Three wedding venues I’d like to photograph.
Switzer Farms of Westport
This charming and stunningly beautiful venue along the cost near Mendocino in Northern California has seemingly endless views of the Pacific Ocean that connects to the famous California coast via Highway 1. The Victorian farmhouse built in 1884 is something to behold. So many opportunities for incredible photographs no matter where I point the camera.
You can rent out the venue for your wedding for 3 nights, so you’ll have time to take in the whole experience. With that you can invite 27 of your closest friends and family to stay with you. Maybe you can place a bet on who will see a whale off the coast first?
Link to Swizer: here
Ralston White Retreat Center
Although I have yet to photograph at this venue, I have been photographed here. Ralston White Retreat Center was the home to my wife’s family reunions several times over the years and was the first place on our list when we started planning our own wedding. We scheduled a walk through of the venue and as we were driving up the winding road to the house, I knew that was it, we had found our venue!
Driving through the redwood trees on the hills of Mill Valley California, you make your turn onto the driveway and it opens up to a heart shaped lawn with a giant 1920’s mansion behind it. (I recommend reading the story of the heart shaped lawn on their website). The friendly staff was quick to greet us and show us everything that Ralston has to offer. The house can sleep around 50 guests, so we decided to rent it out for the whole weekend. With all of our closest friends and family there, we celebrated all weekend. We had more fun and loving moments than anything we ever even thought could have happened.
There are little walking trails on the property and one that fallows the path of a stream down to a small man made pond that was used as a swimming hole a long long time ago. This is where my wife and I did our first look and also did most of our formal portraits. I really am only writing a few paragraphs about each of the venues on this list but I think I may just have to revisit this one in the future. I just can’t say enough about it!
Link to Ralston: here
San Francisco City hall
Although I do not regret having a fairly big wedding what so ever, I love the idea of keeping it small. San Francisco City Hall is perfect for that! If you’re on a budget or just don’t like the limelight that a “traditional” wedding can put on you, this is the place for you. It also keeps you from having to spend hours obsessing over every detail like the color of your napkins or the which part of your favorite song might be good for your entrance music into the reception….
The timeless beauty of the building itself will make any photograph stand the test of time. The light coming through the window and bouncing off the marble walls just gives some of the most flattering light you could ever want! Then, if you’d like just a few more pictures you’re just a 15 minute drive to the most beautiful coast lines and bridges in the world. Everything about a City Hall wedding is romantic and I would love to be there photographing it all!!!
Link to SF City Hall: here