Marielle Hayes Photography

Andrew & Linda. Old Sacramento Wedding.

01.15.2013

I am so behind on blogging so I figured that I would go back & blog all the beautiful weddings I shot last year! With everything else that goes on in my life, sometimes blogging takes the back burner…but this poor old blog has been pretty neglected so I’m going to make up for it by blogging some fun, beautiful weddings that I’ve been able to photograph. So get ready!

It was a sweltering hot day in Old Sacramento. Right along the banks of the Sacramento River, a train whizzed by the hotel where Linda was getting ready. Her lace dress was hanging, her bouquet was cooling off in a pitcher of water, and Linda was almost dancing around her hotel room with excitement. She helped her mother curl her hair, she helped her bridesmaids get ready…for Linda & Andrew, their families & friends are such a huge part of their lives that their wedding day wasn’t just a celebration of the bride & groom…it was a celebration of all the people in their lives who had helped shape them & who helped them grow along the way. Their day was spent alongside those friends & family members-laughing, crying happy tears & yes, even doing the Gangnam Style dance (which may have been one of my favorite parts of their wedding!) It was a sweet, perfect day for two people who are genuinely nice, happy & head over heels in love.

Their wedding was such a happy, wonderful day-they were truly surrounded by people who love them sooooooo much. Andrew & Linda were simply beaming at each other the entire day & it’s more than obvious that they really, truly make each other happy. I am so blessed & so lucky to be able to work with people like Linda & Andrew-people whose love for each other just seems to ooze out of them…people whose love for each other is written all over their face (it definitely makes it easy for me to photograph!!). Andrew & Linda-thank you for trusting me to capture your amazingly fun & wonderful wedding! You were a joy to work with & I am grateful to have you as my friends! Wishing you all the best in your new adventure as a married couple! XOXO, marielle.

They saw each other before the ceremony & it was a sweet moment…

Definitely one of my favorite wedding day images EVER…

I loved, LOVED the different textures of their flowers…

Fun fact of the day…Linda MADE the belt that is on her wedding dress! I was amazed at her talent!

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2012. You RULED.

01.03.2013

in Weddings

This past year was an incredible year…it’s really hard for me to think that the year is already over. I honestly feel like it should still be July!! I was lucky enough this past year to do a ton of traveling both for work & for pleasure…I flew to Nashville to shoot a wedding, we took a trip to Europe with my family (and I am positive that I ate my weight in Cadbury chocolates), visited beautiful southern Utah as a family and took multiple trips to Lake Tahoe for weddings. I photographed an ice cream cookbook, listened to the entire Harry Potter series (although I’ve spent half my life making fun of Harry Potter…I ended up bawling like a baby during the last book), bought more than my share of colorful tights, spent Friday nights at home with Hadley & Sam watching movies & eating pizza, learned to quilt, learned to play the drums, ate bacon ice cream (it was AMAZING), came in 2nd place for Best of the Bay’s Best Wedding Photographer, and I had a fun, fast paced year. I am really, REALLY blessed to have been able to photograph 33 weddings this year…each of them beautiful, different & perfect for the couple. I was lucky to witness so many heartfelt weddings…and lucky to be able to photograph them! I am blessed beyond belief, that’s for sure.

A HUGE, HUGE thank you to all my clients from 2012. You have put your trust in little old ME to photograph your special day & for that I am soooooooo thankful. I am so grateful to walk away from 2012 knowing that I have clients who have become my friends during the whole process. I literally cannot wait for the adventures that 2013 brings! I’m hoping that it brings me thousands of pounds of chocolate, more leopard print & glittery things to fill my closet with, more time with family & more fun adventures! And of course, I’m looking forward to more beautiful weddings, more fun clients & more WEDDING CAKE!!!

To thank my 2012 clients, why don’t we do a giveaway? Yep, that sounds good to me! I’ll be giving away ONE 20×30″ canvas to the couple who gets the most votes for best photograph of 2012. Below I’ve posted a photograph from each and every wedding I’ve shot this year. In the comments section of THIS blog post, please vote for which couple you’d like to win…you don’t have to know the couple to vote. Just write the name of the couple you are voting for. Only one vote per person, please. I know that I am super behind in blogging & have about 12 weddings left to blog, so please just vote on the photograph that you like the most! Voting will end this Sunday night at 9:00pm. Good luck and THANK YOU for the best year EVER!!!!!!

Here are my favorites from the year in order of when the weddings were held….

My first year of the wedding was JD & Jackie’s surprise wedding at Cavallo Point! Their guests had NO IDEA that they were coming to witness a wedding…

The tulips were in full bloom for Crystal & Chris’ Oakland Temple wedding…

And then just a few days later, the snow came in full force for Trina & AJ’s wedding at the Hyatt in Incline…and major props to Trina who braved the weather all in the name of photography!!!!

Debbie & Jaren’s classy, fun & beautiful Oakland Temple wedding…

I flew all the way to Nashville for Sutton & Pete’s beautiful (but FREEZING!!!) wedding…

Then back to the Oakland Temple for Laney & Josh’s beautiful spring wedding…

Emily & Kealan’s beautiful barn wedding at Squirrel Ranch in Grass Valley…such a cute, DIY wedding with two middle school sweethearts!

Karen & Eric’s beautiful wedding & awesome reception (with a Chinese dragon for entertainment!)

Carol & Derrick’s beautiful Oakland Temple wedding where they jumped on a trampoline in their wedding clothes! FUN!

Sarah & James’ awesome & hilarious wedding at the Thomas Estate in Danville…

Beautiful Lake Tahoe was extra beautiful for Kevin & Jane’s destination wedding at Valhallah…

Michelle & John’s wedding was sweet & lovely…just like them! Loved their wine country wedding in Callistoga…

It felt like it was about a zillion degrees outside for Grace & Nick’s wedding but it was such a beautiful, heartfelt day at their wedding at Arista Winery…

Katy & Kevin’s wedding at the City Club in San Francisco was filled with energy, life & lots of love…

Katie & Ryan laughed more than any other couple on their wedding day. Their fun day was spent at the Oakland Temple with a backyard reception…

Monica & Jorge’s ceremony was in Spanish (which I don’t speak!!!) but it was totally heartfelt & beautiful….

I traveled to my hometown of Reno for Meaghan & Joseph’s (high school sweethearts!) lovely wedding at the Fairview Gardens…

And came back to Oakland for the wedding of a friend, Sydney & Daniel (complete with taco truck at the reception)…

Alexis & Shay’s lovely, sweet wedding was complete perfection! They were sooooo happy (and sooooo beautiful!!) together!

Jon & Tessa were married at 10,000 feet elevation at Heavenly Lake Tahoe! What a view!

Went to Graegle for Monika & Kevin’s wedding held at the secluded 20 Mile House…a wedding with two happy & awesome people…

Andrew & Linda’s wedding was a combination of cultural traditions and FUN! Loved their wedding in Sacramento!

Paige & Korey’s wedding was beautiful, colorful & every single person there was happy! Loved their summer wedding…

Kristina & Chris celebrated their wedding at Arista Winery over Labor Day Weekend-what a fun, FUN party!

Amanda & Chris were the couple who jumped into the pool during their wedding reception! Such a fun & memorable wedding in Reno!

Jen & Martin’s lovely, perfect Autumn wedding at the Hyatt at Incline…with the perfect sunset!

I have never seen such an incredible sunset as I have at Candace & Eithan’s special day. It was a perfect, PERFECT day!

Andy & Jessica’s fun DIY backyard wedding was nothing short of perfection…their families & friends had a blast!

Cathy & Cody’s simple wedding at the Oakland Temple…with an intimate family luncheon after the ceremony. Sweet & simple, which I loved!

Traveled to Southern Utah for Mary & Trevor’s amazing St. George Temple wedding…and Mary thought it would be cool to do photos with her horse (which is WAS!)…

Janae & Cody hired me for a couple of hours on their wedding day…they were sweet & so kind!

We luckily dodged a HUGE rainstorm & had a minimal amount of rain for Kristin & Keifer’s Sacramento wedding!

And I ended the year with sweet Cami & Chris’ wedding! Such a perfect wedding to end my year with!

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So This is Christmas…

12.05.2012

in Personal

One of my favorite lines in a Christmas song is, “So this is Christmas, and what have you done?” It’s definitely the time of year when we all sit down & reflect on our blessings & we take the time to reach out to those around us who might not be as fortunate as we are. It is Christmastime once again & last week I posted on Facebook for all of you to let me know if you knew anyone who might be in need of a little extra help this Holiday season. The response was completely overwhelming…I read stories of families who needed financial help, stories of families who needed medical help, stories of heartbreak, sadness and hope. I spent last Friday at my computer sobbing as I read these stories that everyone had sent my way. It was so, so hard to narrow it down but I’ve prayed that I might pick a family who needs our help & I feel like the Anderson family is a family who we can help out this Christmas.

This is the story of a darling family-the Andersons. The parents, Marc & Janette and their 4 & 6 year old boys. Over a year ago Janette was diagnosed with leukemia. Being diagnosed with leukemia never happens at a good time, but Marc had just graduated and did not have a job. Janette had dreams of watching her kids grow, being a great mother to her sweet children & to spend a long life together with her prince charming. Because her treatments were so intense, Marc spent the past year being her sole caretaker since her treatments required 24-hour care. Anything that could have gone wrong with her did…she had organs fail, blood clots, blindness, you name it. She had 3 bone marrow transplants but it just wasn’t enough. Sweet Janette passed away on Thanksgiving day, leaving behind her prince charming of a husband and her two beautiful boys. Between the medical bills, funeral expenses & payments for her medical treatment, the bills that Marc will have to pay are astronomical. You can read more about Janette’s story on the blog she updated before her passing HERE.

Their story is completely heartbreaking to me-I think it’s difficult for anyone to imagine leaving behind a darling, sweet family. So this is Christmas, the time of year when we reach out to help those around us…whether they be people we know or complete strangers. It’s the time of year when we lend a hand in a soup kitchen, give someone in need a warm coat or donate some money to a family in need. It’s the time of year when we can show each other that there is love and that there is goodness in this world.

The photograph I chose for this fundraiser is a photograph I took in a cathedral in Brussels this summer & I loved the serene look on the mothers face as she helps her child. I felt like it was an appropriate photograph for the Anderson’s story…because even though Janette isn’t physically with her family, I know that she is definitely watching her family from up above. If you can, please make a donation to this family during this time & share in the true meaning of the Christmas spirit by clicking on the donate button below the photograph. Any dollar amount will be accepted. 100% of the donations received will be given to to this family. The photograph will be emailed to you in high resolution format. The photograph is then yours to print, frame, give as a gift, use as a desktop photo, etc. The photograph will not have my watermark on the image. ALL of the proceeds will be given to the Anderson family to help them during this tragic time in their lives. The fundraiser will go through Christmas day & I won’t be posting anything else on my blog besides this fundraiser until after the New Year.

God bless each & every one of you who donates. I know that we are put here on this earth to help each other, to lift each other up when times are hard. May each of you find joy in helping others this Christmas season. XOXO, marielle.

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Monica & Jorge. Oakland Wedding.

11.16.2012

in Weddings

If there is one thing that everyone knows about Monica & Jorge, it’s that theirs is a love that is pure & sweet. It’s obvious that they are comfortable being together-that even though they’ve spent years as a couple, they are still breathless when they see each other…that they still listen to every word that the other says. It’s a testament that love can still be fresh & exciting, even after years of being together. Monica & Jorge were married in a beautiful church in Oakland-and although the ceremony was in Spanish (and I got C’s in all my Spanish classes so I didn’t understand much!), the feeling during the ceremony was just like Monica & Jorge-sweet, kind & loving. And there is no doubt in my mind that Monica & Jorge will grow old together-still excited to be together, still interested in what the other has to say & even more in love with each passing day.

Monica & Jorge decided to see each other before their ceremony which was perfect. We set up a First Look, where Jorge was positioned facing away from Monica. Until Monica tapped him on the shoulder, he wasn’t allowed to turn around. When Monica arrived & walked over to Jorge, he turned in surprise to see his beautiful bride. They both were beaming at the sight of each other & had some time to themselves before they left for their wedding ceremony. I LOVE when couples choose to do a First Look because it gives me as a photographer more time with the couple & the rest of the day can be spent celebrating without being held back taking formal photos. I LOVED Monica’s black shoes with her ivory dress, Jorge’s slim fit suit, the beautiful church where they were married & the joy that emendated from each & every guest there.

Monica & Jorge-you are the sweetest, nicest couple on the planet. I have loved getting to know you both-and photographing the two of you together is a DREAM for me!!! Wishing you joy, happiness & lots of beautiful babies! XOXO, marielle.

Oh my goodness. Monica was STUNNING.

And Jorge isn’t too shabby, either!

Off to the chapel to get married…everyone was anxious to help Monica with her dress!

Definitely my favorite from the day…

A few weeks after the wedding, we met up for some bridal photos of the two of them…

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Amanda & Chris. Nevada Wedding.

11.08.2012

in Weddings

Theirs is a sweet love story. Amanda had been long time friends with Chris’ cousins-even before she knew Chris. Amanda & Chris lived in different states, but when there were at Chris’ family events, she & Chris were always set up by his family to do a myriad of tasks together (on one occasion, their task was to be the greeters at a cousins wedding together!). She always thought that he was sweet, kind & good looking but she knew that Chris wouldn’t be interested in dating long distance. The opportunity arose for Amanda to visit Maui for a month…and she knew that Chris had never been. She asked him to come along for a couple of weeks. They spent the two weeks together exploring, laughing & having a fun time in the sunshine…and the rest is history. Later down the road, Chris had taken Amanda for a day of ice skating & she was surprised at the end of the date that he hadn’t proposed. When they got home, Chris ran into the house, leaving Amanda in the car…and when she walked into the house she found that Chris’ family had driven up from Sacramento to decorate the house & have a beautiful dinner ready for them. That’s when Chris asked Amanda to be his wife…and the rest is history!

They were married in the back yard of Amanda’s aunt & uncle which overlooked all of downtown Reno. It was a beautiful view & the back yard was PERFECT for a wedding. Guests enjoyed music & Mexican food up on the patio, helped themselves to assorted candy at the candy bar & then after dinner, dancing & some heartfelt toasts, Amanda & Chris JUMPED INTO THE SWIMMING POOL!!!! It was so fun & other guests (along with members of the bridal party!) jumped into the pool in their clothes, as well. Needless to say, the evening was a complete blast that was completely unforgettable. I mean, how many times have you seen the bride jump into the pool in her wedding gown? I loved the beautiful autumn colors of their wedding-the burnt orange & the deep purple were a perfect color combination for a wedding in the fall. It was a beautiful day & I was lucky enough to be able to photograph the beauty, joy & fun of their wedding!

Amanda & Chris-I LOVED getting to know you both on your wedding day! You were both a complete joy to work with & I was soooooo excited that you guys were willing to walk through sagebrush & up hills and jump in the pool-all for the sake of having awesome photos! You both make everyone around you feel so loved & so welcomed…I wish you a lifetime of love, happiness & the sense of adventure and fun that you both have! XOXO, marielle.