Hollins House Wedding | Santa Cruz, CA
A summer wedding in Santa Cruz—
We kicked off our summer season far from Arizona, opting for the much more pleasant temperatures of the northern California coastline. Summer has become our main travel season now that we’re based in the desert, and it is always so exciting to see where in the world our inquiries come from. We’ve known Megan’s sister for years now, as we’ve photographed a number of weddings in her friend group, and we were so excited to receive Megan and Nick’s inquiry for their scenic wedding day at The Hollins House in Santa Cruz! From our first conversation to them, to our first time hanging out at their engagement session in Big Sur last fall, we knew this would be such a solid partnership working together! Megan and Nick are so much like us— they love sports, their fun loving group of friends, and are some of the most down to earth people we’ve ever met too!
For two people who wanted a no frills, relationship focused day, their sweet summer wedding could not have turned out any more beautifully. We fell in love with The Hollins House, perched atop a hill in the middle of the Pasatiempo Golf Course, with sweeping views of the Santa Cruz coastline. This area is known for its marine layer in the spring and summer, but Megan and Nick got a gorgeous, sunny, cloudless day. The venue’s white and brick building with giant glass windows, huge oak trees, and views for miles make this such an effortless place to get married— it is so simply beautiful on its own! Of course, Megan and Nick hired an incredible vendor team to accent this natural beauty (scroll to see the gorgeous florals in particular! We loved all the hydrangeas and roses incorporated throughout the event design!).
Another incredibly iconic part of this Hollins House wedding was the dance floor (you probably know the kind of people we attract by now 😜). From the moment dancing began until the very end of the night, everyone was celebrating, even Nick’s grandma. I loved how much natural light poured into the reception space late into the evening because of those big windows, and it was so fun to mix up use of direct flash, high ISO, fun lenses, and all kinds of apertures to capture the party as it was happening. Megan and Nick’s people understood the assignment, and we were so glad to capture all the fun too!
This wedding represented such a beautiful blending of families (the very last picture captures the sweet moment all of Megan and Nick’s siblings hugged it out at the end, excited to begin life as one big family now 🥲) and traditions, and involved the most fun cast of characters. We’re so grateful so many years into this that we are still finding our kind of people, and that we get to celebrate them as friends rather than simply another vendor.
A special thank you to the incredible team who made this day possible, some of Santa Cruz’s very best wedding vendors.
Venue & Catering - The Hollins House at Pasatiempo Golf Course / Coordination - The Wedding Connection / Flowers - Driftwood and Roses / Videography - Ernie and Fiona / Dessert - Santa Clara Cake Expressions / Entertainment - Santa Cruz DJ Company / Beauty - Vivian Sampson Beauty / Rentals - Chic Event Rentals / Dress - Anthropologie Weddings, Jenny Yoo / Groom’s Outfit - Men’s Wearhouse
LOOKING FOR A SANTA CRUZ WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER? EXPLORE OUR PACKAGES AND INQUIRE WITH US!
Hello! We’re Katie and Joseph, a husband and wife team, and traveling wedding photographers based in Arizona.
We are big fans of documenting wedding days in an unposed, raw, genuine, and honest way that allows our couples to maximize their experience on their day while also receiving a gallery full of stunning images that communicate how it felt to be there.
Though we’re based in the southwest, we’ll travel anywhere, like the Santa Cruz/Bay Area for a good love story (and dance party). We invite you to follow the links below to learn more about us and our services, and to get in contact with us!
