A spring wedding tucked into the pines of Northern California, a lakeside first look, a ceremony blending Jewish & Filipino traditions, and an entire weekend dedicated to celebrating with their favorite people. Arlina & Alex had a whole lot to look forward to when they started planning their wedding at Lake & Wood in Placerville, California.

I first met these two for their engagement session, then joined them for their welcome party in Sacramento before photographing their wedding alongside my girl Heidi, who was second shooting for me. We also had her fiancé, Garrett, on video, so we had a pretty great crew spending the weekend with Arlina & Alex.

And if there’s one thing I want you to know about these two, it’s that they really love their people. When I asked what they were most looking forward to, their answer was spending time with friends and family, especially the ones they don’t get to see very often. That priority carried through their entire celebration.

A Northern California wedding weekend that started in Sacramento

Before heading into the mountains for the wedding, Arlina & Alex kicked things off with a welcome party at The Revival inside the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in downtown Sacramento.

I joined them for the evening to photograph their last night as fiancés and spend time with the people who would be celebrating alongside them the following day. We made room for couples portraits, family photographs and plenty of candids throughout the evening.

Welcome party coverage is one of my favorite additions to a wedding collection, especially when couples have guests traveling in from different places. It gives us another opportunity to document everyone together without trying to squeeze every photograph into the wedding day.

And by the time I arrive the next morning, we’ve already spent a little more time together. Which is always a plus when you’re spending an entire wedding weekend with your photographer.

A spring wedding at Lake & Wood in Placerville, California

Arlina & Alex chose Lake & Wood because of their shared love for the outdoors. Hiking, camping and spending time in nature have been a big part of their relationship, and they wanted a venue that reminded them of those adventures.

Tucked into the Apple Hill area near Placerville, Lake & Wood has towering pine trees, a private lake and a reception space surrounded by the forest. It’s a beautiful setting for a spring wedding, with plenty of variety for photographs without needing to leave the property.

The morning started at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel, where both Arlina & Alex were getting ready before heading to the venue. Once everyone arrived, the two shared their first look by the lake before their ceremony.

I’ve photographed another spring wedding here, too! If you’re considering the venue, take a peek at Hailey & Amber’s Lake & Wood wedding for even more inspiration.

A wedding ceremony blending Jewish & Filipino traditions

One of my favorite parts of Arlina & Alex’s wedding was the way they brought together traditions from their families and backgrounds.

Their ceremony incorporated Jewish traditions, including a chuppah, Hebrew hymns and breaking the glass, alongside Filipino wedding traditions like the unity candle, ceremonial veil and cord tying. They chose the elements that were meaningful to them and brought everything together into one ceremony.

I love seeing couples decide which traditions they want to carry forward and how they want to incorporate their families into the celebration. Arlina & Alex made space for both sides of their backgrounds while keeping the ceremony centered on their marriage.

They also reserved memorial seats to honor Arlina’s grandmother and Alex’s grandparents. Those details deserve a place in the wedding gallery, too, and are always something I appreciate knowing about before the wedding.

Digital & film wedding photography in Northern California

Arlina & Alex went all in on their photography coverage, and I think their wedding is a great example of how much flexibility that can give you.

Their collection included an engagement session, welcome party coverage, a second photographer and film photography alongside their digital images. With two days of celebrations, separate getting-ready coverage and a ceremony filled with meaningful traditions, having that extra coverage made a whole lot of sense.

And having Heidi second shooting for me was such a treat. There’s nothing quite like getting to work alongside one of your besties, especially when she’s also an incredibly talented photographer.

Heidi also shoots film, which is a big deal for me. When my couples book a collection that includes both film and a second photographer, I want my second photographer shooting film, too. That way we’re both contributing to the digital and film coverage throughout the day.

Between the two of us, we could photograph different parts of the wedding as they happened, spend time on the details Arlina & Alex had planned and still make room for the portraits they wanted.

A wedding day spent with their favorite people

Before the wedding, Arlina & Alex told me they were a little nervous about getting the timing right and organizing everyone for photographs. With a wedding party, family portraits, several ceremony traditions and around 76 guests, there were quite a few moving pieces to account for.

We worked through their photography timeline beforehand, organized family portraits and made sure we had time for the photographs they wanted without spending the entire day pulling them away from their guests.

Their reception brought everyone together for dinner, speeches, first dances, parent dances and cake cutting. And throughout it all, we kept coming back to what they’d told me mattered most: spending time with the people who had traveled to celebrate with them.

Planning your own Northern California wedding weekend?

If you’re planning a wedding in Sacramento, Placerville, Apple Hill or elsewhere in Northern California, I’d love to hear what you’re putting together.

My wedding collections can include coverage beyond the wedding day itself, whether that’s a welcome party, engagement session, second photographer or 35mm & 120mm film. We’ll talk through what you’re planning and figure out which pieces make sense for the wedding experience you want.

Because I want you to have photographs you’re excited to print and hang in your house. I also want you to spend your wedding with the people you invited to celebrate with you.

Arlina & Alex’s wedding vendor team

Photography: Dani Rawson Photo
Second photographer: Heidi Peinthor Photography
Venue: Lake & Wood
Welcome party: The Revival at Kimpton Sawyer Hotel
Planning & coordination: Dragonfly Events & Co. — Ernest Manzon
Bridal boutique: a&bé bridal shop
Bridesmaid dresses: Birdy Grey
Groom’s attire: The Black Tux
Florals: Poppy & Pot
Hair & makeup: Sarah Nika Glam
Catering: The Bees Catering — Chef Juan Alvarez
Wedding cake: Midtown Bakery
Additional desserts: Freeport Bakery
DJ: Manny Smalls
Videography: Effa Creative — Garrett Effa
Invitations: Minted
Rentals: Celebrations! Party Rentals & Dragonfly Events & Co.

A little love from Arlina & Alex