This Church of the Incarnation wedding features Rod and Marian who held a small intimate ceremony attended by their children.
Although this ceremony was small and intimate, This wedding had a beautiful 50’s flavor to it with what they chose to wear and even the car they drove to the church.
Getting Ready Photos & Solo Portraits
As a portrait photographer, I selfishly love the bride and groom formal portraits the most. Weddings are one of the few times people get professional portraits, so I always make it a priority.
In my experience, it’s often the last time someone thinks to have a solo portrait taken. That’s why I focus on capturing each person individually, along with moments of them getting ready.
Groom Formal Portraits
Bride Formal Portraits
Bride and Groom First Look
Rod and Marian have a timeless, classic style. Their suit and dress gave off a strong ’50s vibe, perfectly matching Rod’s 1948 Packard—meticulously restored by his own hands.
Originally, they planned to drive the Packard to their ceremony, but the car was having overheating issues. So instead, we pivoted and staged their first look photos in front of their house, using them to create the illusion that they drove to the ceremony in Rod’s Packard, just like he originally wanted.
I paid close attention to angles and camera settings to avoid modern distractions. The goal was to blur the line between the decades and make the photos feel like they could’ve come from another era.
Church of the Incarnation Wedding Ceremony
This church of the incarnation wedding ceremony was super small and consisted of only my Rod, Marian and their kids.
To put this in perspective, if you include the reverend and myself, there was only nine of us in the whole church. Call me crazy, but as a Sonoma County wedding photographer I much prefer small intimate weddings like this over the expensive mega ceremonies at the local wineries.
Group Formals
These group formals were captured after the ceremony in front of the church alter.
Formal Couples Portraits
For Rod and Marian’s couples portraits, I took some extra time to set up a 48″ gridded octobox to get some really beautiful, contained light on them. Paired with the setting of their Church of the Incarnation wedding, it gave me a series of images that I think define the essence of timeless portraits.
Rod & Marian’s Wedding Reception
The following day Rod and Marian hosted a very small reception at their home with close friends and family. It’s always humbling for me to photograph my own family’s weddings. The experience always has a tendency to re-ground me in the importance of what I’m doing for clients who aren’t my family.
These candid wedding photos might feel like unimportant snap shots to those who don’t know these people, but often I find that these photos are among the most important of the day for the couple. To illustrate this point, shortly after these photos were taken, Marian’s father died. These are some of the last photos she has of him.
To end the album Rod and Marian requested a casual portrait at one of their favorite spots sipping on their favorite beverage. This was the first time I had heard the slogan “Champaign of beers” which quite literally had me doubled over in laughter. Marian, you are absolutely perfect for Rod and bring out a better side of him than I’ve seen in many years. I’m heartened that you’ve found each other. Welcome to the family and I wish both of you a lifetime of happiness together!
More Sonoma County Weddings
If you enjoyed this Church of the Incarnation wedding, you might also like these other Sonoma County weddings I’ve captured.
