Wedding Photography ~ Mission Ranch, Carmel CA

When Amanda & Eoghan (pronounced "Owen") first told me their wedding was going to be on Halloween I thought to myself 'This will be interesting... I wonder if it will be a costume party?' Well it wasn't... it was one of the classiest, most elegant, and FUN weddings I've been to!

The day started with the bride and groom getting ready at Mission Ranch, located in beautiful 'Carmel by the Sea'. Eoghan is from Ireland, and they chose Mission Ranch because of the endless open fields and grazing sheep which reminded him of his homeland.

She wore a vintage-inspired lace wedding gown, and he wore a classic tux. They departed separately and arrived at the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel. There was no modern 'first look', as they chose to keep it traditional. He saw his bride for the first time as she walked down the aisle... Just look at his face when he catches that fist glimpse. That is one of my favorite shots from the day. 

After a beautiful ceremony, the newlyweds left in their classic car and drove down to Carmel Beach for some couples portraits. I'll never forget how incredible the light was that afternoon as the sun rays streamed down. It was also low tide, so the rocky beach was bigger and even more dramatic than usual. 

Back at Carmel Mission Ranch guests were invited into the 'large barn' adorned with fabulous masquerade style decor. I've never photographed a reception with a color palette quite like this, and I LOVED it. There was a mix of brightly colored floral arrangements, golden accents, and rich purples and blues... the epitome of jewel tones. Each guest was gifted a decorative mask on their place setting to add that mysterious flair. It was elegant, fun, and could not have been more appropriate for a halloween wedding!

The groom had his favorite band flown in from Ireland (how crazy cool is that!?), and they definitely got the party started! I'm telling you... If you have the opportunity to hire a LIVE band for your reception I highly recommend it! They feed off the energy of the crowd, and NOBODY can stay away from the dance floor!