It’s weddings like these that make me love being a wedding photographer, especially in Northern California. Kristin and Jason’s wedding at Black Oak Mountain Vineyards in Cool, CA was amazing. Not just from the jaw-dropping views from the hilltop ceremony site, but also from the genuine people involved throughout the day.

The beginning

When Kristin reached out to me on Instagram earlier this year, I was in waiting in line at the VA hospital in Sacramento. I figured why not be vulnerable and answer her inquiry with a little video while I was waiting for my physical therapy session to begin. She didn’t mind at all. In fact, she became even more interested in the experience I had to offer.

Little did I know her fiance, Jason, served in the Army. Not only did Jason serve in the Infantry and fought in a war, he’s airborne qualified, loves Star Wars, and is crazy about dinosaurs. All traits we both share in common! After we met each other via video chat and talked more about their wedding, we all knew I’d be a perfect for as their wedding photographer.

The venue

One of the cool things about being a wedding photographer in Sacramento is having the privilege of photographing weddings in beautiful locations all over northern California. Kristin and Jason chose to host their wedding at Black Oak Mountain Vineyards in Cool, California. The venue offers a healthy mix of a luxury, vineyard, and modern barn vibe all in one location. They even have a velociraptor skeleton in the vineyard!

Favorite moment

One of the best things about being a wedding photographer is having a front row seat to some once in a lifetime moments. One of my favorite moments of the wedding was seeing Kristin’s father officiate the wedding. You see, Kristin’s dad, Phil, loves wearing shorts rather than pants. In fact, Phil hasn’t worn pants in 25 years! The fact that he wore a suit to walk his daughter down the aisle was a huge shock to friends and family. Within the first minute of the ceremony, a groomsmen and bridesmaid raised a sheet to block the guest’s view, then Phil took his pants off and quickly changed into shorts! “There, that’s better. Now, where were we?”. It was hilarious!

In their words

What was your favorite part of the wedding?

Getting to see everyone after the ceremony, and introducing Jason to all my friends that he hadn’t met before.

What was something quirky or crazy that happened on the wedding day?

My dad wearing pants!!! and then stripping into shorts during the ceremony!!

What was the most special moment of your wedding day?

Seeing the cake toppers that Jason made.

What do you look forward to most about being married?

Starting our own family and traditions.

What were your 3 top priorities when you were first searching for a photographer?

1. personality 2. professionalism 3. product

Was finding & choosing a photographer easy? Why or why not?

Yes

What were your first impressions of my photography/website?

I thought your pictures were unique and had a very different style than anything we had seen

What did you most value about what I offered?

your package that included the photo shoots after our wedding, and we most valued your ability to talk to us and make both of feel comfortable. You are an extremely personable… person ! lol which is something you can’t fake, and we loved working with you.

What was the least important feature about the services I offered?

The engagement session, but that’s only because we couldn’t use it!

What questions or concerns did you have when deciding whether to book with me?

My biggest concern was that your style seemed to be too abstract, but that’s what we ended up loving, is your unique style and way of editing.

What could have made booking a “no brainer” decision for you?

It was a no brainer the second we talked to you, we just needed to figure out financing to afford your services since we knew we definitely wanted to use you!

If you had three words to describe your experience with Courtland Photography, what would they be?

Amazing, Personalized, Fun!

What is the most important thing people should know about working with me?

You will do anything to make their day special, and you are a great communicator with great FaceTime meeting opportunities to go over details.

How likely are you to recommend Courtland Photography to others?

Very likely

Do you feel like you got your money’s worth?

Absolutely!

How would you rate your overall experience?

5/5

Why did you give that rating?

Planning a “destination” wedding was stressful, but working with you was the best experience and you made it extremely easy every step of the way.

Are you Ok with your wedding being published/featured on our wedding blogs?

Yes

Please share with me anything else you would like to include!

Just a thank you for taking our special day and making it incredible. You helped to make sure everything flowed smoothly, and captured moments for us to look back at and laugh on, cry on, and remember for years.

The vendors

Venue: Black Oak Mountain Vineyards

Day of coordinator: Jane at Black Oak Mountain Vineyards

Hair & makeup: Kimmi Gustafson

DJ: DJ BLITZ (Pablo Badilla)

Post wedding.

What was your favorite part of the wedding?

Getting to see everyone after the ceremony, and introducing Jason to all my friends that he hadn’t met before.

What was something quirky or crazy that happened on the wedding day?

My dad wearing pants!!! And then stripping into shorts during the ceremony!!

What was the most special moment of your wedding day?

Seeing the cake toppers that Jason made.

What do you look forward to most about being married?

Starting our own family and traditions.

What were your 3 top priorities when you were first searching for a photographer?

1. Personality 2. Professionalism 3. Product

What were your first impressions of my photography/website?

I thought your pictures were unique and had a very different style than anything we had seen.

What did you most value about what I offered?

Your package that included the photo shoots after our wedding, and we most valued your ability to talk to us and make both of feel comfortable. You are an extremely personable… person ! lol Which is something you can’t fake, and we loved working with you.

What questions or concerns did you have when deciding whether to book with me?

My biggest concern was that your style seemed to be too abstract, but that’s what we ended up loving, is your unique style and way of editing.

What could have made booking a “no brainer” decision for you?

It was a no brainer the second we talked to you, we just needed to figure out financing to afford your services since we knew we definitely wanted to use you!

If you had three words to describe your experience with Courtland Photography, what would they be?

Amazing, Personalized, Fun!

What is the most important thing people should know about working with me?

You will do anything to make their day special, and you are a great communicator with great FaceTime meeting opportunities to go over details.

Do you feel like you got your money’s worth?

Absolutely!

How would you rate your overall experience?

5/5

Why did you give that rating?

Planning a “destination” wedding was stressful, but working with you was the best experience and you made it extremely easy every step of the way.

Please share with me anything else you would like to include!

Just a thank you for taking our special day and making it incredible. You helped to make sure everything flowed smoothly, and captured moments for us to look back at and laugh on, cry on, and remember for years.