Blog - Ashley dePencier Photography

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Justin and Kehau’s San Francisco Engagement Session Adventure

Traveling for engagement sessions is one of our favorite things. Kehau and Justin took us to San Francisco where we spent the entire day photographing them at some amazing places like Sutro Baths, the Legion of Honor (where we had an amazing vintage car as a prop), the Palace of Fine Arts and City Hall. We even did night shots with them on the Pier with the Bay bridge in the background. It was such a blast to explore new places with Kehau and Justin. We even got Kehau to sit up on a giant piece of art…luckily we got away with it! We photographed Kehau and Justin with both our film and digital cameras. It was a great day with amazing friends and we can not wait for their fall wedding.

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Ballet Bride

Film photography and ballet are quite possibly two of my favorite things so it made perfect sense to put those loves together for a styled shoot! We teamed up with Mint Design and Enchanted Bridal Boutique to capture the beauty and simplicity of dance and flowing fabrics on film. The late afternoon sun gave us some amazing light and we had so much fun photographing this ballerina bride.

John and Samantha’s St Francis Wedding

When we arrived at the Four Points Sheraton, where the bride and groom were getting ready, everything was in full swing. Samantha was getting her hair done while John was getting ready and anxiously awaiting their first look. Samantha wore a “not too Cinderella-ey” mermaid cut lace dress and John wore a classic black and white suit. The bridesmaids wore black lace mermaid dresses while the groomsmen also wore classic black suits. The beautiful black and white flowers, by House of Flowers, brought the entire look together perfectly. From their first look to their reception, Samantha and John never stopped laughing and were up for pretty much anything, including some super fun bar shots with their bridal party. They said I Do at St. Francis Church and danced and celebrated the night away with family and friends at the Petroleum Club of Bakersfield.

Getting ready venue: Four Points Shearton

Ceremony Venue: St Francis Church

Reception Venue: Petroleum Club

Cinematographer: Evermoore Films

Florist: House of Flowers

Planning and Styling: Fairy Godmother

Cake: Gimme Some Sugar

Band: Gale Arias

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Michael and Alycia’s Stockdale Country Club Wedding

Alycia and Michael were married in a beautiful ceremony on the south lawn of Stockdale Country Club. The wedding was intimate, with family and close friends to witness the marriage. Alycia wore a fitted dress with lace detailing, her hair in a classic up do, and her unique ring featuring a teardrop setting surrounded by yellow diamonds. Michael wore a black suit and tie. I especially loved the flower girl dresses worn by her daughters and nieces. The flower details on the belts finished their looks perfectly. Before heading inside to the reception, the couple hosted a cocktail hour on the south lawn with games like cornhole and giant Jenga for the children to play. The pink accents continued inside with a custom candy bar, gorgeous sugar flowers on the cake, and table arrangements full of roses. After cake and toasts, Alycia and Michael danced the night away.

Venue and Flowers: Stockdale Country Club

Styling: Heather with Fairy God Mother

Cake: Couture Cakes

Rentals: Walker Lewis Rents

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Shane and Alyssa’s Engagement Session

I love it when I get to shoot an engagement session on digital and film. Hart Park was a beautiful backdrop for Alyssa and Shane’s photos! I loved their outfit choices as well as their accessories and props! They brought wine bottles and fun hats for us to play with and we had a ball. Their super fun wardrobe and props inspired us to include some engagement session what to wear tips along with their post. You will find our favorite outfit tips and tricks at the bottom of this page. Enjoy Alyssa and Shane’s adorable engagement session photos!

Colors

Soft, ethereal colors are our favorite. Blush, gold, cream, tan, and white look beautiful against any backdrop and in any light. Try to stay away from harsh neons and attention-grabbing hues.

When going dark, pick navy or dark gray over true black. Black often results in a harsh look, while a black-adjacent color will soften the photos and bring the focus back to where it belongs – your face!

Remember that you don’t have to match your partner – just find a color palette that works together. If you need inspiration, check out my Pinterest board for engagement sessions.

Prints

When you are choosing an outfit, solid colors are your best bet. Avoid busy, loud or graphic prints and plaids. If you must have a print, go for something subtle, soft and natural in color. Also, remember to avoid anything with words and prominent logos.

If you are looking for variation, fabric choice can often provide visual interest without taking away from the subject. Trying a mix of fabrics like tulle, silk, denim, wool, and even raingear can create an interesting pattern effect. Find a skirt like Alyssa’s at Blisse Tulle.

Accessories

Accessories are a great place to show off your personality. For guys, we love ties and fun socks, vests, and watches. Boat shoes and boots are fun alternatives to traditional dress shoes, and we love it when the guys bring their cowboy hats. For girls, we like everything from fun jewelry to headbands, hats and scarves. Wedges or heels can dress up a more casual look.

Styling

Don’t be afraid to dress up! Guys, we love a tailored suit look. A great suit will not only add layers, but they flatter all body types. If you are looking for a more casual feel, try a button down with the sleeves pushed up, a nice pair of jeans and some boat shoes. Avoid items like tshirts, as they tend to look flat on camera.
For girls, don’t be afraid to get styled up – we are currently loving the 60’s midi skirt trend with fun heels!

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Jeff and Stephanie’s Park Place Wedding

It is so unusual here in Bakersfield to have a rainy wedding day that I consider it a lucky charm. Jeff and Stephanie were blessed with a beautiful wet and misty February day, and I couldn’t wait to shoot in the soft light. The bridal party got ready at the historic Padre Hotel. The bridesmaids wore Tiffany blue wrap dresses and all had Toms painted with their favorite Disney movie, while the men accessorized their gray suits with burgundy vests and rose boutonnieres. You all know I love a Disney theme, and Stephanie certainly brought that. She wore an Alfred Angelo dress inspired by Sleeping Beauty, with delicate flowers and beading on the bodice. The rain let up for a brief moment, so we were able to take some pictures downtown, but we chased the storm into Shafter and by the time we got to Park Place everything was wet! We improvised and were able to do some fun photos, even using an umbrella as a fun prop to document the rainy day. After the heartfelt (and indoor) ceremony, the rain let up enough to let us take pictures by the gazebo and some gorgeous sunset shots by the water.