Mount Hermon Wedding | Santa Cruz, CA
Married where they first fell in love—
I can’t imagine a better way for Annabel and Jordan to begin their marriage together. They, like so many of our friends, met working at Mount Hermon’s iconic summer camp, began a friendship that led to them falling in love, and decided to spend forever together. How perfectly fitting that they would choose to be married in the very place their relationship began. We had the most beautiful day with them, wandering around the spacious Mount Hermon and getting to reminisce with them as they remembered different stages of their relationship at the camp’s landmarks.
This was an inquiry that hit us especially close to home. Joseph’s family has been going to Mount Hermon for literal generations, with some of his extended family even living on the property now. We have so many people close to us who are our friends because of Mount Hermon, and even a few who met and fell in love there too! I had never visited before, but my time as a member of Joseph’s family has given me the sweet opportunity to hear how incredibly beautiful and peaceful it is countless times. Meeting Annabel virtually felt like meeting an old friend, and I am pretty sure we talked for over an hour as she shared with me her and Jordan’s vision to bring their families together and simply be with each other in a no frills kind of way. She also stressed how important honoring the Lord with their day was. We jumped at the opportunity to be their photographers!
Just a few weeks after their engagement session in Big Sur, we found ourselves back on the north coast of California for Annabel and Jordan’s wedding at Mount Hermon. We have grown to deeply love trips to Santa Cruz over the last few years, with its redwoods and rocky coastline (and the best record store we’ve found while traveling 😉). I will always remember the deep sense of peace that washed over me as we drove into Mount Hermon.
We began they day with Jordan and his big family out on the lawn, and with Annabel and her girls in a nearby cabin. Annabel did a first look with her dad and brothers in a redwood grove, a moment so sweet to witness. We headed down to the chapel for their ceremony, and wait until you see the way the light filtered through the redwoods and into the chapel below. STUNNING. Joseph ran across the street to capture a wide image of newlyweds’ exit from their ceremony, with the whole chapel and trees in view, and really the whole day was just full of these moments of us being absolutely awe struck by the natural beauty of this place!
After capturing family and bridal party portraits, we headed over to Annabel and Jordan’s outdoor reception, beginning with espresso hour (if you know me, you know I will say HECK yes to caffeine at any time of day; I was very, very excited for this)! The Californian in me will always treasure a fully outdoor, sunset wedding reception, and this one was no exception to that rule. Family lingered and caught up as the golden light filtered through the dense redwoods, and were ecstatic to be joined by A+J. The speeches given at this wedding were all genuinely some of the most touching we’ve ever heard, and the love shared among everyone present was so tangible.
We snuck off to some more dense redwoods for Annabel and Jordan’s bridals, and I am in such awe of what God did with Mount Hermon. The giant trees and grassy meadows and creeks winding all through it are simply something you need to see in person. I can’t believe a place like this exists. These portraits are some of my favorite we’ve ever taken, and, as it has been the actual entire time working with these two, it felt like no time passed at all as we wandered through the trees with them. We are so grateful to have crossed paths with these two people who, as I’ve mentioned before, absolutely radiate joy. To witness the beginning of the rest of their life together is something we will cherish forever.
LOOKING FOR A SANTA CRUZ WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER? EXPLORE OUR PACKAGES AND INQUIRE WITH US!
Hello! We’re Katie & Joseph, a husband & wife team, and destination wedding photographers!
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 Arizona, we’ll travel anywhere (like our home state of California) 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!
