A Midsummer Wedding at Ella's Vineyard | Jess & Ben
Our season finale (of sorts) at our most frequented venue this year!
Ella’s Vineyard, that is, one of the top winery wedding venues in the Paso Robles wine region on the Central Coast of California. And it couldn’t have been a better celebration for a better couple! Jess and Ben are friends of ours, dating back to Jess and Joseph being in the same friend group in college, and it was so much fun to not only photograph this special day for our friends, but to be surrounded by so many people we love while doing so. This was especially appreciated as we documented this day in the midst of one of the biggest heat waves the southwest United States has ever seen, and if you know Paso in the summer, you know this was a hot, hot day.
The weather was very reminiscent of Arizona weddings, and so we entered it excitedly. We met up with Jess and Ben the morning of their wedding at Ella’s Vineyard’s ever classic farmhouse for one big getting ready party. Keep scrolling to see the smiles on their faces as they approached the moment they would first see each other, and then get married. Before they saw each other, however, Jess shared a very special and emotional first look with her dad on the farmhouse’s wraparound porch. We then headed down to the ceremony space for a little calm before the storm moment, for Jess and Ben’s first look.
The moment they’d been waiting for! Ella’s Vineyard’s ceremony space is nestled in the very middle of the sprawling vineyard and naturally creates the perfect setting for a wine country wedding. Jess and Ben chose this spot for their private moment, before all of their people gathered around them, and exchanged personal vows during their first look. It was sweet and full of emotion and allowed them to have this time together without anyone else, to really sit in the moment and simply be together.
Before the ceremony, we also had time to take bridal party portraits, and everyone was so wonderful despite the triple digit temps. We captured some super fun moments with this spirited, simply lovely group of Jess and Ben’s closest friends! Then, we were off again to the ceremony space, where a gentle afternoon breeze began to roll through, and the magic of Ella’s Vineyard really came to life. We laughed, we cried, and we prayed with and over Jess and Ben as they officially became husband and wife. And then it was off to the party.
Jess and Ben intentionally planned their reception timeline to include space for them to personally greet every single one of their guests. So many hugs, so many special conversations, and so many touching photos came from their cocktail hour. We loved that they incorporated what was important to them into their timeline :’). After a golden hour dinner and toasts concluded, Jess and Ben chose to have a grand entrance onto their dance floor to naturally flow everyone there. Guests lined up in the space between one of Ella’s Vineyard’s sprawling lawns and its barn with bubbles, and Jess and Ben ran excitedly through it. We love a natural grand entrance/exit moment, especially one that takes place during the pretty twilight hours instead of late at night!
We snuck Jess and Ben away for sunset bridals in the vineyard, and it was absolute magic. The golden colors of the sunset that capped off the warm summer day were simply everything, and the vines, reaching harvest time, were in full bloom. It doesn’t get more Paso Robles than this!! We returned them to the dance floor where they soaked up the final hours of their wedding day with their people, before we sent them on their way to their tropical Mexican honeymoon!
MEET THE BEST Paso Robles WEDDING VENDORS!
Planning & Coordination - Gatherings SLO / Venue - Ella’s Vineyard / Catering - Old SLO BBQ / DJ - Nick Shorts / Dessert - SLODoCo / Videography - Mackenzie Smith / Beauty - Kelly Mendoza & Nikki Ramirez / Dress - A Heart’s Desires / Groom’s Outfit - Studio Suits / Rentals - SLO Party Rentals / Bartender - Denise Rojo
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Here are our favorite photographs from Jess & Ben’s summer vineyard wedding ~
Howdy! We’re Katie & Joseph, a husband & wife team, and Arizona 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 Phoenix, we’ll travel anywhere 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!
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