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.
I T
N O T
NO T
B OA S T, I S
I T
NO T
R E C OR D
D OE S
N O T
BU T T RU T H .
I T
I T
DE L IGH T
I T
I S
NO T
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
PE R S E V E R E S .
NE V E R 1C OR .
I T
NO T
I S
I N
W I T H
A L WAY S
A L WAY S
L OV E
I T
W RONGS .
R EJ O IC E S
A LWAY S HOPE S ,
OF
I S
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