Featured: Trish and Bronson's wine country wedding on Elizabeth Anne Designs

Trish and Bronson's beautiful wine country wedding -- filled with incredible, colorful details like tabletop trees and men donning pink pants -- has been featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs! This couple and their talented vendors poured tender love and care into every inch of this wedding, and it really shows. Please enjoy Elizabeth Anne Design's feature, or to see more images from Trish and Bronson's wedding, check out my blog post!

Elizabeth Anne Designs
Elizabeth Anne Designs

Vendors involved in Trish and Bronson's wedding included:

Wedding Coordinator: Stephanie Beer of Covenant Coordinating

Catering: Grapevine Catering

Cake: Fleur de Lisa

Florist: Kate Stanley Design

Rancho La Puerta: A beautiful desination for friends and brides

I've been back almost a week from my shoot at Rancho La Puerta and have missed it so. My friend Laurel and I have already heard from a few of our ranch friends, all just as nostalgic as we are. There's a saying at the ranch, which is "take the ranch home with you," and I've been trying! I'm still going to bed pretty early (they even have a lecture on sleep!) and getting up early to do stretches before starting my day, and every day has had some form of exercise but one! Because most of the tables in the dining room are community tables, we got to meet so many fascinating people. More than one described the ranch as "summer camp for adults" and I would agree. That's a great description. The guests are limited to 100 a week and many guests sign on immediately for the same week the next year so they can see their ranch pals.

Cooking school, organic garden tours, swimming pools for relaxing AND water classes, a world class spa, 3,000 mountainous acres for hiking, and healthy, organic, mostly vegetarian eating. I would say it's perfect. Travel and Leisure magazine apparently agrees because it named the ranch the "Best Destination Spa in the World." Brides, if you can go to the ranch with your besties for your bachelorette party or just with your mom and sisters for a little R&R before the wedding (I ran into one of my former brides and her mom and sister in a swimming class!), I would HIGHLY recommend it!

Enjoy the photos!

Rancho La Puerta Organic Garden
Rancho La Puerta Organic Garden
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Rancho La Puerta Courtyard
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Rancho La Puerta Cactus
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Rancho La Puerta Hiking 5
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Rancho La Puerta Gym 1
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Rancho La Puerta Gym 2
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Rancho La Puerta Bingo
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Rancho La Puerta Pool
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Rancho La Puerta Organic Farm 2
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Rancho La Puerta People
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Rancho La Puerta Eggs
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Rancho La Puerta Cooking School
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Rancho La Puerta Food 1
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Rancho La Puerta Food 2

Scenes from Rancho La Puerta

The incredible people behind Rancho La Puerta—a Mexican fitness resort and spa just an hour south of San Diego—invited me this week to photograph the resort’s fitness department and its new cooking school and chef for marketing materials. I love, love, love Rancho La Puerta. I love its unique atmosphere, its classes that promote a lifetime of health, its place beneath the mountains. Because my assignment was the resort’s fitness and cooking departments, I didn't get to photograph its lovely spas, grounds and pool—maybe on my next visit. This place is truly transforming. I think it may be perfect. Most of the vegetables and eggs used in dishes prepared here come from the resort’s onsite organic garden. Its spa treatments are to die for, as are the resort’s serious classes and workshops. I even went on a seven mile mountain hike this morning!

I’ll be sure to post more when I return.

Penny and Sean's wedding featured on Aisle Candy

Penny and Sean's gorgeous wedding -- a sweet Valentine's Day affair with the couple's closest friends and family -- has been featured on Aisle Candy! Penny and Sean we wed amongst the redwoods of Tilden Regional Park, then celebrated with champagne before leaving in a vintage car. What a wonderful wedding story the couple will have for future generations!

Enjoy the feature on Aisle Candy and for more wedding photos, check out Penny and Sean's wedding on my blog.

AC feature
AC feature

Vendors involved in Penny and Sean's wedding included:

Florist: Freshly Cut

Formal Wear: Armani, purchased at Nordstrom in Walnut Creek, California

Location: The Botanic Gardens of Tilden Regional Park

Shoes: Prada, purchased at Saks Fifth Avenue in San Fransisco, California

Featured: Ava and Dave's wedding photos on I Do Venues

Photographs from Ava and Dave's stunning wedding at Hamlin Mansion have been featured on I Do Venues! Their wedding was my first chance to take pictures at the historic site, and I just loved the way the light shown through the mansion's old windows. The mansion is a wonderful location for a wedding. Check out I Do Venues' feature, and for more photos from Ava and Dave's wedding, check out my blog post.

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I-Do-Venues-Ava-and-Dave

Vendors who participated in Ava and Dave's wedding included:

Wedding location: Hamlin Mansion

Catering: Elaine Bell Catering

Flowers: Sharla Flock

Cake:  Cake Coquette

A Whidbey Island wedding

This couple—a private pair who asked that their names not be released—contacted me more than a year ago to photograph their Bay Area wedding reception, warning me that they could gather weeks before for an intimate ceremony on Whidbey Island. A few weeks ago, they contacted me to see if I could fly up photograph their vows. As I scouted for our portrait session and saw what gorgeous scenery I had to work with, I fretted it would be too cold and rainy to do an outdoor portrait session. Not only did it rain the following day, but the couple remained terrific sports as winds whipped across the straights of Juan de Fuca. During the shoot, I marveled at how comfortable the groom was in front of the camera. But it wasn't until I retouched their photos that I saw how hauntingly beautiful the bride is. After our portrait session, we were off to the couple’s intimate ceremony at a friend's home. Then the bride and groom donned aprons and made everyone homemade pizzas! Darling!

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Intimate Valentine's Day wedding amongst redwoods and rain

Sean and Penny were determined to get married on the hilltops of Tilden Regional Park, amongst the redwoods and beautiful botanical gardens — even if that meant holding their intimate Valentine’s Day ceremony in the rain. With their parents, Officiant and maid-of-honor in tow, we traipsed through the showers and puddles to a secluded redwood grove, where Sean and Penny exchanged vows. As the rain poured harder and harder, everyone simply laughed, stayed in good spirits and had fun.

Sean and Penny were incredibly generous — they let me take control of their walk back to the park’s visitor center so that I could could get the few shots that I did. Back at the visitor center, the couple celebrated with a glass of champagne and Valentine’s Day chocolates before leaving in gorgeous vintage car that clanked with cans tied to its back.

What a wonderful wedding story Sean and Penny will have for future generations! It is always these little civil ceremonies that capture my heart. My own wedding was on a Tuesday, out in nature, with only immediate family in tow.

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Florist: Freshly Cut

Formal Wear: Armani, purchased at Nordstrom in Walnut Creek, California

Location: The Botanic Gardens of Tilden Regional Park

Shoes: Prada, purchased at Saks Fifth Avenue in San Fransisco, California

Featured in San Francisco Brides Magazine

So excited to see my collaborative couture fashion shoot at the Fairmont Hotel's Swigg Suite in the current 2nd Anniversary issue of  SF Brides Magazine! Gown Designer:  Suzanne Hanley of Atelier Des Modistes, San Francisco

Hair and Makeup: Kathleena Gorga of Conscious Beauty

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Marin Headlands for the Arts - Didi and Tim

As always, it's wonderful to photograph weddings at Marin Headlands Center for the Arts. It's such an original location and even on a dark stormy day offers wonderful photo opps. I just loved this late fall wedding with warm touches of candles and heart-warming food. Svenja of Chestnut and Vine went over-the-top with the flowers and Katie Powers and crew turned out yet another perfect feast of locally grown and organic food. I had the special treat of seeing Rebecca (the site manager) who acted as day-of coordinator too! Didi and Tim and families also couldn't have been nicer and all had a fabulous time! Venue: Marin Headlands for the Arts

Caterer: Katie Powers Catering

Florist: Chestnut and Vine

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JM_Blog_Didi_Tim

Headlands Center for the Arts - Style Me Pretty Feature!

Wow! I didn't even see this when it was published! Here's another great feature on Style Me Pretty! Loved Kelly and Eddie's "green" wedding at Headlands Center for the Arts. Sadie of "One Big Fish" a certified green planning company helped coordinate and Julia of Bloomies in Oakland did a great job incorporating flowers the couple grew in their won backyard into her floral designs for the day. Check out the story on Style Me Pretty

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Green Wedding Style Me Pretty
Green Wedding Style Me Pretty
Green Wedding Style Me Pretty
Green Wedding Style Me Pretty
Green Wedding Style Me Pretty

Featured Today on Style Me Pretty!

I'm thrilled that my good friend Beka's DIY wedding is featured today on Style Me Pretty! I flew to Arizona in September to photograph and had a blast shooting all of the pretty little details that Beka hand-crafted. Check it out on SMP and my own blog post will be up here later today to follow up! Direct link: http://www.stylemepretty.com/2010/11/12/handmade-wedding-by-julie-mikos/#respond

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Style Me Pretty DIY
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Here's a little sneak peek. Abby always does such a great job with the design layout of each story!