Autumn Outdoor Art Club Wedding » Mill Valley, California » Erin Prado for VCP

// This wedding was photographed by associate photographer, Erin Prado. //

Amanda and Lee planned a lovely Mill Valley wedding complete with their first look in a nearby redwood grove. Their ceremony took place on the back patio of the Outdoor Art Club while the front of the gardens served as their cocktail hour and dinner reception. The evening festivities kicked off with Amanda and Lee’s first dance with a live band lead by Amanda’s father. Truly a wonderful Marin celebration!

Photographer: Erin Prado for VCP // Venue: Outdoor Art Club // Wedding Planner: Limelight Productions // Floral Design: The Little Flower Shop // Caterer: Stacy Scott Catering // Dessert: Creekside Bakery // Lighting: Marin Event Lighting // Live Band: Greg Johnson Jazz // DJ: Allison from Heart of Gold DJs

Intimate Muir Woods National Monument + Del Popolo Elopement » Mill Valley + San Francisco, California

Stephanie and Kirk love spending time outdoors so Muir Woods National Monument felt like the perfect fit for their tiny wedding celebration. I met up with them in the early afternoon and we hiked out to a small secluded spot along the Bootjack Trail for some portraits. (You can usually find clusters of ladybugs in this particular spot along Redwood Creek!) Afterwards, we met up with their families and headed over to the ceremony spot, tucked away at the base of an ancient sequoia. Stephanie’s sister officiated and they exchanged sweet vows and rings. After hugs and a few tears, we all headed into San Francisco where they celebrated with a delicious meal in the back patio at Del Popolo. As a thank you, Stephanie and Kirk wrote personalized letters for each of their family members as place cards.

Old Mill Park + Muir Beach COVID Destination Elopement » Muir Beach, California

Megan and Jeremy envisioned themselves getting married on a bluff overlooking the ocean but also love redwood forests. So when they reached out to me for their elopement and said “We just want to enjoy ourselves and capture our happy moment in the mystical setting of Northern California”, I knew exactly where to go: Marin. The redwoods in Mill Valley’s Old Mill Park would serve as our first stop for a quick engagement session before changing into wedding outfits. After a few more photos in the grove, we hopped in our cars and drove out to Muir Beach for their ceremony. Together we hiked up to a little overlook above Muir Beach. This spot was the same place where Jeremy had originally planned to propose to Megan but due to an unexpected case of food poisoning, the plans were temporarily abandoned. But on this day, they returned to exchange vows and start the next chapter of their lives together. As it was just the two of them, Megan and Jeremy started their ceremony by reading letters their family sent them, sharing words of encouragement and love. They exchanged vows and rings before sealing it with a kiss and a little happy dance. Afterwards, we walked back down to the beach where Megan and Jeremy celebrated with champagne picnic just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Lush Outdoor Art Club Garden Wedding » Mill Valley, California

Katya and Matt were married on a beautiful and warm summer day at the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley. The day began at the Mill Valley Inn where Katya and her bridesmaids were getting ready. As they changed into their dresses, I popped over to Mill Valley Beerworks next door where Matt and his groomsmen were grabbing some beers and a quick bite. Once everyone arrived at the venue, Katya and Matt had a sweet first look while her bridesmaids looked on. Katya’s uncle officiated their ceremony under the redwood trees and the vows had everyone crying happy tears. During the reception, Katya and Matt’s sisters surprised them with an acoustic performance of one of Katya’s favorite songs. The party continued on into the night as Katya’s uncle did double duty and DJed the evening’s party. As a nod to Katya’s Lebanese heritage, her family included a traditional dance before everyone assembled for a conga line on the dancefloor. Such a fun wedding!

Destination Outdoor Art Club Wedding » Mill Valley, California

J and D live in New York but have a lot of family in the Bay Area, especially since J is a California native. For their destination wedding, the chose the Outdoor Art Club for a low key elegant celebration surrounded by the natural beauty of the gardens and Mill Valley. They were also drawn to the unique wooden architecture of the Bernard Maybeck building. I met D and J for their first look at the venue before walking over to Old Mill Park with their sibling wedding party for portraits under the redwoods. D’s aunt officiated their wedding while J and D’s nieces and nephews participated as flower girls and ring bearers. There were a few Jewish traditions present like the sharing of wine and the breaking of the glass, a nod to D’s family heritage. After the ceremony, guests mingled with the couple in the gardens while enjoying passed appetizers and drinks before heading into dinner for a delicious dinner. Hilarious toasts from the couple’s siblings kicked off the evening of dancing, dessert and merriment.

Wedding Venue: Outdoor Art Club // Wedding Coordinator: Jessica Uhl of City Lights Event Company // Floral Design: Belle-Flower // Caterer & Rentals: Trumpet Vine Catering // Lighting: Marin Event Lighting // Cake: Live Love Bake // Hair & Make-Up: Rachel Rockwood Artistry // DJ: ChungTech

Redwood Grove Old Mill Park Wedding » Mill Valley, California

Lindsay and Ariel’s wedding day began with a traditional tea ceremony at the Mill Valley Inn. Both sets of parents as well as some uncles and aunts were honored with offerings and tea and cookies. In exchange, Lindsay and Ariel’s family offered their blessings and red envelopes. The surprise of the morning was when Lindsay’s mother pulled out a wedding gift that Lindsay’s grandmother prepared and saved for her before she passed. After a sweet and emotional morning, we all headed over to Old Mill Park where Lindsay and Ariel officially saw each other for the first time. We took some time to shoot portraits before Lindsay was whisked away to wait and hide in the public library next to the park. Under the shade of the redwoods, their wedding ceremony included lots of sweet stories, including how they first met—a real life Craigslist missed connection! Afterwards, everyone headed to the Mill Valley Community Center for a delicious reception of fried chicken with a geode cake and s’mores for dessert. (Big thanks to James and his team from Limelight Productions for keeping the day running smoothly.)

Outdoor Art Club Destination Wedding » Mill Valley, California

Originally in the same class at Princeton, Devon and Brandon only started spending more time together when they both moved up to Boston right after college--Devon was working for a nonprofit and Brandon was getting his master's degree. After several months hanging out their friendship turned to romance and they started dating. 

In the winter of 2016, Brandon took Devon to an intimate candlelit dinner at a French restaurant in Reno where he had created a miniature winter wonderland with a tiny village and little figurines representing different aspects of their life together. After Brandon explained all of the different components of the display, they walked over to the dinner table, where he had left a handwritten note on Devon's place setting asking if she would marry him. She replied, "Of course!"

Even though they live in Washington DC, they decided to fly all the way to Mill Valley, California for their wedding. Devon and Brandon knew they wanted to get married in an outdoor garden space with plenty of natural beauty, but also wanted a refined, classy space for the reception. The Outdoor Art Club fit the bill perfectly. As a bonus, they were attracted to the Club's history and its mission: the proceeds from the wedding that did not directly go to maintaining the property are allocated to conservation efforts elsewhere. The rich autumn color palette and their ceremony under some redwood trees brought together relaxed yet elegant elements. As avid readers, their guests were gifted a choice of the couple's favorite novels as wedding favors. 

Wedding Venue: Outdoor Art Club // Wedding Planner: Lindsay Lauren Events // Floral Design: Sweet Roots Farm // Catering: Ann Walker Catering // Cake: Branching Out Cakes // Lighting: Marin Event Lighting // Rentals: JRB Events // Music/DJ: All Ears DJ // Make-Up: Make-Up by Adele // Hairstylist: Hair by Missy // Invitations: Kseniya Thomas of Thomas Printers // Calligraphy: Kim Nichols Design // Wedding Signs: Minted Style Co. // Devon's Dress: Nicole Miller // Dress Alterations: A Stitch in Time // Devon's Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Brandon's Suit: Ted Baker // Brandon's Shoes: Magnanni // Rings: Brilliant Earth & Royal Jewelers

Springtime Mount Tamalpais Engagement Session » Mill Valley, California

As a professional photographer, I'm always challenging myself and growing creatively. Who I am today feels light years away from who I was when I was starting out. After a decade (?!) of shooting, I've learned to focus on my strengths and am inspired by the natural world and the genuine connections I make with my couples. At the start of this year, I knew that I wanted a website that authentically represents who I am, not just as a wedding photographer but an outdoor lifestyle photographer. With the help of Flight Design Co. I'm so happy to finally have a place where my work can live honestly, simply and elegantly. 

Meena and Nik's Mount Tamalpais engagement session is the perfect representation of the melding of my two photography loves and truly captures what I love most about photographing couples in the great outdoors. Mount Tamalpais is one of my favorite places to explore and photograph as it offers beautiful forests, rolling green hills and gorgeous ocean all within a short drive from the city. 

Floral Design: Gorgeous and Green // Hair & Make-Up: Julie Dy // Dress: Ulla Johnson