George & Wendy
Out past the lawns, where the estate turns into open hill. Sound on.
Past the lawns.
George and Wendy were married at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, and the frames that stayed with us are the ones furthest from the buildings. The estate is best known for its lawns and its stables, but walk a few minutes past them and it opens onto bare hillside that looks like nowhere else in Los Angeles County.
That is where their portraits were made, with her veil lifting off the ridge and nothing behind them but dry grass and distance. The film runs a little under seven minutes and carries their own voices through it.
Worth the walk.
Most of what gets photographed at Hummingbird Nest happens on the manicured part of the estate, and it is beautiful, but the open ground past it is what makes a film here look unlike everyone else's. It takes a few minutes to reach on foot, which is exactly why most couples never build time for it, and it is the first thing we ask for when we plan a day on this property. The other thing worth knowing is the ridgeline to the west: it takes the sun earlier than the published sunset time, so the golden window is short and it ends abruptly. We have now filmed seven weddings here, and most of what that experience buys you is knowing precisely when to stop everything and go. More in our notes on filming at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.
