Yosemite x Stanford University
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
There are weddings that are beautiful. And then there are weddings that wrap themselves around you like a cashmere blanket on a crisp autumn evening, warm and golden and impossible to forget.
Nita and Will's was the second kind.
Two days in Yosemite Valley followed by a fall celebration in Palo Alto that brought together 150 of their favourite people. A sunrise at Glacier Point. A ceremony in one of California's most breathtaking churches. A Halloween weekend that felt less like a holiday and more like a gathering of two families becoming one. British wedding photography meets California golden hour, and honestly? We still haven't quite recovered.
Watch Nita and Will's Yosemite adventure unfold in motion — sunrise at Glacier Point, sunset at Taft Point, and every golden moment in between.
THE PRE-WEDDING ADVENTURE: YOSEMITE
We flew into California a couple of days early, partly because we never miss a chance to shoot in Yosemite, and partly because Nita and Will had this vision — a pre-wedding session that felt like an adventure, not a photoshoot. Linen beige tones, a white flowy dress, and two people completely up for hiking to catch the best light.
Wednesday afternoon, we met them at Curry Village and headed straight for El Capitan Meadow. There's something almost humbling about standing in that meadow with the sheer granite face of El Capitan rising 3,000 feet above you. The afternoon light was doing that thing it does in Yosemite, long shadows, warm gold, the kind of light that makes everything look like a painting.
From there, Tunnel View. Classic, yes. But classic for a reason. That first glimpse of the valley, Half Dome, Bridalveil Fall, the whole scene laid out like it was designed specifically for moments like this. Nita and Will just stood there for a minute, taking it in. We barely directed them. When the landscape is doing that much work, you just let people be.
Then Taft Point for golden hour and sunset. The hike out is about a mile, and Nita navigated it in that white dress like it was the most natural thing in the world. The cliff edge at Taft Point drops away to the valley floor below, and as the sun dipped behind the Sierra Nevada, the sky turned every shade of amber and rose. We shot until the last light disappeared.
"Standing at Taft Point with Nita and Will as the sun went down, watching them laugh with Half Dome glowing behind them... that's the kind of moment you don't forget. The light, the scale of it all, two people completely lost in each other. Pure magic." — Ruby
Thursday morning started before dawn. We left Curry Village at 5:30am and drove up to Glacier Point for sunrise. If you've never watched the sun hit Yosemite Valley from up there, add it to your list. The way the first light creeps across El Capitan and touches Half Dome, turning the granite pink... it's worth every minute of lost sleep.
We shot for two hours as the valley woke up below us. Then down to Mirror Lake, where the morning stillness created these perfect reflections, and on to Happy Isles Bridge and the Yosemite Valley Chapel. By the time we wrapped at 1:30pm, we had two days of footage and stills that felt more like a film than a pre-wedding session.
THE WELCOME EVENT: FRIDAY, 31ST OCTOBER
Nita and Will's wedding weekend kicked off properly on Halloween night with a welcome event for 70 of their closest family and friends. Heavy appetizers, speeches midway through, and that particular energy that comes from bringing together two families who are about to become one. The speeches that night set the tone beautifully — personal, funny, heartfelt. By the time the evening ended, everyone knew everyone. That awkward early-reception small talk? Already handled.
This is what we love about multi-day celebrations. By the time the wedding itself rolls around, the connections are already made. The British contingent and the Californian crowd, old friends and new family, all woven together over shared plates and stories. The warm-up, in every sense.
THE WEDDING DAY: STANFORD MEMORIAL CHURCH & LUCIE STERN COMMUNITY CENTER, 1ST NOVEMBER
THE MORNING
Hair and makeup started at 10am at the Sheraton Palo Alto, where Nita and her bridal party — Felicia, Crystal, Jennifer, Tina, Callie, Trisha, and little flower girl Chinara — were getting ready together. The vibe was exactly what Nita had envisioned: elegant, warm, joyful. No hierarchy, no fuss, just a room full of women holding things together and crying at precisely the right moments.
Meanwhile, Will and his groomsmen — Ethan, Killian, James, Michael, Rob, and Lou, plus ring bearers Everett and Rhys — were getting ready at the same hotel. The plan was relaxed: breakfast, a morning hike, lunch, then into their suits. Will's energy was calm. That particular calm that comes from knowing you're about to marry your person.
Nita was putting her dress on at Stanford Memorial Church itself, in the East Room, ready by 1:30pm. There's something deeply intentional about getting dressed in the same building where you're about to say your vows. The @laceandliberty gown went on, the @dagiosflorist bouquet was handed over, and we caught that silence that falls over everything when a bride sees herself ready for the first time. We'll never get tired of that moment.
THE CEREMONY: STANFORD MEMORIAL CHURCH
At 4pm, the doors opened. Stanford Memorial Church is one of those places that stops you in your tracks. Romanesque architecture, stunning mosaics, stained glass that throws coloured light across the stone floors. Built by Jane Stanford in memory of her husband, it carries over a century of history within its walls. And now Nita and Will were about to add their chapter.
They had chosen not to do a first look before the ceremony. Will waited at the front, and when Nita appeared in the doorway for the processional... that gasp from the congregation, that moment when Will saw her for the first time, walking down that historic aisle. It's the reason we love a traditional processional. Nothing compares.
The ceremony itself was deeply personal. Readings from Will's grandmother. The lighting of a unity candle. Violinists playing as the light filtered through those extraordinary stained glass windows. Nita and Will exchanging rings and vows in front of 150 people who had travelled from across the US and beyond to witness it.
"They chose to wait for the aisle, and honestly? It was one of the most emotional processional moments we've filmed. Will's face when he saw Nita, the way the light hit her veil as she walked toward him through that incredible church... that's the stuff that stays with you." — Dominic
After the ceremony, we moved through the church grounds for family formals. Nita's father William, Will's parents Lynda and Dan, siblings, grandparents, the full extended family. Then the wedding party shots with that stunning Romanesque facade as a backdrop.
THE RECEPTION: LUCIE STERN COMMUNITY CENTER
The reception at Lucie Stern Community Center carried that same elegant, warm energy into the evening. The ballroom has this beautiful versatility — grand enough for 150 guests, intimate enough that nobody feels lost in the space. Nita and Will had planned a secret entrance, emerging into the room to applause before being properly announced.
Instead of traditional table photographs, guests were invited to take a detour by the piano for portraits during dinner. A clever twist that kept the energy flowing and gave everyone a keepsake. The @chefgabbey catering team delivered a feast that matched the occasion, and the @goodhartcoffee bar kept the drinks coming.
DINNER & SPEECHES
The speeches had already happened at the welcome event, but the toasts at the reception carried that same warmth forward. Personal stories, inside jokes, that particular blend of laughter and tears that marks every great wedding speech. The cake, a collaboration between @sweetsiplomacy and @mexicobakery, was cut at 7:45pm, and by then the room was fully alive.
THE EVENING: FIRST DANCE & GRAND EXIT
At 7:55pm, the first dance. Nita and Will on the floor, 150 people watching, and that particular hush that falls over a room when a couple is completely absorbed in each other. Then the dance floor opened properly and didn't really empty.
The DJ read the room perfectly, and when it came time for the grand exit, the send-off was everything a grand exit should be. Two people leaving their wedding surrounded by everyone they love, cheering them into married life.
The full story of Nita and Will's wedding day — from the East Room to the grand exit, every laugh, every tear, every dance floor moment.
TO NITA & WILL
Nita and Will, thank you. For bringing us to California, for trusting us with your weekend, for sharing Yosemite's grandeur and Palo Alto's warmth with us. The way you blended adventure and tradition, intimacy and celebration, into something that felt completely yours... it was a privilege to witness and an honour to capture.
We left California with full cards, full hearts, and a serious appreciation for California fall light.
With all our love,
Dominic & Ruby xx
P.S.: This is what it all looked like from our Meta glasses...
YOUR SUPER SUPPLIERS
📸 Photography: @dominiclemoinegrams
🎥 Videography: @dominiclemoinegrams
💒 Ceremony Venue: @stanfordmemorialchurch
🏡 Reception Venue: @luciesterncommunitycenter
👗 Wedding Dress: @laceandliberty
✨ Bride's Accessories: @TiffanyandCo, @brilliantearth, @oliveandpiper, @bellamihair
💐 Floristry: @dagiosflorist
🍽️ Catering: @chefgabbey
🍰 Cake: @sweetsiplomacy, @mexicobakery
☕ Bar: @goodhartcoffee
🖋️ Invitations & Stationery: @lovebird
💇♀️ Hair & Makeup: @facebyemily, @albamayoglam
👔 Men's Attire: @menswarehouse
👰 Bridal Robes: @misstomrsbox
💍 Groom's Accessories: @brilliantearth
🎉 Wedding Coordination: @eventsbythebay
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