Bringing The Outdoors In … Justine and Robert’s Wedding At Nestldown

So many of our Little Black Book members have blogs of their own, and some of them are downright fantastic. Case in point … Gia Canali’s Pursuing The Picture Perfect Wedding.” Everytime I see a new post of hers, I keep thinking, wow she writes so well! And I started thinking about how much information photographers have, deep down inside … the good, the bad, and the mmmmm not so good.

Then, I dug a little deeper into Gia’s blog and discovered that not only is she a fabulous photographer, but she also has an MFA in writing from California Institute of the Arts. Well, duh! No wonder her blog is so great!! So … before getting to today’s wedding, we wanted to share a little bit more … straight from Gia ‘s blog

Every bride dreams of the picture perfect wedding … and so, of the perfect wedding pictures. I’m certain this has a lot to do with how strongly our memories are shaped by photographs as visual evidence, particularly of beauty and happiness. And it probably has quite a bit to do with the few tangible things we keep after the wedding: the spouse, the rings, the photographs. But the truth is that bad photographs (translate: less than perfect ones) occasionally happen to perfectly well-meaning couples. So much goes into creating the picture perfect wedding, and hiring a good photographer is an important step. But everything from cultivating exquisite decor to planning a realistic itinerary and wearing the right gown counts. I realize that photographers are supposed to be the silent and unbiased observers. I do realize that. But what we photographers see and don’t say might count for a thousand words … or a thousand beautiful photographs. (Pursuing the) Picture Perfect Wedding is meant to be an aesthetic critique of weddings, full of tips on how to work with your photographer and how to get the most out of your photography; notes on trends in wedding fashion, florals, and decor; interviews with wedding industry innovators; and the very occasional rant on avoiding fashion disaster. Over the last ten years, my work has taken me to weddings traditional and non-traditional, religious and civil, rural and urban, high-end and handmade, in places as far east as China, west as Scotland, south as Mexico, and every sort of destination in between. I’m here to tell you what works … and what doesn’t.

Our advice for today? Set aside some time this weekend to read Gia’s blog … cover to cover!

And now, on to her day job!

Justine and Robert’s wedding …

Justine and Robert were married in October at Nestldown, a private estate and non-profit organization in Los Gatos, California. Gia Canali was there to capture each and every moment of this gorgeous wedding! We have lots of photos … so be prepared to check in throughout the day to see them all.

from Gia …

The ceremony was outdoors (they couldn’t bear the thought of not having it outdoors). But northern California is quite chilly in October, and although they’d originally envisioned a picnic reception, they decided that the comfort of their guests was of utmost importance. So … they brought the outdoors in. This is one of the better examples I’ve seen of an elegant rustic (and environmentally-conscious) wedding.

Their very peaceful ring bearer … Vinny …

Justine’s absolutely perfect gown is a Melissa Sweet design.

Gorgeous bouquets by Valley Flora.

SO many more photos from Justine and Robert’s wedding coming up in a bit! (Now would be a good time to take a look at Gia’s blog …)