wedding at Paion, Big Sur

It occasionally happens that I work with shy clients, who may not want photos of themselves, or their names, up on the internet. I totally understand, and above all want my clients to be comfortable. So I have some kind of anonymous photos from this beautiful wedding I photographed at the stunning, cliffside location in Big Sur... and you'll just have to enjoy a little bit of mystery about it. The weather was cool and socked in with fog, which certainly lent the location, a private estate called Paion, a mysterious, romantic, and breathtaking air...







The details, arranged by Alicia Falango of AK Designs, were just too fantastic not to share. I loved these table settings! Each one was unique, and oh-so lovely:









More details, which I believe were all brought in by Alicia and her team:







There was a very tempting s'mores kit, with cushions, blankets, and everything you'd need to get snuggly by the fire:





See?



Adorable kids were abusing the paper parasols, running and jumping to try to take flight... although eventually Alicia and I got nervous one would run right off the cliff!



How much do you love this? The bride got ready in a little on-site yurt tucked in the trees... then got to ride a golf cart up to the ceremony site. So fun!





I heart food:









Three kinds of paella!



Can you tell how big this cupcake is? The biggest cupcake ever. It was amazing! The "paper" cup was also cake... the whole thing was beautifully decorated and amazingly delicious (I love it when there is cake enough for the photographer!). I wish I could post a shot of the bride and groom, not only for scale (it was BIG) but because instead of cutting the cake, they scooped in with wooden baker's spoons and fed each other. It was awesome!



It was a very lovely day:





Some long exposures after dark, before the fog turned into rain:











(here's part of a super kind note from the bride's mom:

"I was so thrilled when (the bride) just called me from Asia to tell me she'd just forwarded your email with first set of photos. They are wonderful!...

After reliving the wedding through your photos, I then went to your blog and spent about an hour or more just looking at all the weddings you've done recently. You really know how to personalize to each couple. I particularly enjoyed "the elopement" photos, complete with horse and dog!

Looking forward to the next group. And thank you again for such attention to detail and for taking such care to make every wedding so special for the couple and their families.")

Thanks for such a great event in an amazing location!