I can’t even begin to tell you how many friends I gushed to about the weekend already! It was nothing short of incredible, and obbbbviously the wedding I shot was a HUGE highlight, and the whole reason I was out there! I owe a huge thanks to the Dyers (whaaat I’ve never been able to call them that before!) for trusting me to capture their dream wedding, bringing me out to beautiful California wine country, and letting me hang out with them all weekend long. This Northern California Vineyard Wedding at Pennyroyal Farm was nothing short of amazing!
I received so many kind words from the couple + friends and family afterwards, and I reread them so many times. It truly means the world to us wedding photographers. I would write more on that, but this blog post isn’t about me ;)
The couple got a rad AirBnb and partied all weekend long with their wedding party, me, and Emmalee, my fabulous second shooter this time around. Everyone was so welcoming and made me feel like I belonged there right along with them.
*Keep scrolling to read more about Amanda + Ben's day and to see more photos from their Northern California Vineyard Wedding at Pennyroyal Farm!*
Amanda and Ben’s dreamy wedding took place at Pennyroyal Farm. It's a gorgeous venue in Boonville, California, a few hours north of San Francisco. It was not only a beautiful place to hang out and relax, but it had the perfect space for some photos of all the bling and details of the day.
Amanda’s mom also gifted these two a bunch of McNab Ridge wine for the weekend, complete with a custom label with their names and other wedding info. Ways to make anything more special 101: customize that ish!
In the grand scheme of things, detail shots might not be the most important, and they might not be a priority. But we had so many pretty things to photograph, and a few extra meaningful ones. One of Ben’s brothers, Billy, passed away a few weeks prior to the wedding. Amanda asked for a picture of two with the buckeye for Billy, and going back through these photos + seeing the dog tag Ben wore for his brother definitely brought a few tears to my eyes.
Wedding day details may not be on your list of priorities, but they can have such a big impact on how you remember certain elements of your day in the future.
The day got started with a few gifts for the ladies in the cutest robes, and the guys with a couple shots.
Amanda and Ben got each other the sweetest gifts. If you saw their engagement post, you might remember Ben’s a pilot in training.
Her note to him + airplane cufflinks were so perfect for him, plus it gave him a little bit of bling and something special to wear on his big day.
“He spoils me,” Amanda said when she saw her Tiffany’s box. Inside was a cute little heart necklace engraved with their wedding date.
The video team Vow and Covenant showed up in time to capture Amanda unwrapping her gift. Then it was time for portraits, my favorite part!!! The driveway in to the AirBnb was such a pretty spot for the ladies, and the leaves falling in the wind were absolutely magical. The veil blowing out of the bride’s hair, not so much…haha.
The guys and Emmalee were at another Airbnb for the morning. They went to Hendy Woods State Park to take some pictures in the Redwoods, Ben’s favorite tree. I gotta say—I was a little jealous I didn’t get to do these pictures! I've never seen Redwoods before, but Emmalee crushed it and I was definitely laughing going through these later on.
Aaaaand, I got to go back the next day with Amanda + Ben for more pictures of them together! (Keep scrolling to see a few images of them exploring in the Redwood trees!)
The things are dang huge and pictures don’t do it justice—but here’s a shot:
I mean, how good do they all look? The venue was a first-timer for weddings, special for these two. They’ve been to Pennyroyal quite a few times before--it’s where Ben proposed--so of course they had to have the wedding here. I mean, can you blame them? Look at that view!
And when the view is mountains, a vineyard, and blue skies, you don’t need much décor. I loved how they kept everything simple and let the space speak for itself.
Maybe it’s just because I had the chance—nay, privilege—of getting to know these two over the past few months, but this ceremony was so special. Seeing Ben cry while Amanda walked down the aisle was the absolute sweetest thing, and I know I wasn’t the only one thinking it. I’ll leave their vows between them and the guests, but they were so, so good.
Moooooore portraits, baby!! Despite being a little behind schedule, everyone was super down to do whatever I asked.
The fact that they prioritized photos and gave me so much time to capture them was AWESOME.
I felt like I could breathe for a minute, think, and do have some fun with them!
We had so much space in the vineyard and behind it. There was a beautiful oak tree that really caught my eye during the rehearsal and walk through the night before, so we took some photos there as well.
All the bouquets and boutonnières, by the way, are made of wood. Talk about a way to preserve your flowers! I’m all for the non-traditional, so this was definitely a unique touch.
We took full advantage of having the vineyard to ourselves, and grabbed a few more of the couple alone, making sure to take the time to perfectly fluff out the dress train each time. Nothing less for an Instagram babe like Amanda.
Now the party could start. I don’t usually include a ton of reception pictures, but when the party is as alive as this one, I can’t help it. I’m pretty sure every third or fourth song, I found Emmalee in the room wherever she was and said “this is my sooonnngggg!.” But like, way too many times. Of course we hopped on the dance floor for a few songs, too :) If you wanna see how ridiculous we look, head over to Instagram and click on my BTS highlight. Or don't.
Points to you if you can guess which song the wedding party is dancing to to kick off the night hahaha.
This day was full of so much love, serious fun, and seriously special people who traveled from Cincinnati and elsewhere to watch these two lovebirds tie the freaking knot!!!
If you’re just dying for more pictures of these two like I am, keep a look out on Instagram for more pictures, along with the next blog post of their Sunday morning Redwoods Park Bridal Shoot!
Thanks to all the talented vendors who made this Northern California Vineyard Wedding at Pennyroyal Farm come to life!
Venue | Pennyroyal Farm
Photography | Alana Lindenfeld Photography
Video Team | Vow and Covenant
Wedding Dress | Lovers Society “Harley” at Lovely Bride Cincinnati
Bridal Jewelry | Olive and Piper (earrings) and Genesis Diamonds (ring)
Bridal Shoes | Steve Madden
Groom’s attire | Folchi’s Cincinnati
Wedding Décor | Encore Rentals
Caterer | Potter Valley Café
Florist | Rosy Lily Florals
Deejay | Clay Mitchell with ppwinecountry
Wedding Favors | Olive Oil from Graziano Family
Vow Books | PaperPlum
