Laurel & Jacob were married this past August at the Seven Springs Ranch near Glide, Oregon. Their ceremony site was located near the lodge, which is nestled in a deep valley that gets dark much sooner than the surrounding hillsides. Looking out at those hills, after the cake had been cut, I saw this golden light so I grabbed the newlyweds and their best man (as a driver:) and we raced up the hill just in time. Since I was thinking about ‘catching the light’ I also wanted Jacob to catch Laurel as she jumped into his arms. This works best with couples that aren’t the same height and Jacob is as tall as I am (6′ 3″) so that was fine. We also spent some time in and around the gazebo at the top of the hill, which is another ceremony option (but it’s up a really steep hill so elderly guests and small children might have a hard time making it there!).

The images I made with Jacob and Laurel during this ‘golden hour’ were their favorites of the day. I encourage couples to set aside at least 30 minutes during this time and I also work with the DJs to make sure they are entertaining the guests while I’m busy with the bride and groom.

Seven Springs Ranch wedding photographer, Matt Emrich Photo mattemrichphoto