Josh Gruetzmacher Wedding Photography Lookbook

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F INE

A RT

W E DDI N G

PHO TO G R A PH Y

B Y

J O S H

G RUE T Z M AC H E R



FI NE

A RT

W E DDIN G

PHO TO G R A PH Y

B Y

J O S H

G RU E TZ M AC H E R



“ L OV E

I S

T H AT

C ON DI T ION I N

W H IC H

H A PPI NE S S A N O T H E R I S

T H E OF

PE R S ON

E S S E N T I A L YOU R ROBE RT

O W N.” A .

H E I N L E I N

TO



CONTENTS

WELCOME

ENGAGEMENT STORIES DAVID & ALYSSA JOSH & COLLETTE LUIS & JULIA MARK & LYDIA BENSON & LILY

WEDDING STORIES SLATER & JAYME LEONARD & VIVIAN JOSH & COLLETTE DANIEL & JENN CHRIS & KATIE



WELCOME

T H A N K Y O U for taking the time to check out my work. I have

natural and effortless looking images that allow you to easily

been photographing weddings since 2005, and I absolutely love

remember the feeling of being there. I believe in years to come

it! Every year I get to meet, participate and document one of the

these will be powerful memories, and I hope that they will be an

most important days in peoples' lives. It is truly an honor just

encouragement to your relationship.

to be there. My goal at weddings is pretty simple: I want to capture the essence of the day; from the small details, to intimate

This lookbook contains some of my favorite weddings and en-

moments, the sweeping scenery, gorgeous portraits, and every-

gagement sessions from 2012. I hope that you enjoy the stories

thing in between. Everyone knows and expects certain shots to

and tips from these brides and maybe they will even spark some

be captured at a wedding- like the kiss during the ceremony, first

ideas for your wedding. Let me know if you have any questions

dance, or the cake cutting. I get those, but the shots without an

at all about my services. I'd love to get in touch and hear more

official name- like the embracing my mom after getting into my

about your plans and see if I might be able to be a part of doc-

dress, or the sweet moment before the ceremony when my dad

cumenting your special day. Cheers!

said he was so proud of me- are often my favorites. I'm drawn to

JOSH GRUETZMACHER

My work has been featured on: Style Me Pretty, Once Wed, Ruffled, Snippet and Ink, Brides.com, Flutter Magazine, The Wedding Row, Love Olio, Sonoma Wedding Guide, Borrowed and Bleu, Rue Magazine, Santa Barbara Chic, Wedding Lovely, A Practical Wedding, and more.



E NG AG E M E N T

DAV I D J O S H

&

L U I S M A R K

&

S TOR IE S

A LY S S A

C OL L E T T E & &

BE N S ON

J U L I A LY DI A &

L I LY


DAVID & ALYSSA GOLDE N G AT E PA R K - S A N FR A NC I S CO, C A L IF ORNI A TEXT BY - JOSH GRUETZMACHER

David met Alyssa at a church bbq in Speedway Meadows in San

wanted to spend the rest of his life with Alyssa. He bought a ring

Francisco's Golden Gate Park. He was smitten. After hitting it

and wanted to plan the perfect proposal. The photo to the right

off, they started dating and falling in love. Fast forward through

is David asking Alyssa to marry him in the spot that they first

all of the date nights, trips, holidays, movies, meeting each

met. It was perfect.

other's parents, kisses, and so on- David was convinced that he



JOSH & COLLETTE SANTA BARBARA COURTHOUSE - SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA





LUIS & JULIA H A L F M O ON B AY, C A L I F OR N I A TEXT BY - JOSH GRUETZMACHER

When Luis took Julia out to their favorite beach just North of

perfect day to just relax on the beach and enjoy each other. Luis

Half Moon Bay, she had no idea that later that afternoon he

pulled out a small box and handed it to Julia. Being her birth-

would be on one knee asking for her hand in marriage. Luis had

day, this was not exactly a surprise. It was a beautiful diamond

planned the perfect surprise proposal. It happened to be Julia's

necklace. During the excitement from this gift, he proceeded to

birthday, so she expected to be doing something special with

pull out another box, only this one was a little smaller and more

Luis that day. They hopped in the car and drove out to the coast.

square. He said, "I got you this necklace because I love you, and

When they arrived at their beach, they left their cell phones in

I got you this ring because I want to spend my life with you."

the car, and made the short hike down to the water. It was the

Julia said yes.







MARK & LYDIA L E GION OF HONOR - S A N FR A NC I S CO, C A L IF ORNI A





BENSON & LILLY MARIN HEADLANDS - MARIN, CALIFORNIA








W E DDING

S L AT E R

S TOR IE S

&

L E ON A R D J O S H

&

&

V I V I A N

C OL L E T T E

DA N I E L C H R I S

JAY M E

& &

J E N N K AT I E


SL ATER & JAYME JA ME S L E A RY FL O OD M A N SION - S A N FR A NC I S CO, C A L IF ORNI A TEXT BY THE BRIDE- JAYME GRUETZMACHER

My husband and I live in NYC, however we are both originally

With our style being classic, clean and contemporary- I wanted

from California, so naturally we knew we wanted to get married

to be able to look back at our wedding photos without being ap-

in California. What did not feel so natural was trying to find a

palled by the color choice or dresses. So we stuck with a neutral

location and venue living across the country. We honed in on the

color palate. With that being said, I could not fall in love with a

Napa region immediately and planned a trip to visit several sites.

white dress. I was keen to find a dress that was contemporary,

After schlepping to and from meetings and site visits in Napa,

but classic. However, I didn’t want it to be expected. I was a sales

we realized the location was not easily accessible for our guests,

woman’s worst nightmare. I tried on dresses for eight months

who are from all over the country, and nothing resonated with

and first saw my dress in Town & Country Magazine. It is true;

our vision and style. We quickly switched gears and focused on

you will know when you put it on. It may take trying on 200

the city. After much research, I stumbled upon Flood Mansion

dresses, but it will happen. Trust me and think outside the box

online. My parents quickly scheduled a site visit and we were

of standard white wedding gowns.

sold! The space is timeless, historical, cozy for our guests and has breathtaking views. Our number one focus through the en-

Our wedding day was perfect in every way. We loved the morning

tire wedding planning process was our guests! We had been to-

spent with family and friends, the speeches and watching our

gether since college, so we wanted our wedding to be an evening

guests cut a rug on the dance floor — ripped tux pants and all!

of pure celebration of us, our families and friends. We made it

My biggest piece of advise to a couple planning their wedding is

a priority to have good food, energizing music, a large beverage

don’t over complicate the details; hit the easy button. Also, do

selection and transportation available. Nail down your priorities

take a minute to step back and take it all in. This is hard, but the

early and then lock down vendors you love ASAP!

day will be the best of your life, but also the fastest!
















CREDITS Photography: Josh Gruetzmacher // Venue: Flood Mansion // Flowers: Haute Blossoms // Groom’s Attire: District Homme // Wedding dress: Carolina Herrera // Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo // Cater: LRE Catering // Wedding Planner: Dream a Little Dream, Elise Paisnel // Hotel: Mark Hopkins Hotel // Transportation: Mosaic // Band: Jump Start Your Party // Cake: Abby ’s Bake Sale // Rentals: Classic Party Rentals // Hair: Christopher Holgar Dineson // Invitations: Village Invites, NYC


LEONARD & VIVIAN SONOMA, CALIFORNIA TEXT BY THE BRIDE- VIVIAN CHEN

It was quite a strange feeling to be on the other side of the lens

selecting linens, chairs, figuring out where the caterer would

when I started planning my wedding. Being a wedding photogra-

setup etc and I knew that a restaurant would have all that taken

pher in the industry worked both with me and against me. The

care of. I knew that El Dorado Kitchen had a front room with a

pros? I was able to quickly narrow down the look and style of

wall of white and green vases which were not only our wedding

my wedding to something that felt more like my husband and

colors but in the same modern and elegant style that we were

I. I wanted the wedding to reflect both of our styles, not just

going for. Because the room itself was so beautifully decorated,

mine. I knew I didn’t have to follow any trends and traditions if

I knew that I didn't have to do much else. My florist, Nancy Liu

it didn’t feel right to us. I also knew to prioritize the little things

Chin, designed the perfect simple floral arrangements for our

to keep my sanity. Having seen countless weddings throughout

reception that complemented the restaurant's decor. I'm not a

the years, I’ve witnessed just how easily the outside pressure of

fluffy pink floral kind of girl and Nancy completely understood

the wedding fantasy can cause brides to lose sight of what a wed-

that. We went for plants that were more sculptural and textur-

ding is really about. But it’s not to say that being in the industry

ally interesting. (And Nancy nailed my succulent wedding bou-

made me immune to all of this. I found my own ways to be wacky.

quet. I loved all the different green plants she used!) Our cake

It was like I knew how the sausage was made and I ended up

designer also beautifully paired geometric designs (with fondant

worrying way too much about the logistics from making sure we

circles as a nod to my engagement/wedding ring) as well as suc-

booked our vendors quickly (considering our short engagement

culent accents.

and popular wedding date) to trying to figure out how to just be a bride for my own photographer. What helped me stay focused

In planning our wedding, I was inspired by the natural beauty

was knowing that I didn't have to do everything and that simple

in Sonoma. We are so fortunate in Northern Californian to have

and elegant details could be just as beautiful as a wedding that

this natural beauty at our fingertips. Our wedding style was a

was full of them.

combination of rustic natural elements paired with modern elegance. Len and I both have a love for the outdoors and nature as

We knew we wanted to keep the wedding small and intimate.

well as mid-century modern design and we were able to recreate

This allowed us to stretch our limited wedding funds and provide

the balance between the two with our wedding.

our guests with more. The idea for our wedding was to make a relaxing weekend out of it. We rented a beautiful house in Sonoma

My advice for future brides: Prioritize and be realistic. And learn

that provided enough space and amenities for everyone to enjoy

to let go. Being in the wedding industry helped me narrow down

themselves. The modern style house featured some fabulous art,

exactly what I wanted and what was important for our wedding.

which meant we didn't have to do much in terms of decor. The

I knew that choosing locations that were naturally beautiful

large backyard was equally beautiful and I knew that underneath

would save me a lot of planning and decor headaches. And I also

the trees would be the perfect place for a ceremony. As a pho-

knew that I didn't want or need a million little DIY details since

tographer, I deliberately chose locations that I knew would have

I did not want to spend the weeks leading up to my wedding

the best natural light. (I was obsessed with making sure that my

in a wedding DIY sweatshop. (And it those DIY details weren't

ceremony would happen in the shade and at the last minute al-

missed at all.) Learning to let go was important as well. There

lowed my photographer to turn our ceremony chairs around for

comes a point during the wedding planning process when you

the optimal light.) We decided to do toasts immediately after

have done all you can do and there's no point in worrying about

the ceremony and the grand living room of the rental house with

what's out of your hands so it's best to let go and settle in and

its large windows made it the perfect venue to fit all 38 guests.

enjoy your wedding day! The unexpected is bound to happen and all you can do is roll with the punches and focus on what's really

When it came to choosing a reception location, I knew I wanted to do it at a restaurant. I didn't want to have to worry about

important, celebrating your love with friends and family.










My favorite moment of the day was right before our ceremony. Len and I had chosen to walk down the aisle together and when he came into the bedroom where I was hidden to walk me down the aisle, I could see his face brimming with tears. I asked what was wrong and he gave me a huge hug and said, "Nothing. I just love you so much!" It was a small moment that is forever cemented in my heart.





CREDITS Photography: Josh Gruetzmacher // Ceremony Venue: Private Residence // Reception: El Dorado Kitchen // Floral Design: Nancy Liu Chin Designs // Cake: Soul Desire Baker y // Rentals: Wine Countr y Party & Events // Bride’s dress: Nicole Miller from Lilac Dress Boutique // Bride’s veil: BHLD // Bride's shoes: Vivienne Westwood Anglomania + Melissa // Hair and makeup: Arlene Romana // Groom's Attire: Ted Baker // Invitations: Tricia Jang // Groom's ring: DMD Metals


JOSH & COLLETTE BACARA RESORT - SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA TEXT BY THE BRIDE- COLLETTE RAMIREZ

We were faced with the challenge of planning the wedding of

as well as honor all of the nations that our guests were repre-

our dreams in just three short months. We had a few obstacles

senting. We fell in love with the Bacara for our venue because of

in our way, namely that I was new to California from South Af-

the Spanish flare mixed with breath-taking views of the Pacific

rica, and was not familiar with any local vendors. Fortunately,

Ocean. It was the perfect place for our international guests too

we were blessed to have family and community who come around

because it gave a wonderful reflection of Santa Barbara.

and helped us pull everything together. We really wanted to have an elegant, old-Hollywood feeling with some international el-

My advice for future brides is to ask reliable people to help with

ements. We had friends and family who came from across the

different parts of the planning. If you can delegate certain tasks,

globe (12 nations) to celebrate our day with us. Instead of a

it will not only take some weight off of your shoulders, but it

guestbook, we had a large map and had guests mark where they

can help your friends and family feel like they are a part of the

came from for the wedding. A friend of ours made us a direction-

wedding.

al sign that we used direct guests towards the ceremony location


Vivian and Leonard opted for nontraditionl custon gold wedding rings made by the artisans at DMD Metals.

















CREDITS Photography: Josh Gruetzmacher // Film Processing: Richard Photo L ab // Cinematography: Chach Hernandez // Location: Bacara Resort // Catering and Cake: Bacara Staff // Save the Dates: Josh Gruetzmacher // Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas // Bride’s Dress: L a Soie Bridal // Bride’s Shoes: Michelangelo // Bride’s Hair: R aquel Mendoza // Bridesmaid dresses: Custom made in South Africa // Groom’s Attire: – Men’s Wearhouse // Directional Sign: Izzy Montes // DJ: Mike Ober // Decor & Florist: Diana Hernandez Event Designs // Bridal Bouquet: Victor the Florist // Day of coordinator: Lori Couto


DANIEL & JENN S UNNYSIDE CON SERVATORY - S A N FR A NC I S CO, C A L IF ORNI A TEXT BY THE BRIDE- JENN HEARD

We wanted our wedding to have a mid-century, American, vin-

Our stylish guests dressed in hats and coats, braved the chilly

tage, garden party vibe. For the colors, it was all about water-

San Francisco's unpredictable summer weather to order from

melon, succulent green, and soft pink. The stunning structure

the caterer parked outside the front gate. We wanted to provide

and garden of Sunnyside Conservatory was our inspiration for

a fulfilling lunch for our vegan and vegetarian guests, and the

the look and feel of our afternoon ceremony and reception. We

ladies of Ebbett's Good To Go provided a delicious sandwich

had a hand in everything, right down to the design of my tailor-

menu to satisfy all. I particularly enjoyed the cupcake of mac

made guipure-lace dress and Daniel's shawl-collared suit. Our

and cheese. Pies were cut and tables were cleared for dancing

save the dates, invitations, pie topper, and table signage were

to our Britpop playlist. And each guest departed with a jar of

all designed and illustrated by the groom. From wedding coordi-

watermelon jelly made by the groom's mother.

nation, homemade pies, flower arrangements, ceremony music, hair and makeup, the photo booth- our friends and family con-

The day went by so fast. We were so grateful to have photographs

tributed to most of the wedding details.

of all aspects of the wedding- from the small details we worked so hard to create, to the hundreds of candid moments. Josh got a

Our first look was inside the groom's favorite comic book store

photo of Daniel embracing his father after the ceremony, some-

in Nopa. I suggested this location to honor our years together

thing that could have been easily forgotten in the hustle and

in creative collaboration. As Dearhorn Studio, we have joined

bustle of the day, but was actually a significant milestone. It was

in many projects involving design, illustration, and video. The

a healing moment, and we are so glad have it captured on film.

name Dearhorn is a combination of our two last names, Heard and Dorn. This name can also be found hanging above us as we said our vows, signifying our biggest collaboration yet.












CREDITS Location: Sunnyside Conservatory San Francisco // Photographer: Josh Gruetzmacher // Film Processing: Richard Photo L ab // Wedding Coordination: Lovely Eleven // Wedding Design: Daniel Heard // Wedding Flowers: Sarah Schaafsma // Ceremony Music: Rachel Fannan and John Houx // Bride's Dress Design: Jenn Dorn; Seamstress: Atelier Tami // Bride's Hair: Aimee Crook // Bride's Makeup: Leah Richard // Groom’s Suit Design: Daniel Heard; Suit Tailor: Thick as Thieves // Photo-booth: Adam Moore // Caterer: Ebbett's Good to Go // Dessert Bar: Homemade pies by guests // Cake Stands: Miette // Invitations: Daniel Heard // Beer: Pacific Brewing Laboratory // First Look: Comix Experience // Accomodations: Metro Hotel


CHRIS & KATIE R I V E R H IG H L A N D R A N C H - G R A S S VA L L E Y, C A L I F OR N I A






















CREDITS Photography: Josh Gruetzmacher // Film Processing: Richard Photo L ab // Location: River Highland R anch // Bride’s Shoes: Nina New York // Bride’s Hair: R aquel Mendoza // Groom’s Suit: Burberr y //



L OV E

I S

PAT I E N T,

K I N D.

I T

D OE S

N O T

PROU D.

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N O T

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B OA S T, I S

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D OE S

N O T

BU T T RU T H .

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DE L IGH T

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K E E P S L OV E E V I L T H E

PRO T E CT S ,

T RU S T S ,

A L WAY S

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NE V E R 1C OR .

I T

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W I T H

A L WAY S

A L WAY S

L OV E

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W RONGS .

R EJ O IC E S

A LWAY S HOPE S ,

OF

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RU DE ,

A N G E R E D,

I S

E NV Y,

S E L F - S E E K I NG ,

E A S I LY N O

D O E S

L OV E

FA I L S .

1 3 : 4 -8



JOSH GRUETZMACHER W E D D I N G

W W W. J O S H G R U E T Z M A C H E R . C O M

//

P H O T O G R A P H Y

JOSH@JOSHGRUETZMACHER.COM

//

1 7 6 0 G R E AT H I G H WAY S A N F R A N C I S C O, C A L I F OR N I A 9 4 1 2 2

415.987.9650




JOSH GRUETZMACHER W E D D I N G

P H O T O G R A P H Y


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