Fresno Wedding Photographer Craig Kohlruss » Weddings

Yosemite Valley wedding: Cristina and Ramon

Craig — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 05:23:03 +0000

Cristina and Ramon’s wedding at the Ahwahnee Hotel was my very first Yosemite Valley Wedding. Of course, I’ve been to the Valley many times, and mostly to work as a photographer, but never to shoot a wedding until now. It turned out to be everything I was hoping for and more. I think what made it even more special was just how cool the couple were! I owe a big thanks to fellow shooter Patrick Pike who works plenty of Yosemite Weddings and was kind enough to send Cristina and Ramon my way. I so appreciate that Patrick! The couple was running slightly behind – hey, it happens. But they still wanted to be sure and tour the Yosemite Valley floor to get plenty of couple portraits before the wedding ceremony. I arranged a quick “first look” so that they could at least have a little bit of a wow moment. Then we quickly did our shots in several spots around the Valley and still made it back almost on time! And the ceremony of course was awesome. It was set in the wedding lawn area south of the Ahwahnee Hotel and under the apple tree. The squirrels got involved too while helping themselves to a few apples during the ceremony. Afterwards, we did some cool family portrait shots with the hotel in the background and then went to do even more couple shots. I had a great time. It was like total creative license. Very fun. By dinner time everyone had retired to the Ahwahnee Solarium which is a pretty cool little venue in itself. After food, speeches and cake, it was off to the Winter Club Room for party time. By the time it was all said and done, I was pretty exhausted, but it was definitely worth it. I hope this is the first of many wedding shoots to come in Yosemite Valley

Tenaya Lodge wedding: Elizabeth and Brian

Craig — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:01:04 +0000

It’s always nice to spend a day in the mountains around Yosemite National Park and it was super nice to spend a day with Brian and Elizabeth shooting their wedding at the ever-elegant Tenaya Lodge. What a beautiful summer day we had with lots of sunshine and warm, but comfortable weather. I could get used to this!

Married: Jon & Jamie

Craig — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:40:22 +0000

She was suffering from a cold and there was a strong threat of rain at an outdoor wedding, but when all was said and done Jon and Jamie’s wedding at Sierra Meadows Golf Club in Ahwahnee was amazing. The service wen on without a drop of rain and by the time it was over, the clouds actually parted to let the evening sun shine through. It was an incredible photography experience. But more than that, I really enjoyed working with Jon and Jamie – two people who couldn’t have been nicer and more accommodating to their family, guests and even me. Thanks guys and congrats!

Sikh wedding

Craig — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:14:49 +0000

I followed groom Jas around as a second with Steve Skibbie who hired me to cover the big day for Jas and Rippy. This is the first Sikh wedding I have shot in years. In fact, the first one I did as a photo essay for the Appeal-Democrat newspaper where I worked. I’ve been to Sikh temples plenty of times since then as I often cover stories and events for The Fresno Bee. But this was extra special because I was able to get really close to the traditions of a real Sikh wedding. I love getting up close looks at all the interesting cultures we have here in the Central Valley. I started out by going to Jas’ home where I watched him tediously wrap his turban and then as his family fed him in a traditional ceremony. Very interesting stuff! I wanted to thank Steve for inviting me to come along and Jas and Rippy for allowing me to be a part of their day. It really meant a lot to me to capture the color and holiness. And Steve, I’m looking forward to doing it again next month!

Josh & Jackie: January wedding

Craig — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:26:41 +0000

Josh and Jackie’s wedding day started out a little foggy but turned into a beautiful day by the time of their reception at the Banker’s Ballroom in downtown Fresno. Services were held at Central Valley Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Fresno where a huge wedding party began getting ready. The church was eventually packed as it was standing room only to witness the vows for the special couple. Music became the theme as both Josh and Jackie are passionate musicians and a number of songs were performed throughout the day. A Filipino dance was performed in the beautiful light at the Banker’s Ballroom and a mini-concert of lovely songs was conducted by a multitude of talented artists. Josh and Jackie’s wedding was one for the ages.