This was the third time I have photographed a wedding at Rose Sachs. In fact I helped another photographer photograph a wedding at Rose Sachs that very same morning. It is located half way between Salt Lake City and Park City and it is a gorgeous location.

I am going to start off with one of my favorite photographs – I usually show these chronologically – but I am going to tell this story a little differently.

Teresa and Nelson's formal wedding photographs at Rose Sachs

Getting ready photographs aren’t necessary but they help tell a story. Of course it is important for the bride and groom and the people involved to be comfortable with a photographer in the area. Often times I just wait outside and wait till people are dressed enough for some “getting ready photos.”

Getting ready for the wedding - waiting out the rain

The groom wore a kilt from his family’s history and they used YouTube as a checklist for the proper way to wear a kilt.

Using YouTube so we know how to wear a kilt

The wedding ceremony was presided by a Buddhist priest/monk and so it is a good thing that Rose Sachs had a Buddha statue already there.

Rose Sachs had a buddha statue on hand - coincidence that the wedding ceremony was a Buddhist ceremony.

This is one of the first Buddhist wedding ceremonies that I have had the opportunity to photograph. It is really cool to witness different cultures and different religious ceremonies. That same morning I had helped photograph a Chinese wedding ceremony which included the tea and red envelopes.

Buddhist wedding ceremony

Buddhist wedding ceremony

Buddhist wedding ceremony

Getting to photograph the rings as they are exchanged can be a challenge. Couples don’t always turn the hands to show the rings. And I won’t get so close to be a distraction – fortunately there was room where I could get a great shot of the rings being exchanged.

Exchanging wedding rings

I have some new and improved software that I use to create the perfect black and white photograph. It gives me so much control – I can even imitate popular black and white film! I can definitely add all the drama I want! Occasionally I will photograph with actual film cameras but when it counts I am going digital because of the flexibility, creative control and quality.

You may kiss the bride. First kiss.

And then time for wedding portraits! We started in front of the Rose Sachs waterfall and then moved to the area that was having some amazing clouds and sunset. The light was beautiful but also disappearing quickly.

Formal Wedding Portraits in front of the waterfall

Group photographs of the wedding party

I saw these clouds and colors and knew I needed to move people over quickly. The early storms had left way for a beautiful sunset and colors in the sky.

Formal portraits in front of the gorgeous backdrop

Taking advantage of the beautiful sunset for these photographs.

Here are some of the wedding details. I always go for the flowers, cake, wedding rings, decorations, food. The details are always important – you design a great wedding and the details help tell that story. And if you ever want a wedding published in the magazine you have to have amazing detail photographs. So I always shoot hoping that things look like a magazine.

The wedding cake in front of the Rose Sachs Waterfall

The wedding bouquet and the waterfall

I really like photographing wedding rings. I see it as a miniature version of the bride and groom and we place them in unique locations.

The wedding rings

A few more wedding portraits

Time to party!

There are the traditional activities of cake cutting, the garter belt, and the tossing of the bouquet. They had the groom toss the bouquet and then the bride removed a part of the kilt setup.

Cutting the cake

Teresa removes the groom's garter

Nelson throws the bride's bouquet

This isn't the first dance - but I really like this photograph

Congratulations to Teresa and Nelson!

This cheesecake played the feature in a recent cake cutting and cake smash.

Cheesecake Wedding Cake

I certainly happy I was able to be the second shooter for this wedding. If I am not busy on a Saturday or a Sunday I love to find another photographer who will let me tag along and photograph for them.

Gorgeous dried flowers

I can’t imagine the amount of work or what goes into creating these flowers. And the bride had a handmade dress by her sister – so you know that the planning and detail was extraordinary.

Gorgeous dried flowers in wine bottles

Mini fruit tarts

And with raspberries – even better. I don’t know why the Christmas season always makes me think about food.

Mini fruit tarts with raspberries

I love this photo because I see a lot of back story – what is the groom thinking at this moment? Is it frustration? Is he planning? Is it pent up excitement? Spoiler: despite the rain – the wedding was gorgeous and everything was beautiful. I will be blogging more photographs of the Rose Sachs wedding in the coming weeks so check back again.

Groom watches as wedding preparations are progressing

I photograph details like the wedding rings with my macro lens – there really is no other way to properly photograph wedding rings. You want to get close and then get closer. You can only do that with a macro lens (maybe if you use a bellows or double up on lenses).

Finding wedding rings hidden in the wedding bouquet

And to photograph this close with a macro lens you have to master off camera flash. I usually shoot through and umbrella – although I just picked up a small softbox that I will use a ton in the future. And I think I will always photograph the rings set on the flowers and florals.

Wedding bouquet at Rose Sachs

Recently I had a brief discussion with another photographer about wedding bouquets. She had asked if anyone liked them and if they just were in the way. My response was that wedding bouquets are a touch of fancy that goes well with the bride. I think they are cool. And most important – for bridal photography and even wedding photography it gives the bride something to do with their hands.

On an unrelated note – sort of… Utah is famous for the mountains. The landscape here is truly unique. And if you haven’t seen Rose Sachs on the way up to Park City you should really check it out. It is a fabulous!

The stone and rock formations really set the location apart. There is a waterfall right behind the reception center. This wedding bouquet was photographed on some of the rock steps that lead up to the water fall. It was pouring rain as I took this photograph – all natural light and at ISO 800 to capture the shot. When it rains it gets dark outside so it takes some correct handling of a camera to get the shot right. Woo hoo!

Umbrellas decorate the wedding ceremony at Rose Sachs

I learned man years ago from Boy Scouts – “Thou shalt be prepared!” Sunday I had the chance to photograph a wedding with Stacy from Three Winks Studios. We came bundled in coats and layers. We even had plastic bags to protect the cameras, lenses, and equipment.

And it was overcast and rainy all day. The wedding back up plan was to move the ceremony to a tent to shield people from the elements. And the decision was made that the wedding ceremony would indeed be outside in the grassy area overlooking the valley. And in spite of the rain it was gorgeous setting.

And to be honest – rain will make this wedding memorable. The bride and the groom will remember the dozens of family and friend who braved the rain and the cold to watch their love be sealed in marriage. I will never forget the wedding – that is for sure. And Rose Sachs is an absolutely gorgeous location for weddings. I hope I can photograph there again!

And to other photographers – be prepared! And I recommend using plastic garbage bags – I just poke a hole in the bottom of the bag to give the camera lens a spot to see through. And there is no shame in using plastic bags – you don’t want your equipment to malfunction in bad weather.