Deanna + Steven

I met Deanna as a bridesmaid 3 years ago when I was shooting my friend Krystal’s wedding and I was SOOOO EXCITED when she reached out to me to shoot her wedding!

We did their engagement shoot way back in January 2020 up at Castle Crags State Park and it was so beautiful! We were originally planning on going up to Crater Lake to shoot in the snow, but we realized they close most of the roads up there in the winter and we wouldn’t be able to drive around the lake. We were super bummed that we couldn’t make that work but our back up plan did NOT disappoint. We had so much fun and I couldn’t wait for their wedding!

Of course back then we had no idea what was to come of this crazy year. In March 2020 when it all started, we all thought everything would be fine by June. Then we thought it would be fine by August 2020 – the month Deanna and Steven were getting married… Then finally their venue had to cancel their wedding due to covid-19 restrictions in Oregon soooo they were left venue-less a couple months before the wedding along with many other couples this year. We searched near and far all throughout Northern California to find the perfect spot for them. We discussed a ceremony in potentially Tahoe or Yosemite and got excited about those plans. However, after a couple options fell through, they opted for a backyard wedding. Deanna’s parents’ neighbor was so kind and let them use their yard and it was so pretty!

I could tell they were a little disappointed but I wanted to ensure that they would have THE BEST DAY EVER and you bet your bottom dollar that they did. We had fun taking our sweet time getting ready and even made a fun video (check it out here)! We headed to the house for the ceremony where we all teared up to Steven’s vows. After the ceremony, Deanna, Steven and I went down the street to a beautiful overlook for sunset photos and the photos were STRAIGHT FIRE. And then they all danced the night away and it was SO FUN.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you have your wedding, it only matters who you’re spending the day with. So never lose sight of what the day is all about – celebrating you and your love with your closest friends and family. As crazy as this pandemic has been, it’s safe to say that it’s brought so many people closer together and made us more intentional with our decisions.

Shoutout to all of the amazing vendors who helped make this wedding so incredible after all that Deanna and Steven had been through!!

Photographer: @rebeccaskidgelphoto

Floral: @coutureweddingsbydottie

Makeup: @peydoesmakeup

Dress: @miosabridefolsom @miosabride

Rentals: @rent_a_party & @highsierraevents