Brian Mealey Photography

Family Portrait Fund Raiser

2011-08-31T22:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago we held 2 days of mini-sessions to raise money to help pay for a 14 year old friend's heart surgery. The response was wonderful and we enjoyed every minute of it! Here are some portraits of the families who participated.

This was one of my favorite events ever. It confirmed my feeling that the world is still filled with really wonderful people. Thank you again to all the generous people who came to help. Most important of all, the surgery was successful and our incredible 14 year old friend is healthy again. Plus, the funds so generously donated were greatly appreciated by her family.Thank you everyone!

More Sacramento Family Portraits

2011-04-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

I thought I should update the blog again since it's been a couple of months..... really, I would like to keep this updated more often but there are just soooo many other things that are better than sitting at a computer! You know what I mean?

So here is a selection from some of the families we've photographed recently.

I have some more to add later, maybe tomorrow?

Some 2010 High School Seniors and Friends

2011-01-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

Hey this makes 2 blog posts already this year! I'm on a roll!

Continuing with my resolution to post more often I am following the previous post of family portraits with a few high school seniors and their friends.

Seniors are so full of personality, each so unique, and creating something to capture some of that personality is really rewarding! They grow up and life changes so quickly, so this is my way to catch a little piece of them and put it in an image that will still be here long after they've moved on. It's good stuff!

Some 2010 family portrait favorites

2011-01-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

These are not my only favorites, I have lots of 'em! I got way behind posting here and on Facebook, so I resolved to do better this year. I began by looking back through last year and realized I hadn't put up any families, or maternity pics, or new babies, or seniors, or almost anything at all!

OK, so it's not going be difficult to do better than last year is it?

So, I quickly went through some folders from last year, and here are a few family portraits and maternity portraits.

As of this morning we're still waiting for baby Shay. She looks great so far!

Photographing families is a lot of fun (most of the time!). Little kids have so much energy! We're putting more focus on family portraits, especially with extended families, now that we have our kids living away from us and we appreciate how much those photos mean to us. We'll be taking a lot more family portraits in the future. We just completed 3 more over the holidays and they'll be posted soon.

Fallon & Kenneth

2010-09-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

Fallon & Kenneth were married at the Oakland LDS temple on a gorgeous day in August. A very sunny, bright, warm, windy gorgeous day! Then everyone drove back to Newcastle for the reception. Normally that would be about a 2 hour drive, but it seems that everyone in the SF Bay area was going the same way that day, so it took 4 hours instead! Whew!. So the reception started a little later than planned, but it was a great reception anyway. The reception was at Fallon's parents' home, in their amazing back yard with a tree-lined stream running along one side, the sun setting in the background, and perfect weather for all their family and friends to celebrate with them.

Fallon has to be one of the most gracious people on earth, and she's fun and animated and full of life! She is one of those people that you always look forward to being around. Kenneth is a very lucky man; he has a great life ahead of him!

Wonderful people, good families. Thanks for letting be part of your wedding day!

To see more fun photos from their wedding day, click on Fallon & Kenneth at the upper right column of this blog.

Susan & Josh

2010-08-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

Susan & Josh were both out of state at school when it was time for engagement photos, but they were close to where our kids live, so that gave us a chance to visit our kids and get some great images of them at the same time! We felt like we were old friends after our little adventure finding a cool place to take engagement pics in a new place, and it made our time together on their wedding day even more fun!

We had a perfect day in Oakland and in Morgan Hill; great weather, good food, lovely locations, a beautiful bride and handsome groom, and lots of family and friends from all over the world to celebrate with them! Who could ask for anything more?

There are so many awesome images from their wedding, these are just a sampling of my favorites. And there is a slideshow with many more great images below (a small version) or you can click on Susan & Josh at the upper right for the larger version.

Natalie & Craig

2010-08-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

Natalie and Craig came here from Washington DC to be married at the Oakland LDS temple with a reception in Granite Bay, CA. We had a fabulous time with them and their families. They have some very funny friends and siblings; I haven't laughed so much in years! There were a couple of times that I couldn't even hold the camera steady, I was laughing so hard.

I love so many of the images from that day, but since I'm trying to catch up, I'm limiting myself to 5 here. Their slideshow has been posted for months, but if you've missed it check it out! Click Natalie & Craig at the upper right for the large version, or click below for the small version.

We're bloggin' again!

2010-08-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since I've posted anything and I'm finally back! I will be posting more regularly again, and maybe will have Shenna do more of the posting. So the first thing I'll be doing is posting some of the weddings we've done recently and then I'll add some of the other fun portrait sessions we've done lately as well.

Sorry to all our fans out there; and thanks for not giving up on our blog! We've been really busy and we're having a great year, maybe the best year of our life, but you wouldn't know it from our blog, would you?

We've revamped our website and given a new look to the blog. I'd be interested to know what you think. Is it better?

So, here we go with a new year (yeah, I know it's August already!) and a new look. And some fabulous new photos!

Teena & Jeff - married on the river.

2009-10-17T22:15:00.001-07:00

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO SEE IT LARGER.

Isn't this a gorgeous view from their backyard?

I love it when one of the guests' flash fires at the same time as mine. Look at the expressions!

Teena and Jeff were married last month at her friend's incredible home in Stockton overlooking the river, with river channels on two sides of the spacious and beautifully landscaped yard, and a miniature statue of liberty watching over the ceremony. We enjoyed a fabulous sunset at dinner time and had a lot of fun with Teena and Jeff and their families and guests.

Thanks for inviting us be part of the fun!

Now check out this little video slideshow:

Click here to see a larger version of the slideshow.
Or go to the upper right corner of this blog and click on Teen & Jeff.

Jessica & Edgar, from Holland to Orange County

2009-08-31T22:34:00.000-07:00

I "painted" over this image because I thought it looked like a painting more than a photo.

I love this image of Kelly, one of the flower girls, getting the final touches.

Jessica's wall.

Kristi Nelson, Jessica's good friend and budding musician. Look for her in Seattle area.

Jessica and Edgar were married the first of this month in Mission Viejo, California at her grandparents' home. Jessica is a fashion designer in the Netherlands and she wanted something different for her photos, and she promised me that I had never seen a wedding dress like the one she designed and created herself, and that I would be amazed. She was correct on both points; what an amazing and unique dress, hair style, hair piece, and, well, everything! She could be doing costumes for Hollywood! Check out the photos and see for yourself!

Although we were in Orange County, there was no way she was going to do beach photos like all her friends had done; she wouldn't go near the beach! (although she spent plenty of time surfing and hanging out at the beach growing up in OC). Instead we went to the fabulous Mission San Juan in San Juan Capistrano. This has to be one of the most photogenic places on earth for wedding pics! And, of course, Jessica is incredibly photogenic herself, so this was an unbeatable combination. The mission only allows photographers to stay for an hour so we didn't take a lot of time setting anything up, we just shot and moved and shot some more. A gorgeous bride in an incredible location and only 60 minutes.... the time went so fast, but we have lots fabulous images from that hour!

Here is a little slideshow of some of my favorites from the day (plus a few from the rehearsal). There is also a link in the upper right corner of the blog or right below the slideshow to a larger version than the miniature one here.

Click here to see a larger version of the slideshow.

We had a great time taking photos before the ceremony, and a great time with the families before and after. Thanks, Jessica and Edgar, for inviting us to be part of your celebration!

Brittney & Adam

2009-08-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

My niece Brittney & her new husband Adam were married on a sunny summer day in Fresno (translated: HOT!) a few weeks ago. We had a great time with them and their families. I wanted to get a couple of pictures and a quick slideshow for a preview of the great images we are uploading right now for their families to view online.

OK, Brittney and Adam, check out the slideshow below, or click on the link to see the larger version. Then get a comfy chair and something tasty to snack on and check out the 400 other images posted at the client proofing site!

Click HERE to see the larger version of the slideshow.

Mollie & Steve's Beautiful San Ramon Wedding!

2009-07-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

Mollie and Steve had a perfect day for their wedding! It was the kind of day that people to move to the San Francisco bay for and why they stay and take their chances with the earthquakes.

We had a great time with their friends and family; they were a fun bunch of people. I knew we weren't going to have just a typical wedding day when we discovered that the bride was going to get dressed at the park next to the waterfalls! Now it wasn't as weird as it sounds; her mother didn't want her to get her dress wrinkled before the ceremony, so she had everything set up so Mollie could be discreet as she put on her dress over her street clothes, etc. The plan worked and it gave us a little more time for photos than we would have had any other way. Thanks to Mollie's mom! But still, I've got to admit I've never thought I'd take photos of a bride getting dressed out in a park! Mollie said she didn't want to do things just like every other bride and she got things off to a very unique start!

Mollie and Steve decided to do a "first look" photo session before the ceremony so we would have more time to capture some beautiful photos with just the two of them, and it was well worth it. The waterfalls and surrounding park were gorgeous and Mollie looked so beautiful she made everything look even better. We were in direct sunlight the entire time but we captured lots of fabulous images. Beautiful bride, beautiful day, beautiful setting. Wow.

Check out a short slideshow with some of my favorite pics of the day by clicking HERE.

The ceremony and reception were held at Patrick Davids in San Ramon. They have a very nice staircase for photos! The DJ was Aaron Dalugdug from Amos Productions. Aaron is one of the best DJ's we've met at any wedding we've ever been to; I would recommend him without any hesitation, one of the best of the best! The Videographer was Chris Sentovich with Visual Image Productions. He was with us for the "dressing in the park" episode where he met the bride for the first time. He was great to work with all day. Mollie's hair was done by Ciao Babe Hair Studio in Danville, who did a wonderful job, kept right on schedule and Mollie's hair looked terrific the entire day.

Thanks to Mollie and Steve and your families for letting us be part of your day!

Andrea & Bill

2009-06-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

Andrea & Bill were married on a beautiful Saturday at the Sacramento LDS temple. Following the wedding we went to Folsom Lake where we had gone for their engagement pics. On the day we had scheduled for their engagement session it had been cloudy and dark and cold, so they wanted to try again! This time it was sunny and the lake was full to the brim but there were no beaches, so people were all crowded around the few feet of grass and rocks that was left between the parking lot and the lake. We found a place with about 10 feet of clear space between other groups and took some really great pictures right there. People at the beach were very cooperative as they noticed we were taking wedding photos. If you ever want to draw a lot of attention, just show up at a public beach on a sunny Saturday wearing a wedding dress!

We were also privileged to have nice little puffy clouds in the sky, something very rare for a Sacramento summer day!

We had a great time with Andrea and Bill and their families, and I'm sure they'll always remember their two trips to the lake!

Thanks, Andrea and Bill, for letting us be part of your big day. We wish you all the best.

Check out their slideshow at the upper right!

Cheryl & Kyle, A sunny California wedding for a Minnesota couple.

2009-06-14T00:16:00.001-07:00

Cheryl & Kyle flew out from cold Minnesota to be married in the Sacramento LDS Temple on a beautiful sunny April weekend. We did their "engagement" session on Friday and their wedding on Saturday (yes, the next day!) and we had to get some sunny outdoor photos with flowers for them to show their envious friends back home! And, coming from the cold Minnesota climate, they also took home sunburns after two days out in the California sun! Even without the sunburn, Cheryl was radiant; truly a beautiful person. And her dress, from A Bride's Dream Come True in Roseville, was gorgeous on her.

We had a wonderful time getting to know them and their family. Now we have some new friends from the great state of Minnesota!

Courtney & Jason at Forest House Lodge

2009-06-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

Courtney takes a peak while she's getting ready.

Courtney's dad had everyone rolling in the aisles!

My favorite image. Well OK, one of my favorites!

Courtney and Jason were married last weekend at the fabulous Forest House Lodge in Foresthill, CA; a perfect place for a wedding like hers. If you've never been to the Forest House Lodge, you need to see it! Every public room in this historic hotel has been richly decorated with different themes, there is a terrific game room, (especially appreciated by the bridal party while the bride and groom are busy with the photographer), wonderful outdoor patio and decks, and the staff was great to work with. There is so much variety I don't think it's possible to take it all in at only one wedding!

They also have a gorgeous outdoor ceremony location in the woods that is nicely manicured; a nice balance of natural forest and groomed lawn; just perfect for an outdoor wedding.

What made the location more perfect was a beautiful bride and lots of happy family and friends to bring the place to life. Courtney is so much fun to be around that we could have had a great time no matter where we were, and we did have a great time!

Courtney's dress, from De La Rosa's Bridal in Folsom, was absolutely perfect for her, and was made even better by Anthony's Tailoring in Roseville. Her flowers came from A Flower Bucket, also in Roseville and the DJ, a favorite up at the Forest House, was Gary McAlister.

Thanks Courtney and Jason for inviting us to be part of your celebration!

Check out Courtney & Jason's slideshow at the upper right of the blog!

Fog & Rain - A Perfect Day for a Wedding!

2008-11-24T23:58:00.001-08:00

Wow, was it ever wet for Whitney & Todd's wedding day! But that didn't keep us from getting some great pictures of them. The rain actually stopped twice for them, once, for about 10 minutes so we could get all the family photos, and then later for about 15 minutes so we could get some pictures with the Oakland Temple and the SF Bay in the background. It was really foggy right after the rain stopped and it gave a kind of surreal feeling as if the temple was rising out of the mist.

Once we were back in the central valley the rain stopped and we never had any more rain until their garden reception was over and Whitney and Todd were walking out to their car. Whitney may not have much to say about the weather in Oakland, but she must have some good connections with the weatherman in Turlock!

We had a great time with them and their families. Good luck to you both!

Lacey & Mike got married!

2008-10-11T19:53:00.001-07:00

Lacey & Mike were married in September at the Alta Sierra Country Club in Grass Valley. Lacey looked sooo gorgeous in her dress! Absolutely stunning. You can't really see the dress in these pictures so check out the slideshow at the upper left for more photos and you will see it was the perfect dress for Lacey! And it was a beautiful day up in the pines of Grass Valley, perfect weather for a wedding. We had a wonderful time with their family and friends.

One additional note about the staff at Alta Sierra Country Club: they were some of the nicest people I've ever worked with; perhaps the most courteous and helpful staff of any country club anywhere. I would highly recommend Franca Nielson and her staff!

Alexa & Dan

2008-09-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

Alexa is soooo beautiful!! Dan is such a lucky guy!

Alexa & Dan were married at the beautiful LDS temple in Oakland a few weeks ago. They are a terrific couple and we had a fabulous day with them and their delightful families. After spending the day with them it was easy to remember why we love being wedding photographers! Thanks, Alexa & Dan and your families, for a wonderful day. We have some new friends for life.

Some Family Pics

2008-08-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

I just had to show you a couple of pics of my grandkids from our last visit. Our daughter-in-law thought she should have some great photos of her kids like we make for everyone else, and we happily agreed! Kyler is 7 months old and Jaden had his 3rd birthday while we were there.

The picture with Kyler standing, looking up at his mom won a Best Portrait award at our local PPA print competition last night. I thought that was cool. I didn't enter the other print of the boys but I thought I'd share it too. Do I sound like a proud grandparent? I hope so!

I took the photo below of our other son and his wife a few months ago. It also won an award at the print competition last night for Best Fine Art image. This will be a large canvas wrap print in our house soon! (By the way, they really DO like each other! We were going for a cool fashion look rather than a romantic couple shot.)

You have to click on it and view it larger to see it.

Aloha!

2008-08-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Beverlyanne & Keola were married in Alabama and came here for their California reception. Bev is a gorgeous Hawaiian sweetheart that grew up here in Sacramento and Keola spent his life in Hawaii. We took a few photos of them in the afternoon here before the reception. Aren't they a great couple?

Thanks, Bev & Keola, for letting us be part of your California celebration!

Analise & Ram's Hot Wedding in the Foothills

2008-07-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, it was a hot day!

Analise and Ram came up from the bay area to be married in Lotus, CA (5 minutes from where gold was discovered) at their family's weekend home in the foothills. The property was all fixed up after many of their family had spent their weekends working to get it ready, and it was an ideal place for their wedding. Ram has a huge family and we had a great time getting to know many of them. I could have filled this whole page up with fun pictures we took of their family, but this is really about Analise and Ram, so you'll just have to go to the proofing website to see all the fun family shots.

Analise was beautiful, (even more than usual!). There are so many fabulous photos of her it is going to be hard for Ram to choose which ones to use in their album!

Thanks, Analise and Ram, for inviting us to be part of your wedding. I think we have some great new friends!

Lacey & Mike are engaged!

2008-07-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

We had a fun engagement session with Lacey and Mike last weekend in Nevada City. It was crazy hot and we were in the sun most of the time, but we have some really great shots from the session anyway! Lacey is going to be a beautiful bride; can't wait for September!

Becca & Stryder

2008-06-21T23:24:00.000-07:00

I just had to post a few of my favorite images from Becca & Stryder's wedding at the Oak Leigh Wedding Chapel in Fair Oaks. We had a great time getting to know their fiends and families. Becca was a beautiful bride, Stryder is a true gentleman and they'll make a terrific couple. Thanks for letting us be part of your wedding!

The coordinators at Oak Leigh, Melanie and Debbie, were easy to work with and did a wonderful job helping with all the details.

Cindy & Andrew

2008-06-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few photos from Cindy & Andrew's wedding last weekend. The weather was terrific, Cindy was beautiful and we had a great time with them and their family! It all reminds me why I love being a wedding photographer!

Stormy Day - Sunny Wedding!

2008-01-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

Annalee and Mark were married Jan 4th in the magnificent Tsakopoulos Library Galleria. It also happened to be the day of the worst storm we've had in years, but that didn't stop them! Annalee had planned to do all her getting ready at home, but they lost power in the morning (and it was out for 3 days!) so they had to move everything to the galleria. She looked beautiful anyway!

They were afraid nobody would brave the storm to come to the wedding, but everyone came and inside the Library Galleria it was warm and friendly and it didn't matter what the weather was like, the wedding and reception were beautiful. Obviously, neither rain, nor storm, nor fierce winds can keep their friends and family from celebrating with them!

Here are a few of my favorites from the first wedding of the new year. I've also posted a slideshow with a few more fun photos. Just click on their names on the upper right corner of the blog.

A little family time

2008-01-03T00:29:00.000-08:00

We spent some time at Thanksgiving visiting our kids (especially our new grandson!) who are much too far away. Here are just a few photos from that trip. Most of our photos are just snapshots, like the ones everybody else takes, because I like playing with my grandkids even more than taking pictures!

Boys!

2008-01-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

You never know what you're going to get when photographing really young kids, and when you put more than one of them together in the studio the outcome is even more unpredictable! One thing is almost certain though; they'll have lots of personality! These fun boys were no exception, lots of wiggling, and lots of laughing and few fleeting seconds of sitting still for a photo. All boys. We had a great time!

Harrison

2008-01-02T23:41:00.000-08:00

Harrison has played football all his life, and he wanted something different for his senior photos. Since his life has revolved around football his whole life, and for the past four years it has included one single locker room, he decided he wanted some senior pics taken in that locker room! Here are a few of my favorites.

Brittney

2008-01-02T23:20:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've been back to update my blog, so I'm adding a few photos from the last few months. These are a few photos from Brittney's senior session plus one with her mom. Fabulous people like Brittney make photography a blast!

There are sooo many more photos! Where does time go? I just realized I have 2 hard drives filled with photos just from this fall! OK, so I'm only going to get a few posted tonight. I'm not even going to TRY to catch up!

Cindy & Danu at the Vizcaya Mansion

2007-09-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

Cindy and Danu were married on a perfect September day at the elegant Vizcaya Mansion in downtown Sacramento. Everything ran very smoothly thanks to Cindy's careful planning and the excellent coordinator at the Vizcaya (wish I could remember her name!). This was probably the most on-schedule wedding I've seen!

These two are truly soul-mates. Cindy was really getting nervous as the ceremony approached, but that all went away the moment Danu saw her. They had some time together for a "first look" before the actual ceremony and once they were together for just a minute she was visibly much happier and the stress was gone. What a beautiful and delightful couple!

I've posted five of my favorites above and a bunch more in the slideshow on the upper right.

Jenn & Luke

2007-09-20T01:12:00.000-07:00

I've been crazy-busy the past few weeks but I just had to get some photos posted from Jenn & Luke's wedding on the 8th. Shenna and I had a terrific time with them and their families; we felt like we'd been friends for years although we just met most of them at the wedding! I've posted a few of my favorites from the day, and added a new slideshow at the upper right. Check it out!

Grand Island Mansion, Teresa & Jeff

2007-09-09T00:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Teresa and Jeff were married at the Grand Island Mansion, along the Sacramento River. What a terrific location for a wedding! Too many richly decorated rooms and features to mention here. Teresa & Jeff were a really fun couple to work with, too, so it all added up to a fabulous start to Labor Day weekend!

Jessie & Tyler's HOT wedding!

2007-08-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

Jessie and Tyler had an outdoor wedding this last weekend and it was 104 degrees! Nearly all the guests stood in the shade and left the chairs empty because the chairs were in the sunshine. Ouch! We had a good time in spite of the heat and we've got some terrific photos to remember the hottest wedding of the summer!

Congratulations Jessie & Tyler!

Oh, yeah, check out their video at the upper right of the blog.

Cindy & Danu at Sutter's Fort

2007-07-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

Cindy and Danu are two of the nicest people you could ever meet! We had some fun a few weeks ago at Sutter's Fort taking engagement photos. Here are a few of my favorites.

Can't wait for the wedding!

Kathryn & Colin's Wedding

2007-07-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since I had a minute to post anything so I'm catching up a little!

A few weeks ago Kathryn and Colin were married at the popular Lake Natoma Inn. We had a great time with them, and enjoyed every minute of it, especially when Kathryn sang to Colin! Here are a few of my favorites from the wedding, and I've added a slideshow as well.

Congratulations Kathryn & Colin!

The Music Mates

2007-06-09T14:41:00.001-07:00

What a blast we had last weekend with Mindy and Matt and their families! They really like to have fun! The groom's family hosted a dinner and musical to the tunes of The Music Man, only with the words changed to fit Mindy and Matt. They are an incredibly creative bunch and we enjoyed every minute of it! Then we had a terrific day on Friday that started at the LDS temple in Oakland and finished up with a fabulous reception at the San Ramon Community Center.

Good luck you two!

Tierney & Jared

2007-06-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

We had fun last week with this terrific couple from south of San Jose, CA! Congratulations Tierney & Jared!

We're blogging!

2007-06-05T21:48:00.001-07:00

Hey, we're blogging! In conjunction with our totally new website, we've added this blog to keep our "fans" updated on the fun we're having.

I'll try to get photos from recent weddings and portrait sessions posted here shortly after each event to give you some fun shots enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by!