Chris & Emily
An afternoon under the oaks in Rancho Cucamonga, and a send-off after dark. Sound on.
Under the oaks.
Chris and Emily were married at Hidden Oaks Retreat Center, on the lawns behind the property’s historic residence in Rancho Cucamonga.
They also asked for Super 8, so the day exists twice: once in digital and once on real film, with the grain and the gate flare that only comes from running actual stock through a camera. The night ended under the string lights with ribbons going up on both sides of them.
Notes on the light.
The oaks are the whole character of the place. They hold shade across the lawns through the hottest part of the afternoon, which means a ceremony here lands in soft, even light instead of the hard overhead sun you fight at most Inland Empire venues in summer. The trade is that the sun leaves early behind the canopy, so portraits want to happen before the shade closes over rather than after. After dark the property runs on string lights, and because San Bernardino County holds the venue to a 10 PM finish, the lit part of the night is short and worth protecting.