Incredible Backyard Wedding, Sebastopol, CA | Angel & Reuben

Recently, I had the honor of photographing a beautiful backyard wedding in Sebastopol, California for Angel and Reuben. I am a huge fan of backyard weddings because they are intimate, meaningful and always unique.

When doing a backyard wedding, it often involves everyone coming together to make the day a success. For this specific occasion, one thing that stood out to me was that all of the food was cooked at the property. Family and friends, led by Reuben’s dad, came together to create an incredible spread of food. I’ve seen my share of self-catered weddings, but this was the first time I’d seen an entire pig cooked on site. This was just one of those moments of Angel and Reuben saying “this is how I want to do it, and that’s that.” And you know me, I am a huge proponent of doing your wedding exactly the way you want, no matter what.

Following dinner was one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard from one of the groomsmen, Billy. He was a long time friend of Angel and he is actually the one who introduced her to Reuben. He had everyone laughing and crying. It was exactly the way a speech is meant to be. He wasn’t reading off a script, he told stories, spoke from his heart and just let go. It was truly beautiful.

Angel told me before the wedding day that she just wanted the images of the day to document the moments. She said “I just want you to come and do your thing.” It’s this trust that quickly allows me to be comfortable. Being comfortable allows me to really observe the different dynamics of people and begin to anticipate moments that may or may not happen. There was no pressure to get any certain images, and with this I was able to immerse myself.

I learned quickly that if Reuben caught you pointing a camera at him he wouldn’t smile. The exact opposite reaction of Angel. You can bet I was determined to get that smile, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to force it. With some patience and intention I was able to put myself at the right place at the right time and capture some incredible authentic smiles.

My goal each and every time I put my camera in my hand, wedding or not, is to capture something worthy of preserving. I’m intentionally crafting images that I hope will bring someone back to that day, to that moment, to that feeling.

Angel and Reuben, I hope these images will forever transport you back to the way you felt on this beautiful day. Thank you so much for allowing Taylor and I to be a part of the experience. You both were truly wonderful!

-Nic

ABOUT ME: Hi! My name is Nic Hilton. I am a destination wedding and portrait photographer based in Tehachapi. I shoot many weddings in the Mammoth Lakes area as well as Southern California but I am available to travel worldwide! Contact Me today because I would love to tell your story.