I've said it before and I'll say it again, September weddings are my absolute favorite. The weather along the North Coast in Mendocino and Humboldt is more predictably sunny in the fall months versus the summer. In June, July, and August the hot temperatures inland along Willow Creek and Redwood Valley seem to draw the fog into the coast. When those areas cool, we tend to have clearer skies from Trinidad all the way down to Gualala and Anchor Bay, where this gorgeous wedding was.

Groom to be Justin reached out to me first and let me know that they were planning their Northern California wedding from their home in Colorado. They had chosen the Southern Mendocino, Mendonoma, coast because bride to be Ryan had spent time vacationing in the Sea Ranch area when she was young. They found their perfect bluff overlook wedding venue in an amazing place I had not yet photographed at, Warner Point.

Ryan and Justin knew that they were working within a set budget for their Mendocino destination beach wedding but wanted to make sure they did their wedding photography right. We booked for a full day of coverage with myself and my dedicated second shooter, Chris, to include everything from getting ready to their silent disco and because they loved the look, we also added hand edited black and white versions of each and every photo in their wedding gallery.

I had already peeked at photos of their venue online and was so grateful to have a full day to explore it. Warner Point has so much to offer their brides and grooms. The cottage where Ryan got ready was bright and and reflected the colors in the ocean views from the windows. Only a short walk away their ceremony site offers incredible views down the golden lit southern coast and bluffs. Within view of the ceremony site, there was a lovely open air reception space from which a trail descends down to an old original beach house and private cove. 

When the day arrived, it was sunny and breezy. Ryan and Justin's later ceremony start time gave us time to photograph all over the property ahead of guests arriving. After the ceremony we photographed the wedding party and family pictures, grabbed a few portraits of the couple and headed off to the reception tent area. We took a brief break for amazing tacos catered by the Anchor Bay General Store and ahead of first dances, slipped away for a few sunset portraits at Warner Point's western edge.

So many of their family and friends made the trip out to Northern California. It was so sweet to see their love for Ryan and Justin and to hear all of the stories about this couple who had already shared so many adventures together. Even though the silent disco went late into the evening, not a single person seemed to leave before I did. Young and old, family and friend, everyone felt the magic on that September evening.