Discovery Bay Studios Wedding Photography

First, let me introduce myself. My name is Deidre. I have been working with Kelly and Stacey since March of this year and Saturday April 12, 2014 was my second time shooting a wedding.

Shooting a normal, cookie-cutter wedding might sound really simple, not too difficult, take a few cute pictures of the bridal party and the reception, maybe a center piece or two. Easy. Shooting a wedding with Kelly and Stacey? Its a whirlwind of emotions and adrenaline. I know you're thinking I'm exaggerating. I'm not. And its awesome! Stacey knows the ins and outs of a camera like the back of his hand. Kelly is a master at posing and keeping everyone on point. Brooke is a crazy combination of the two. Watching them work is amazing.

Now, I know I said this was only my second wedding, but I am catching on quickly...which is easy when you have such great teachers!

Here's how the typical day goes: I wake up early, about 7am, and pick out my best all black outfit. We try to blend in. Shower, hair, make-up, coffee, and a good breakfast. Then I head to Kelly and Stacey's house where the car is packed and the four of us hit the road. On the way there, we discuss the time line of the day, talk about the colors, how many bridesmaids and groomsmen, and the venue (because if they haven't shot there before, Kelly and Stacey have definitely checked it out!). Then of course, we take selfies.

We try to hydrate as much as we can because once that camera is in hand, there isn't much time to think about water. When we arrive, we are instantly looking at the location: where would be great places for shots of the bridal party, the bride and groom, etc. From the moment we get out of the car, we have our cameras out to capture candid moments, posed pictures, wedding décor, anything and everything that will help capture the bride and grooms wonderful day.

It all sounds very stressful and crazy, and sometimes it feels like it is. But its all worth it knowing that we are creating keepsakes for the bride, groom, and their families and friends of this special day.

And usually, as we're driving away from the venue we're worried that we didn't get that one shot, or that we hope we got enough shots. But we did. And we got plenty of shots.

Shooting with Kelly, Stacey, and Brooke has been such a great experience. They are such warm, down to earth people who continuously have me rolling on the floor laughing. I am learning a craft that so many try to do, but because they don't have the proper training, their pictures never stand out from anyone else's. Discovery Bay Studios has such a signature look and that is why brides want them so badly. Trust me, I'm just itching to book them for my wedding....I should probably wait until I'm engaged first though.

So enough about me and my crazy bunch, let's talk about Ashlee and Dalton Everhart!

There is not enough words to describe the love these two have for each other and it was so palpable. Just seeing the way their faces lit up when talking about the other one literally brought tears to my eyes.

I think its so rare when you can feel how much two people love each other!

The day was beautiful from the start. The weather was great! Dodasa Ranch was picturesque. Everything was green and the flowers were so vibrant.

Dodasa Ranch is the ideal venue for a country themed wedding. And Ashlee and Dalton chose the most beautiful time of year to have theirs there. In the early evening, as the sun started to go down, the colors became even more vivid.

Every single detail of this wedding was planned perfectly. Ashlee's colors and All-American theme were represented by big bright sunflowers and Marine blue everywhere you looked.

Many brides these days use Pinterest to gain inspiration when planning their weddings. Sometimes it can be kitschy but Ashlee did an amazing job. Every thing just fit so well, you could have swore they had a professional wedding coordinator!

The dessert bar was to die for! Ashlee and Dalton made sure their guests had a wide variety of sweets to choose from such as red velvet cupcakes, mini strawberry pies, churros, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and snicker doodle cookies.

This was such a fun group to shoot. Wedding pictures can become tedious after a while but with a little patience (...shots don't hurt either), they really made the best of it. And the pictures turned out great!

Too many beautiful people for one picture!

Brooke and I had the pleasure of taking the groomsmen's photos. Usually the boys are more difficult because they don't like their pictures taken or they don't like to do fun poses...but these guys made our job easy!

The ceremony was officiated by Dalton's Aunt, and she did a beautiful job. It was such an emotional day!

The lovebirds said 'I do' and then it was time to party.

Don't they just look perfect together? (Oh, there's me in action!)

After the first dance, Ashlee changed into an adorable second dress.

Throughout the day, we get some amazing photos. The romantic shots of the bride and groom, the group photos, the flower girl and ring bearer being adorable, and the craziness that is the reception. We capture things that the bride and groom might not have been able to see, we make it possible for them to look back years down the road and relive their special day. At the end of it all we hope that the bride and groom are as happy with the job we've done, as we are for them.

After all, it is their big day.