Nick Postorino and Sara Miller married at Wellspring Spa on September 10, 2011. Under perfect late summer mountain skies, they said their “I do’s” and invited us to celebrate with them into the night. In addition to being a guest, Nick and Sara asked me to photograph their wedding. Although I seldom put the Nikon down for the better part of 10 hours on that Saturday, it was one of the most fun events I’ve had the opportunity to shoot. Picturesque setting, wonderful old friends, exciting new ones and two very welcoming families made the day memorable. More than anything else, I hope these photos convey a story, a visual narrative, of Nick and Sara’s wedding. If it seems as though Nick, Sara and their guests are having fun—they are. From hair and make-up to vows to toasts, I doubt there has been a marriage that began with so much joy and laughter.

From the moment I arrived at Wellspring, near Paradise at Mount Rainier, I crashed the bridal party dialing in hair-dos, clothing and make-up. It’s always fun to jump back and forth between the bride and groom: the women sipping champagne with men swilling beers. Getting prepared for a wedding is a team effort for the bride and her troops; while the men casually ask each other if their tie looks alright or how to fold a pocket square. In the end, both of these groups looked stunning and made my job as photographer pretty easy.

Here Sara and her bridesmaids pay homage to Nick’s love of baseball.

I shot the groom’s and bride’s sides separately before the wedding. Nick and Sara elected to not see each other before the ceremony. While I was allowed to frequently cross lines between the camps, making sure neither caught a glimpse of the other while making these photos added to the fun.

With both sides dressed and groomed, the guests took their seats and the stage was set for a ceremony in a nearby clearing. Sara’s brother Jason served as the officiant. He delivered one of the most humorous yet touching ceremonies I’ve ever witnessed—something that no doubt suited Nick and Sara perfectly.

With the wedding ceremony complete, we wanted to make sure the bridal party and family got a chance to mug with the bride and groom. Even though it took several hundred shutter actuations to capture this, everyone was fun to work with.

With the formal bridal party and family photos in the can, Nick, Sara and I headed up to Mount Rainer to grab a few shots in front of the iconic mountain. We timed it perfectly. Just as we reached the lookout the mountain was being bathed in the glorious rays of dusk. As I glanced at the LCD on camera I couldn’t believe what I was getting—the photos looked almost surreal. The idea for this private photo session was all Sara and Nick’s, and I was thrilled to be shooting it. It was also nice to break away from the excitement of the wedding for a moment and have a chance to chill with Nick and Sara.

By the time we returned to the throng, night had fell and the reception was in full swing. Beer and wine were flowing and Nick cued an expertly selected wedding playlist. Toasts were made and glasses were hoisted, and before too long everyone was on the green grass dance floor celebrating.

Even the photographer found time to put down the camera and get in on the party. I have to give credit to Ashley for dutifully acting as my “second shooter” here.

These are just a taste of the photos from the wedding. Please head over to Flickr to view all 269 images from the event. Also, if you have 18 minutes, watch the slideshow below.

Prints can be ordered by visiting http://www.grandriverimaging.com/Explosion5000. Just enter your email address and Event Code 25862-nicksara. If you’d like help with ordering a print or have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Late this August I had the distinct honor of photographing the wedding of Jake Bryant and Holly Medvitz. Jake & Holly have been become great friends over the last several years, and I had a blast clicking away at their beautiful wedding. Jake met Holly at Bainbridge Graduate Institute where they were both studying for an MBA in Sustainable Business. It only seems appropriate then that the weekend took place at the Wellspring Spa which is located at the base of Mount Rainier. A hootenanny kicked off things on Friday night (with yours truly doing an earnest rendition of “goddam you half Japanese girls…”, you get the idea). The wedding activities kicked off Saturday afternoon and lasted well into early Sunday morning.

The entire guest list stayed two nights at the mountain paradise. In between “I dos” and toasts, we made good use of the two hot tubs nestled in the mountainside.

Shannon, a mutual friend of the bride and groom from grad school, prepared an assortment of gourmet cupcakes, including one that was the size of a pumpkin.

The perk of being “the photogapher” is that you get to witness the behind the scenes activities of both the bride and groom. Jake, best man Sharat and a few others sipped beers and tied ties in a cabin. On the other side of the compound Holly and her team meticulously perfected every detail in her dress, hair and shoes.

The bride, groom, wedding party and parents obliged me for a very thorough formal portrait session. Lighting geeks: I used a Bowens 500 w/s Gemini light with a seven foot Photoflex Ocotdome. Power was provided by a Bowens TravelPak battery system. Generally, I underexposed the background by 0.5 to 1 stops to create a little drama. I’ve posted a few here, but there are many more on Flickr. Check them out here.

Best Man Sharat Reddy proved he could be relied on with any task. From DJ’ing to toasting to holding flowers—Sharat had the wedding locked down.

The ceremony took place in a clearing on the Wellspring property. All the guests stood through the brief formalities which created a wonderful, intimate setting.

Dean proved that his sartorial sensibilities extends quite suitably to later summer mountainside nuptials.

I grabbed a few shots of Jake & Holly in a cool labyrinth on the property. Check out a few more here.

The wedding party: seriously a lot of fun to photograph.

Dinner was set up outside. Holly’s brother Ryan provided lighting design which complimented the evening as day transitioned to night.

Yours truly as captured by Sharat Reddy.

With dinner, toasts and a few glasses of wine in the rear view mirror; the best part of any wedding started: the dancing.

Sharat and father of the groom, Paul, discussing important, wordly issues. Or more likely talking about the approach shot on the 15th hole at Suncadia’s Prospector.

With much of the “traditional wedding photography” in the bag, I setup another strobe and a softbox for an impromptu photo booth. Caitlin and Fred kicked things off, and the nonsense escalated quickly. All the evergreen photobooth shots can be seen here.

A big thanks to Jake, Holly, the Medvitzs and the Bryants for putting together such a wonderful wedding. I am honored to have photographed it for yall. All 242 images from the wedding can be seen on Flickr. Or, just watch the slideshow below.

Ross and Cara threw down in wine town. Threw down wedding vows, that is—and one hell of a party. A HUGE thank you to the Nesbitts and Gualcos for inviting me to be a part of the weekend. I had the privilege of getting to know Ross and Cara while attending Loyola in Chicago, IL. I sat next to Cara in my very first class at Loyola, Theology: Moral Issues in Business. I quickly became friends with her and Ross; many of my best memories of Chicago involve going out on the town with these two. In the years that followed graduation, it has been fun keeping up with them as our careers, geographies and relationships evolve. The coming together of Ross, Cara, family and friends in Sonoma for their wedding on August 21, 2009 made for a truly spectacular weekend.

The wedding weekend began like any wedding weekend should: golf. The cool, cloudy weather we experienced on the front nine allowed my Seattle game to flourish. As Ross put it so eloquently, “Andy is throwing darts!” On the tenth tee the sun came out and I cracked a beer. My game immediately deteriorated over the next three holes. After several major flubs, I was able to restore my front nine glory by the stretch and rally for a strong finish.

After golf, we barreled through the Sonoma Valley countryside in an attempt to make it to the rehearsal on time. Despite our tardiness, the ladies were genuinely pleased to see us.

The wedding, and therefore the rehearsal, were held at Landmark Vineyards in Kenwood, CA. The grounds at Landmark have a back lawn bordered by a creek and features a sweeping view of the Mayacamas Mountains.

I had a lot of fun getting to know Ross’s family over the weekend. Pictured here is Ross, Emily, Roger, Debbie and Brent Nesbitt.

After running through the wedding day logistics, we caravaned back into Sonoma for the rehearsal dinner. The Nesbitts hosted a wonderful evening at Estate in Sonoma. On the picturesque patio we clinked wine glasses and exchanged pleasantries underneath a pergola draped in vines.

Pictured here are three generations of Gualcos: Grandmother Frances, father of the bride Michael and brother of the bride Matt.

Emily and Brent are Ross’s younger twin siblings. Both are seniors at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln.

I particularly enjoyed getting to know Cara’s family. Her mother, Rexy, and brother, Matt, are flanked here by fellow Loyola alumni Cailyn and George.

Ross and his mother Debbie.

Cara posing with Dee, Tom, her Uncle Beanie and Aunt Dorothy.

Ross’s father Roger helps out his son and best man, Brent, with the finishing touches to his collar.

After giving Mike a quick tutorial on tying ties, Ross gives his groomsman a pep talk before the ceremony. The room we got ready in was pretty cool. It was a second story lookout that had windows on all sides. The walls were adorned with letters from Presidents and official White House Correspondence with copies of state dinner menus where Landmark Wine was served.

Once the cuff links were fastened and the ties snugged up, the guy’s side of the wedding party chilled in the tasting room at Landmark.

The setting for the wedding was absolutely gorgeous. The bride and groom were posed against a mountainous backdrop with guests seated in the beautifully manicured lawn.

Not be outdone by the beautiful setting, the bridesmaids were stunning. Pooja, Maid of Honor Jami and Emily pose for a picture minutes before the wedding. Cara let each of her bridesmaids select their own style of dress—a thoughtful custom touch that subtly complimented the overall aesthetic of the wedding.

Patterned curves of flower petals down the aisle contrasted beautifully with the lush green grass. As an usher, I was tasked with seating people from the outside. Kicking the petals around was reserved for the wedding party procession.

Cara’s great uncle Gene, a judge, performed the wedding. He also married Cara’s parents nearly thirty years ago.

Ross & Cara Nesbitt take to the aisle as man and wife.

Immediately following the wedding was the most elegant of garden parties. While I went straight for a Coors Light (it was hot outside), plenty of other classy libations were available for consumption. Here, Maid of Honor Jami takes a break from “double duty” to plant one on George.

Ammar and Brianna were all over this wedding. From cute candids to spicy parasol propped photoshoots, neither of them showed any disdain for my camera lens. Will they be the next Loyola couple to follow Ross and Cara down the aisle? Hmm…

After cocktails we sat down to a wonderful meal in the courtyard at Landmark.

Once dinner was finished, the real fun began. A live band rocked the reception while the happy throng danced and socialized in the cool California summer night. After getting after it on the dance floor for awhile, I wandered off to grab a light stand and an umbrella. I set up a Nikon SB-600 flash and Wescott umbrella underneath the tree branches and lights in the courtyard. Cara asked me to get a shot of her and her nanny, Dee, looking at each other. It was to be a tribute to an old photograph of a little Cara looking up at Dee on her wedding day. While I was setting up the scene and taking some test shots, Ross, Brent, George and several others wandered over. Before I knew it, we had a full-on photo shoot happening.

Vaishak, Cailyn, Ammar and Brianna get all “Gossip Girl” with a couple of parasols.

George being George.

Two brothers on a Parisian stroll?

Here is the shot of Dee and Cara that inspired this series.

A and B being saucy.

Rocky and Pooja Saxena ham it up under the lights. For more “Gossip Girl Photo Shoot” photos, visit Flickr.

In anticipation of everyone having a “good time,” a bus was arranged to take everyone back to the hotel. It is pretty obvious how stoked everyone was for safe transportation.

Although the wedding was over, the party in Sonoma continued on Saturday. About twenty-five of us rented a bus and toured the valley. Above is a vista as seen from the Gloria Ferrer Winery in Carneros, CA.

On their first day as man and wife, Mr. & Mrs. Nesbitt partied on a bus in between partying at wineries.

George and Katie keeping cool at Gloria Ferrer.

Cheers! Emily, Cailyn, George, Cara, Ross, Jami and Adam send up at toast at Gloria Ferrer.

On the way out of the winery, Ross decided to open up a bottle of champagne. After popping the cork, I encouraged him to shake it up a little, you know, Formula One style. Nothing like raining champagne.

Brett Catlin once told me that you can tell a good wine by its legs. Obviously we’re dealing with a superior product here, which is evident by Jami’s enthusiastic endorsement.

Adam and Lauren enjoy a snack in Sonoma.

Katie charts the course at Buena Vista Carneros.

Our driver, Rodney, hanging out at Buena Vista.

The bus’s aisle eventually transformed into a runway and the whole roadshow turned into a dance party traveling at 60 MPH. Thanks to whoever operated my camera to grab this shot—well done!

Many more pictures are available on Flickr, or simply watch the slideshow below. For help with making or ordering prints, please email me at andy@explosion5000.com.

Again, big thank you to the Nesbitts and Gualcos for a wonderful weekend!

This is the groom, Josh. I’m so happy that Andrea loves his zany fashion and ironic hatwear choices.

This is Alex Chu, a groomsmen. Alex came all the way from sunny Los Angeles, California because he loves fall in Fort Collins.

Planning a wedding is tough. Good thing Josh and Andrea both have cell phones to call and text everyone. “C u @ my wddng. It’s on Sat.” I’m pretty sure I RSVP’d by SMS, how about yall?

This is Chris Brown, Vice President of Brown Industries, and a groomsmen. Chris flew in from Grand Rapids, Michigan just to smoke that cigarette.

Rebecca is Andrea’s sister and Maid of Honor. Her smile is almost as big as the state of Texas!

This is Josh’s last lunch before the wedding. I only ate half of my sandwich because I was still writing the ceremony into my little black book—also, I was a little nervous (not much appetite).

Nobody in the wedding party has short hair. We all did this for Josh so he could have a more “vintage” wedding.

Josh and Steve.

Photo by Alex Chu on his First Generation Edge Network iPhone.

Alex titled this photo “Executive Decisions.” Here I am going over a few last minute details with the groom. “Are you thirsty? Do you need a Capri Sun? How do you say ‘Weinberg?’”

Photo by Matt Wolterstorff.

Whoa. Hot. Sorry Tony, not talking about you here.

Photo by Matt Wolterstorff.

Photo by Matt Wolterstorff.

Photo by Matt Wolterstorff.

Photo by Matt Wolterstorff.

Andrea giving her sis a hug after she toasted her & Josh.

Best man and Brother Jason toasts the newlyweds.

Getting totally toasted.

First dance—nice moves, bro!

Let’s get this party started!

Josh (WY), Alex (CA), Chris (MI), Joe (IL), Matt (MI).
Photographer: Andy (WA).

This is a funny moment for all of us that witnessed it.

Hi ladies!

Joe Beutler kept the party going.

All tuckered out.

Alex and Mel.

Marty and Tony: fathers in law.

Steve and Bianca.

Many thanks to Andrea and Josh for having me (and officiating!) at their wedding. It was a honor and I had a lot of fun. Also, much thanks to The Weinberg Family and The Fritz Family—you guys threw one helluva party. Special thanks to Matt Wolterstorff—he operated my big rig (Nikon D300 + Nikon 18-200mm VR lens) during the ceremony and got some great shots.

These are just a few of the hundreds of photos I took over the weekend. Please visit my Flickr set, Josh & Andrea’s Wedding, to see more pictures. You can view a slideshow here, or just watch the one below. To get full screen, be sure to click the box with arrows in the lower right.

I’ll be adding more photos to Flickr over the next few days, so check back soon. You can subscribe to this feed if you’d like RSS updates when I add new photos.

If you’d like any photos for print, please email me at andy.aupperlee[at]gmail.com. (Obviously, put a “@” in place of the [at]). I can send you hi-res, color corrected files by email or CD, or I can have them printed for you and shipped to your house (for a small fee).