Elie + Nick's Carmel Fields by Wedgewood Wedding - Carmel, California

First Day Of Sunshine Amongst The Rain

Elie + Nick planned for a beautiful March wedding back in 2021. They were thinking ahead and planning things out methodically, so they booked me at the end of 2022 for their March 2023 wedding. Little did we know the rains that would plague the Monterey Bay during the 2023 Winter! Holy Moly! We had floods, intense winds, days without power, and many evacuations. It was dicey whether or not Eli + Nick were going to be able to have their outdoor ceremony, let alone a gorgeous Golden Hour for Couples Portraits.

But then the day came and...we had sunshine!

It was cold as hell and windy, but we had SUN! We were very grateful for the sunshiny rays, even if the wind was keeping us from being warm. The ground was dry enough for us to walk on and take pictures in and nobody had to slip and slide everywhere. It was great!

Now enough about the weather, let's talk about Eli + Nick.

I met Nick at the gym. As gym rats do, we get used to the people who come around the same time as us and eventually we talk and become friends. Nick and his Best Man George would always come in together and so we became gym friends and would chat about any and everything. Then one day, this drop-dead gorgeous blonde runs up to me while I was working at the winery and is like, "Hi! Omg so nice to meet you! I'm Nick's girlfriend!" Elie was immediately so sweet, kind, and her smile was contagious!

Over the years I got to know both of them and the one day at the gym, Nick tells me he's going to propose. He tells me all about his plans to propose to her while they're in Hawaii together (and asked if I travel DUH OF COURSE I DO but with the timing of their trip, it didn't workout for me to be there). It was so sweet to see him planning this months, possibly years in advance (their original trip was to somewhere else but got canceled because of C*v*d). Then I saw the announcement on Instagram...they're engaged!

The way my heart jumped when I got an inquiry from Elie inquiring to be their Wedding Photographer 🥹

I absolutely love photographing weddings (obviously) but there's something really special about when friends reach out wanting you to capture their wedding. So we met, we chatted, and they booked!

Then we got to do their Engagement Session. Nick had LASIK surgery a month before and of course the day we went out it was bright as hell, but he powered through. *FYI if any of you get LASIK shortly before your Engagement Session please talk to your photographers and ask about rescheduling because that is painful and we also don't want you squinting in your photos 😅 But Nick was a champ and you couldn't even tell!

Fast-forward to March 2023 and these two finally get to say their "I Do's" in front of their friends and family and celebrate together. It was beautiful to see how accepting and loving the two families were towards each other. A true union of not just two people, but of two families. They embraced each other's cultures and were fully supportive of representation in both their ceremony and their reception.

To see the love these two, and their families, have for one another was truly special. From family to friends, everyone got down on the dance floor and celebrated fully with Elie + Nick and it was one of the sweetest weddings I've had the honor of capturing.

Here are just a few Sneak Peeks from Elie + Nick's Wedding! Scroll down! More on their Ceremony + Reception to come later 🤗