Archive for the ‘Jocelyn McGregor Photography’ Category

The Couple:  Abby and Kevin Smithey

Wedding Date:  July 16, 2011

Photography by Jocelyn McGregor Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  We worked for the same company, and he was helping out at my location for a day. We kept in contact, and when I left the company, he insisted on taking me out. We have been inseparable ever since! I think what makes us work so well is that we truly enjoy each other’s company, and we are incredibly close to our families. It makes life so much easier when your families are so amazing! There is never a dull moment, he always makes me laugh!

What was the most amazing part of your day?  Other than marrying Kevin? Being around so many people that mean so much to Kevin and me. It’s a rare thing to have everyone special in your life around at once. It made the day that much more magical.

What else would you like to share about your big day?  That it was a BLAST! Kevin and I, along with our family, worked so hard to make sure that our guests would always be entertained. From wedding trivia to amazing drinks and an incredible DJ, our guests (hopefully) had a fun, laid back day with us. It’s everything we ever could have wanted.

Ceremony Site & Reception Venue:  Abby’s parents’ backyard

Photographer:  Jocelyn McGregor Photography

Videographer:  Mike Compton, a family friend

Caterer:  Carmelita’s Restaurant and Catering. The food was sooooooo good. Nothing like a nice, spicy enchilada or a fresh tamale to start your married life off right.

Cake:  Annie Blundell, she is up and coming people. Watch out, her cakes are delicious!

Flowers:  The previous owners of Petals & Paws florist, Rick and Jan Kerr, did all of the flowers. Words cannot describe how important this was to me. I grew up visiting the flower shop with my mom, and I would always get to go behind the counter and help them with arrangements or play with their two dogs. It was a DREAM come true that they agreed to do my wedding. It meant more to me than they will probably ever know!

Favors:  Instead of favors, we had trivia sheets placed at every table, and guests got to play against each other to see who would get to go first to eat dinner. Our families are not only pretty smart, they are pretty competitive, so it was fun to see them rack their brains for answers.

Wedding Dress:  House of Fashion. I knew it was my dress the moment I saw it in a magazine. It was the first one I tried on (I only tried on five), and it fit like a glove. I felt so beautiful in it!

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Ann Taylor. The bridesmaids were pretty involved in their dresses. I really wanted to make sure that they felt beautiful and comfortable in their dresses. The color was so hard to find! These dresses were perfect in every way!

Hair:  Hair Gone Wild not only did my hair, but they did my bridesmaids, mother-of-the-groom, mother-of-the-bride, and my aunt’s hair. My mom and I are really close to them — they ended up staying and partying with us for the wedding. They are so innovative, kind, and talented — I was lucky to have them make our hair pretty.

Makeup:  Michelle Kinkaid did my makeup, as well as my bridesmaids, mother of the groom, and mother of the bride. She was such a joy to work with. I honestly cannot say enough great things about her! She made me, along with everyone else she worked on, feel more beautiful than I have in my entire life! I would recommend her to ANYONE looking for a great makeup artist.

Invitations:  DIY. I ended up putting the invitations together myself, with the help of some of my family. My mom and I purchased the materials and had everything printed by Stephanie at The Paper Garden. It was a great way to get something different and original, and it was cheaper than having them made.

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Our DJ was a family friend of my mother’s, who graciously donated his time to mixing some fantastic music for our day!

Honeymoon location:  Alaska! Kevin and I love cold weather, so it was a no brainer to head up north to Alaska! We cruised Carnival and had a great time!

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  Rent Rite party rentals worked very well with us around providing tables and chairs. They had everything we needed, and were relatively cheaper than anyone else around.

First Dance Song:  “Green Eyes” by Coldplay

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  It’s easier for me to say now that the event is over, but really try your best to not get caught up in the stresses of everything. Throughout the whole process, take a step back and look at what you are putting together! You will not remember the stresses you are feeling once it’s over, you will have great memories of a fantastic time in your life. Enjoy every minute.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  The day went off without a hitch, it was perfect from start to finish, so I can’t say that I would change a single thing about it!

Photos courtesy of Jocelyn McGregor Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

The Couple:  Nancy and Nick Sears

Wedding Date:  May 7, 2011

Photography by Jocelyn McGregor Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Nick’s point of view: Well, it just so happens that both of my brother’s mothers-in-law work with Nancy. Nancy’s work decided to have a Christmas party at the home of one of  mothers-in-law. Seeing as they were doing that, my brother and his father-in-law asked if I wanted to go bowling with them. I arrived at the house and before I left I saw a great set of legs enter the house. When we returned from bowling, I was able to catch a few glimpses of Nancy and ended up asking my sister-in-law to see if they could get her number for me, and that’s how it all began.

Nancy’s point of view: I went to my co-worker’s house for a Christmas party. It was really entertaining until I saw my, now, brother-in-law, staring at me from across the room. It was a little uncomfortable for the fact that I thought he was my co-worker’s daughter’s husband, and also thought Nick was married as well. After he got a hold of my phone number and we started talking, I couldn’t tell which guy it was from the party. But when I saw him waiting outside of my work for our first date with a bouquet of flowers, I was glad —  he was lean, tall, single and handsome. Then I said to myself, I am not gonna let him go! And the rest is history.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  When we were holding hands at the altar!

What else would you like to share about your big day?  Everyone really enjoyed the wedding and have said that it was a very relaxing and fun setting!

Ceremony & Reception Site:  Carriage House Gardens

Photographer:  Jocelyn McGregor Photography

Caterer:  Taqueria Espinoza

Cake:  Ettore’s

Flowers:  My friend, Jennifer Lee

Favors:  Innova Discs – Sam Ferrans (mini disc golf discs)

Wedding Dress:  David’s Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Chosen by bridesmaid after given the color

Hair:  Lily at Regis Salon

Invitations:  Gina DeCosta

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  DJ Jukey Jukes

Honeymoon location:  We have yet to go, but are planning on Monterey/Carmel, Hearst Castle, Disneyland… coastal trip.

Any other of your weddingvendor(s) you’d like to call out?  Bridesmaids’ Gifts: Etsy – Lisa Arney (handmade jewelery pouches), Betty Sears – (hand made crocheted rose pins). Groomsmen Gifts: DGA (Disc Golf Association) – Derek Kotval. Engagement Portrait Painting: Aman Smith. Decorations: La Mariposa Imports – Ray – papel picado. Cake Topper: Woodland Manufacturing – custom metal cake topper.

First Dance Song:  ”Better Together” by Jack Johnson

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Don’t stress! Everything will turn out just fine in the end! If you don’t want to take advice from anyone, don’t. Do it the way that will make you happy, not to make others happy! It’s your day, not anyone else’s. Don’t feel obligated to accommodate everyone’s opinions. In the end, they are there to be happy for you!

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  Invited more people had we had the financial ability to do so.

Photos courtesy of Jocelyn McGregor Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

The Couple:  Justina and Pedro Vega

Wedding Date:  June 9, 2010

Photography by Jocelyn McGregor Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Pedro and I met our junior year in high school. We had a few classes together and always got along great. After high school we had jobs that were just a few stores down from each other. He worked at a grocery store, I worked at a coffee shop. He would come in and get coffee for himself and the ladies he worked with. That fall, I was turning 18. My friend and I had plans to go to the city and spend the day… she invited him to join us. The day of my birthday her car mysteriously broke down. Pedro said that he was still up for going, and off we went. Ten years later we tied the knot.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  The entire day was amazing, but one moment that sticks out in my mind would be that first look. We arrived at the beach in separate cars an hour before the ceremony to take pictures. I took a few pictures by myself and with the flower girl, who was our daughter Isabella. He then came down and joined us for pictures. That first look of each other is something that I will never forget. We were lucky enough to have our amazing photographer right there to capture that moment.

What else would you like to share about your big day?  The original plan was to have the girls drive up together in one car and the guys drive up in another and not see each other until the wedding. After I had my hair and make-up done we packed the car and headed up to Tahoe as planned. Once we got to the hotel we decided to not be so traditional. We opened up the adjoining rooms we had and spent the day with our friends and each other. It turned out to be an amazing all day event.

Once it was getting close to time we separated got dressed and headed to the beach for pictures. We had a wonderful and intimate ceremony with about 20 close family and friends. After the ceremony we headed to Friday’s Steak house on top of the Harrah’s casino and had a fabulous dinner. After dinner we headed to the casino with our guests for some gambling. We stayed two nights in Tahoe and continued to have an amazing time with our friends. We came home Saturday night and on Sunday evening we had our reception complete with just under 100 family and friends.

Ceremony Site:  Lake Side Beach in South Lake Tahoe. We chose this beach because it is the same beach my parents were married at 30 years before us.

Reception Venue:  House Kitchen & Bar.  It is right in the middle of the capitol mall area and served as a wonderful location. Half the building is glass windows which made for a beautifully lit reception. They had a wonderful bar set up in the restaurant, complete with televisions in which our photographer played a slide show of wedding ceremony pictures. The restaurant set up into a wall of booth and six long tables for sitting.

The service was wonderful and the staff went out of their way to cater to not only me and my husband but our guests as well. The food was amazing and we are still getting compliments on it. We started with an appetizer and cocktail hour followed by a sit down dinner. The salads were served plated and the rest of the meal was served family style which made for a much more interactive and intimate experience for everyone.

Photographer:  Jocelyn McGregor Photography

Caterer:  House Kitchen & Bar.  We had a cocktail and appetizer hour followed by a sit-down dinner served family style which the family style I highly recommend. It made the guests interact with one another and gave the dinner a more intimate feeling.

Cake:  Custom cakes by Lindsey.  Our cake was just as amazing to look at as it was to eat! It stood about two feet tall. The top layer was a carrot cake (my husband’s favorite) and the bottom layer was a champagne cake with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Our cake took a slide at the reception venue. The top tier was perfectly in tact and served as our cutting cake. The whole ordeal turned out to be perfect. My husband had joked with our friend who made the cake saying that he wanted cake in a bowl….well he got it. The manager at the restaurant salvaged the majority of the cake and used an ice cream scooper to put it in bowls and served it. It was perfect!

Flowers:  My bouquet was a gift from my sister in Kauai. She made it from Gardenias in her garden along with orchids and a yellow rose in memory of our mother. She shipped it to me the day of the wedding since she was unable to attend.

My Maid of Honor’s bouquet (made with roses and orchids), along with the boutonnieres (orchids) and the flower for the flower girl’s hair (gardenias) were done by Dixon Florist.

Favors:  My close friend Lindsey came up with a great idea of wine cork key chains.  We sat at her dining table one night and made them ourselves over great conversation and of course some wine.

Wedding Dress:  David’s Bridal. I fell in love with my dress the moment I put it on and before I had even seen it in the mirror. As soon as I slipped it on i knew it was the one. It fit perfect and was everything I dreamed about. It was a very light ivory lace fitted gown. It was strapless with a little bit of sparkle in the lace and had a champagne satin sash.

I found champagne sparkly flats from Steve Madden to match from Macy’s, they were perfect for the beach!

Bridesmaid Dresses:  The Maid of Honor’s dress was purchased at Macy’s.  The Flower Girl’s dress was purchased at Nordstrom.

Hair & Makeup: Done by Kara Robinson of Cynde’s Place Salon & Spa in Dixon. Kara has been doing my hair for over ten years and is an amazing hair stylist and makeup artist.

Invitations:  Instead of purchasing them, my close friend Lindsey and I decided to hand make the invitations ourselves. They turned out perfect and were much easier to make than I thought they would be. We found all of our supplies at Michael’s.

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  We decided to create play lists on an iPod. We picked our songs for the ceremony, the cocktail and appetizer hour of the reception and the dinner portion of the reception as well.

Honeymoon location:  South Lake Tahoe

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  Regusci Winery.  My in-laws bought the wine for us (it is one of my favorite wines). We served their Merlot and Chardonnay at the reception.

Venetzia Fine Jewelry at the Palazzo in Las Vegas. We worked with a good friend of my sister’s, Traci Blackbird, who is the manager and she’s amazing. We bought both rings though her. My husband’s ring was a tungsten band with a white gold inlay. She and my husband designed my engagement ring and matching wedding band together, which then became the inspiration for the wedding itself — vintage.

Friday’s Station Steak and Seafood restaurant on top of Harrah’s casino in Lake Tahoe for providing an amazing and intimate after ceremony dinner for us and our guests.

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Take a deep breath and enjoy it.. Your day will turn out just as it was meant to be…perfect.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  We did a very “loungy” reception which was very much so us — cocktail and appetizer hour with a full dinner to follow. Music from the era of Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra was playing the entire time and it was lovely. We didn’t do the full on reception complete with dancing and I think that the only thing I would go back and add was the dancing.

Photos courtesy of Jocelyn McGregor Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

Another Featured Real Wedding from the Winter/Spring 2012 issue of Real Weddings Magazine loaded to the Real Weddings Magazine Web site…presenting Online Exclusive couple Ara Go & Lucas Atkins!

Congratulations to Online Exclusive Real Wedding couple Ara Go & Lucas Atkins who were married on July 10, 2011 at a Private Residence.

Click here to read their story, see their slideshow of photos from Jocelyn McGregor Photography, meet their wedding dream team and more!

Photo courtesy of Jocelyn McGregor Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

Another real wedding loaded to our Real Weddings Magazine Web site!

Congratulations to Online Exclusive Real Wedding couple Kassie & Holly Fox who were married on April 1, 2010 at the Winchester Country Club.

Click here to read their story, see their slideshow of photos from Jocelyn McGregor Photography, meet their wedding dream team and more!

Photo courtesy of Jocelyn McGregor Photography.

Do you have the new Real Weddings Magazine iPhone and iPad App?

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

Your email: