amount of statement-making formal you want for such a special occasion. Even Ryan and Nina’s dog joined in on the action (and wore the cutest red doggie sweater).

We loved meeting this fun couple and are so glad they were up for a snowy hike!

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