While we do not market A Strong Photo as a wedding photography studio, we were thrilled when our dear friends Natalie and Stephen asked Andy to photograph their celebration. We knew it would not only be a unique and authentic event, but also an incredibly fun one to shoot. And we were right!!

The wedding was located in Nevada City, CA, at the North Columbia Schoolhouse, a one room schoolhouse built in 1875 that now functions as a community cultural center. In keeping with the schoolhouse theme, the motto for the day was “Nat + Steve = Love,” the guests rode in on school buses, and table numbers were found on pencils. The setting was gorgeous - the ceremony was held beneath a canopy of majestic pine trees, and guests dined under a tent on one of the building’s adjacent lawns. The weather was beautifully sunny throughout the day, gave way to glorious clouds at sunset, and then nudged everyone inside for dancing when it briefly hailed! If rain on your wedding day is a sign of luck, then hail must be next level, proving the union of Nat and Steve is nothing short of magical.

We were honored to be able to photograph the joy, love, sincerity, and creativity of this wedding. Our favorite moment to capture was when Natalie, who is trained as an opera singer, surprised Stephen with an aria and dedicated her performance to him. It was incredibly moving, and just one part of an entire day filled with heartfelt emotions and happy tears (so many tears!).

Nat and Steve - thank you for allowing us to be a part of your glorious wedding. We will cherish the memories always, and are glad to have these photographs to help us do so!

Fun fact: I also got to design and silkscreen the invitations! They were printed as handkerchiefs to honor Natalie’s late grandmother, who had a marvelous collection of handkerchiefs. We simplified the level of information on the kerchief in order to keep the focus on the overall design, and then created an accompanying information card with further details. So totally IN LOVE with the outcome <3

-Ariel

Ariel Hansen Strong is the Director of Operations at A Strong Photo, as well as Andy’s wife and creative collaborator.

Couple: Natalie + Stephen

Date: June 1, 2019

Venue: North Columbia Schoolhouse

Wedding Planner: Epic Thyme

Flowers: Soil Sisters Farm

Rentals: Tin Roof Farmhouse