Mendocino Wedding Photographer
Hello, and welcome!
I’m Alix. I am a wedding and elopement photographer and I LOVE photographing weddings in Mendocino. I am based out of Portland, Oregon, but travel to Mendo. often to photograph weddings. Because I love Mendocino so much, I have a custom Mendocino Wedding Package that includes travel. I’ve included my pricing + tips on getting married in Mendo + things to do in the area below!
I would describe my style as editorial meets adventure, meets documentary. I love a dramatic portrait just as much as I love an epic backdrop, and as much as I love real/authentic moments with friends and family. I love to incorporate all of these vibes together, in order to create a full and dynamic story of your day.
My editing style is classic and nostalgic. Although I am very particular about my editing, I am not a heavy editor. I don’t just apply one heavy filter to every one of my images. I edit your images individually and tweak the colors to perfectly fit your wedding day, while still maintaining a consistent style with the rest of my work.
Tips:
The Mendocino coast is a magical, remote area on the northern coast of California. It’s known for its dramatic cliffs, grassy bluffs, and beautiful beaches. The area is full of epic scenery, cliffside trails, and cozy restaurants. If you’re planning a wedding, this is the perfect area to bring your friends and family to get away for a while and escape the norms of every day life. These are my tips on how to best plan your Mendocino wedding.
Hire a wedding planner
Planning a destination wedding can be tricky. If you are planning a wedding with a guest list that is larger than 30 people, I highly recommend considering hiring a wedding planner. Hiring a wedding planner saves you time because you are not having to do all of the research yourself. The planner will also be full of advice about vendors she knows and trusts. The planner may also be able to help you save money, as well as use your budget wisely. Click HERE to see a list of Mendocino wedding planners.
2. Choose the right venue for you
There are a variety of venues located on the Mendocino Coast. I have compiled a list of all of the venues in another blog post. You can check it out below.
3. Plan a Wedding Weekend
The Mendocino area is a vacation spot. I recommend advising friends and family to arrive a couple of days before your wedding to get the full Mendocino experience. People will typically hold a welcome dinner the first day at a local restaurant, or at a picnic area, followed by a rehearsal dinner the second day at another restaurant, or at their venue. As a photographer, I’ve found that it can also be best to book one of my wedding weekend packages. We’ll shoot an adventure session the first day (aka engagement session), followed by a rehearsal dinner the second day, then ending with the wedding on the last day. This allows us to photograph a full scope of what Mendo has to offer.
4. Plan for a Variety of Weather
The Mendocino coast has some unique weather. It is relatively moderate all year, but can get pretty hot during the day, and cold at night. It can also be very windy. I highly recommend advising guests to bring layers. To prepare for rain, I highly recommend reserving a tent just in case. I also advise to order a bunch of clear, bubble umbrellas online. You only need one umbrella per two people. From a photographer’s perspective, clear umbrellas are much better than black or colored ones. They will allow me to photograph guest’s faces without obstruction or shading.
5. Create a Wedding Website with Tips/Advice
I recommend creating a wedding website with clothing advice and tips for things to do in the area. You can include your favorite restaurants and trails so that your guests can easily plan their days without having to do a ton of research on their own. I have also included a list of the best areas for hiking/photos below!
Scenic Areas For Hiking + Photos:
Looking for a place to shoot some epic photos in the area? Or just a place to hike around and explore? Here are the prettiest spots in the area. These locations could also be used for an engagement session, adventure session, elopement, or family session.
Cypress Grove
CYPRESS GROVE DOESN’T HAVE A WEB PAGE, BUT THIS WOULD BE MY NUMBER ONE PICK FOR PHOTOS IN MENDOCINO. IT HAS CLIFFS, BLUFFS, TREES, ETC. YOU CAN ALSO HOLD YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY IN THE GROVE.
“LESS THAN THREE HOURS FROM SAN FRANCISCO IN THE HEART OF THE ANDERSON VALLEY WINE REGION, HENDY WOODS STATE PARK PROTECTS TWO GROVES OF TOWERING REDWOODS. SOME OF ITS TREES MAY BE MORE THAN 300 FEET TALL AND 1,000 YEARS OLD. FIVE MILES OF TRAILS, INCLUDING BIG HENDY GROVE’S WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE DISCOVERY TRAIL, LEAD THROUGH THE FERN-FILLED FOREST.”
Mailliard Woods State Nature Reserve
“MAILLIARD REDWOODS STATE NATURAL RESERVE WAS NAMED FOR CONSERVATIONIST JOHN WARD MAILLIARD JR., WHO BEFORE HIS DEATH IN 1954 WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SAVE-THE-REDWOOD LEAGUE AND WHOSE SURVIVING FAMILY OWNS PROPERTY THAT SURROUNDS THE UNIT.
THE PURPOSE OF MAILLIARD REDWOODS STATE NATURAL RESERVE, IN MENDOCINO COUNTY, IS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT, IN AN ESSENTIALLY NATURAL CONDITION, THE COAST REDWOOD FOREST AND ASSOCIATED WILDLIFE HABITAT WHICH OCCURS ALONG THE GARCIA RIVER AND ADJACENT WATERSHEDS.”
Montgomery Woods State Reserve
“HEAD TO THE HEART OF THE COAST RANGE AND STEP INTO THE MAJESTY OF MONTGOMERY WOODS STATE NATURAL RESERVE. YOU’LL FIND A WORLD RICH IN SOLITUDE, SILENCE, AND REMARKABLE GROVES OF COAST REDWOODS. A 367.5-FOOT REDWOOD AT MONTGOMERY WOODS WAS ONCE THOUGHT TO BE THE TALLEST TREE IN THE WORLD. TALLER TREES HAVE SINCE BEEN FOUND IN HUMBOLDT REDWOODS STATE PARK AND REDWOODS NATIONAL PARK, BUT MONTGOMERY WOODS IS STILL NOTED FOR ITS LOFTY GIANTS. A TWO-MILE-LONG LOOP TRAIL LEADS, STEEPLY AT FIRST, ON A REWARDING TOUR. A NINE-ACRE DONATION BY ROBERT ORR IN 1945 STARTED THE RESERVE, WHICH HAS BEEN ENLARGED TO 2,743 ACRES BY PURCHASES AND DONATIONS FROM SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE.”
Mendocino Headlands State Park
“MENDOCINO HEADLANDS STATE PARK WITH ITS UNIQUE BLEND OF GENTLE TRAILS, RUGGED COASTLINE, SECLUDED BEACHES AND TIMELESS HISTORY SURROUNDS THE PICTURESQUE VILLAGE OF MENDOCINO ON THREE SIDES. MILES OF TRAILS WIND ALONG THE CLIFFS, GIVING THE CASUAL EXPLORER SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF SEA ARCHES AND HIDDEN GROTTOS.”
“JUST TWO MILES NORTH OF MENDOCINO, RUSSIAN GULCH STATE PARK COMBINES A THREE-MILE LEAFY CANYON WITH WINDSWEPT HEADLANDS AND PRISTINE BEACHES ALONG THE PARK’S ROCKY COASTLINE. INLAND, A 36-FOOT WATERFALL PLUNGES DOWN INTO A BOWER OF REDWOODS, MOSSES, AND FERNS. ALONG THE COAST, WAVES CRASH INTO A COLLAPSED SEA CAVE CALLED DEVIL’S PUNCHBOWL, AND THE PHOTOGENIC FREDERICK W. PANHORST BRIDGE RISES GRACEFULLY 100 FEET FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE GULCH.”
Navarro River Redwoods State Park
“AFTER WINDING OVER ROLLING HILLS AND THROUGH THE ANDERSON VALLEY, MOTORISTS TRAVELING ALONG HIGHWAY 128 SUDDENLY ENTER AN ELEVEN-MILE-LONG REDWOOD TUNNEL TO THE SEA. THE REDWOOD FOREST ALONG THE NAVARRO RIVER IS A MAGNIFICENT SIGHT. SECOND GROWTH REDWOOD GROVES STRETCH THE LENGTH OF THE PARK. THEY ARE HOME FOR RACCOONS, BLACK-TAIL DEER, AND RIVER-ORIENTED BIRDS SUCH AS THE BELTED KINGFISHER.”
“THREE MILES SOUTH OF MENDOCINO ON HIGHWAY ONE, VAN DAMME STATE PARK OFFERS A SCENIC BEACH, A LUSH FERN-FILLED FOREST, AND YEAR-ROUND CAMPING. “
My Pricing:
My Mendocino wedding package pricing starts at $7,500 for 8 hours. This fee includes travel.
Please reach out below for more info!
My Work:
Click the link below to see a full wedding in Mendocino. This wedding took place at Switzer Farm, one of my favorite venues in the area.