Monterey California is a beautiful place, it is actually a place I have loved since my parents took me there while I was in high school. At the time I felt like it was a dreamy paradise, with stunning beaches, an incredible aquarium and a fun laid back atmosphere.

When given the opportunity to photography a wedding in such a gorgeous place, I could hardly contain my excitement! It was a beautiful day, although windy and a bit chilly.

Choosing to do a beach wedding can be difficult, you want to make sure that it is not to crowded, not to hot or cold, and as I pointed out in a past post, there is a definite season to choose so you don’t have to deal with smelly seaweed that washes ashore during parts of the year.

Greg and Bhavanna chose a wonderful time of year, and all the choices they made for their wedding enhanced it even more. They picked a very nice resort called The Sanctuary Beach Resort that is right by the water, one that had its own private section of beach so that they didn’t have to worry about crowds of people. The details and special items they had for their wedding just added depth and sentimental memories to their special day!

The colors and flowers made everything feel soft and elegant.

The adventure of the day started off with some great “getting ready” shots with Greg, his parents and his groomsmen. They were all really fun and the resort offered some great spots to take the photos!

My partner took great photos of the bride, Bhavanna and her bridesmaids getting ready while I was photographing Greg and his groomsmen, but I did get some very sweet shots of Bhavanna and her mom before it was time for the ceremony to begin.

It is a beautiful site, seeing so many people come together! I love that they even had family come all they way from India to celebrate with them! Once special wedding guest actually had a big job to do….they had their dog be the ring bearer and he did an amazing job!

With everything and everyone ready to go, it was time for the grand entrance!

For those of you who have seen the movie, 27 Dresses I completely agree with the main character, Jane. She said her favorite part of going to weddings is seeing the groom’s face as he watches the love of his life walk up the aisle towards him. I love capturing this moment, and make it a goal at all of the weddings I photograph!

Other special moments I look for are the reactions of guests, especially the front row where the immediate family traditionally sits, as well as the reactions of either the bride or the groom while the other is saying their vows aloud.

Here’s the moment I promised earlier where their dog stole the show!

The exchange of rings and the “Husband and Wife” kiss are definitely special moments at a wedding.

I love it when the bride and groom grab an extra kiss at the end of the aisle, it makes for an awesome picture!

The family and friends that came from all over the world to support Greg and Bhavanna were wonderful! It was an awesome combination of not only two families, but two cultures as well!

They loved joking (and shocking some of their family) about being a family of three. Their dog was a superstar and so well behaved.

With the wedding over, it was time to celebrate!

The combination of yummy food, good drinks, hilarious stories, and wonderful friends makes for a fantastic party with lots of laughter and tears!

With dinner over, it was time for cake and dancing!

A special time I recommend for all of my couples is to take just a little bit of time to take “Husband and Wife” portraits. This is a collection of special pictures of just the newly weds that capture the start of their awesome new adventure!

Congratulations to this wonderful little family!