Old Mill Park Wedding Ceremony

I’ve had the honor of shooting several wedding ceremonies and portraits at Old Mill Park, all with their own flair. Many ceremonies are held in the park with the reception to follow at the Mill Valley Community Center, a mere five minute drive away. These venues offer a unique blend of natural beauty, history, and modern amenities along with great value and accessibility.

Old Mill Park

Old Mill Park is a historic and enchanting location for wedding ceremonies. Old Mill Park is named after the Old Mill, a sawmill built in the late 19th century, which played a pivotal role in the development of Mill Valley. The ceremony space offers an elevated stage ringed by trees, with a gentle creek flowing in the background. A natural cathedral-like setting that feels both intimate and grand. The dappled sunlight filtering through the redwoods creates a romantic ambiance, ideal for stunning wedding photographs. Annie and Connor, as well as Zoë and Joe, held ceremonies here.

I’ve also seen Old Mill Park used as a private ceremony place. Here I photographed Anna and John exchange vows privately, followed by a photoshoot in the redwoods. It was wonderful to slow down with the couple. They were able to experience and soak in the calmness of the redwoods before they moved on to their ceremony at the Sausalito Women’s Club.

Your Special Day in Mill Valley

Many couples host the reception at the nearby Mill Valley Community Center. Together with Old Mill Park, these venues provide the convenience of modern facilities alongside the charm of historic natural settings. Guests or the wedding party can easily stay in the nearby Mill Valley Inn, which also is among the redwoods and photographs beautifully. There are plenty of fantastic eateries in the area (a local favorite is Sol Food for Puerto Rican!). Even better, being in this area positions you for fantastic sunset photoshoots in the hills, whether it be from a lookout point at Muir Beach to Mt. Tam, the options are endless. Be sure to check out what the Old Mill Park has to offer for a romantic and quaint redwood wedding ceremony.

Venue: Mill Valley Old Mill Park

Planning (first couple pictured): Tiffany Won

Florist (first couple): Jeffie Khalsa

Planning (last couple pictured): Limelight Productions


OVY Camp Wedding – San Gregorio, California

OVY Camp Wedding – Katelyn & Michael

Early November served up a gorgeous, sunny day for Katelyn & Michael’s OVY Camp wedding in San Gregorio, California. As you wind down the dusty road approaching OVY, you can’t help but get that magical feeling of returning to summer camp. We began with a few getting ready photos at a cabin looking out over the dining hall and ball fields. Katelyn switched out her vintage t-shirt for a two-piece wedding top and skirt with motorcycle boots on bottom. Wedding guests had pitched a tent on the deck which gave the space a communal, sleep-over kind of feeling. Cousins and aunts shared mirrors to put finishing touches on their hair. Michael helped his nephews prepare for their roles in the processional and the ceremony.

The ceremony was held in a hidden redwood grove on a whimsical treehouse-cum-altar, built into the trunks of a cluster of redwoods. As the ceremony began, the sun was high in the sky, but the redwoods filtered the light, and made their special type of magic as they are wont to do. Katelyn & Michael were serenaded by a family band with an acapella rendition of a pop song. Michael and Katelyn read personal vows to each other, and as Katelyn was tearing up, somebody passed a tissue on to the altar to Michael, and rather than pass it along to Katelyn, he dried his own tears, and they both broke into laughter.

Directly after the ceremony, a family friend made a panoramic photograph of all the assembled wedding guests. At the cocktail hour Katelyn and Michael passed out challenge coins with symbols of each of their qualities on opposite sides of a coin. The challenge coins were particularly apt as Michael had served in the Marines, and a few of his fellows were in attendance at the wedding

When the sun got a bit lower in the sky and the light got good and juicy, we returned to the redwood grove for couples portraits. And that, I must say, was some of the most delicious light I have ever encountered. For a moment I worried the drama of the light might overpower Katelyn & Michael, but they held their own without a doubt.

Nieces and nephews blew bubbles, chased each other through the ball field, played soccer and basketball. At dawn dinner was distributed from Lamas, a Peruvian food truck; ceviche, lomo saltado, platanos, all scrumptious. Guests gathered around tables in OVY‘s mess hall

Katelyn comes from a family of old-time musicians with West Virginia roots. A friend called a contra dance while Katelyn & Michael danced with their guests. Then the family band convened: Michael on spoons, Katelyn on Banjo, and her dad on stand up bass. Katelyn’s brother called a square dance. Eventually old- time tunes gave way to pop hits, with an emphasis on 80s and 90s throwbacks. Michael’s father danced with his grown daughters.

Wedding Venue : OVY Camp, San Gregorio
Photographer : Hazel Photo
Florist : Wish Social Events
Catering : Lamas Peruvian
Band : Undone in Sorrow (Katelyn)


A Wedding in the Forest – Gideon and Lina

A Wedding in the Forest – Gideon & Lina

Gideon and Lina’s wedding ceremony was nestled into a forest, with live trees bent into a glorious arch as the altar. I’m not sure I’ll ever top that. We used the opportunity to make couples portraits in the forest. The guests’ outfits ran the gamut from the traditional Norwegian dress of Lina’s family, to Gideon’s open collared shirt and brown wool suit. The two children stealing the show in every other image belonged to Gideon and Lina and, were part of the wedding party, and gave me life all day long. Guests used a rowboat to head back to the reception from the ceremony site. There were assorted berry pies, red canoes, croquet, oh, and the dancing, stick around for that…


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