Santa Cruz Wedding Photographer | Karla + Michael
Steven Cotton Photography is a Santa Cruz Wedding Photographer whose studio is located in downtown San Jose. We shoot 15-20 weddings each year; and here are some examples of Karla and Michael’s intimate wedding at The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park.
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Karla and Michael were my first wedding couple of 2018. When I met with them before their wedding, they discussed that they envisioned their wedding being at a park in Santa Cruz – with just them and their officiant. I loved their idea and was excited to be apart of their special day.
The First Look
I LOVE photographing first looks! Some couples really enjoy it and others prefer not to see each other before the ceremony. I’d say about 25 percent of my couples have first looks. There are a couple of advantages to having a first look. Firstly, it relieves a lot of nerves; and secondly, if you have a tight wedding timeline, you can knock out all of the family portraits before the ceremony starts.
The Ceremony
For their ceremony, we found a nice quiet spot among the redwood trees. Including myself, there were 5 people. It turned out to be a really beautiful ceremony. In the last couple of years, more-and-more couples are having a friend or family member officiate their wedding. K + M chose to have their close friend as their Officiant. She did an excellent job and was able to tailor the ceremony to Karla and Michael’s relationship.
The New Married Couple
After the ceremony, we were able to capture some fun portraits of K + M. I loved getting shots within the redwood trees. One of the creative ways I look to create images is through reflections. We found a puddle that worked out perfect for this 🙂
