Upon first meeting Ashby and Mark, there was a kindness and warmth that I felt right away. I knew right then and there that these two had something special. I was so honored when they chose me to capture their Beltane Ranch wedding in Sonoma. Not only do I love the venue for its charm and scenery, but Ashby and Mark have this ability to make you feel like you have been friends for life. I loved getting to witness their magical wedding, and their tribe of family and friends were so wonderful to get to meet and spend the day with.
I love the story of how they met, where random life events and circumstance brought them together!
Seven years ago, happenstance brought Mark to a croquet party hosted by Ashby’s sister-in-law Nicole (who coincidentally was also Mark’s co-worker). Ashby, having a precious free Saturday during her years of residency training, also attended the party. Their first meeting over a game of croquet was fleetingly brief, but left a lasting impression. Over the next several years they would see each other occasionally at events with mutual friends, as they each followed their path of life in and around San Francisco. Then one fateful day in September 2013, Ashby’s tennis partner Megan (who coincidentally was Mark’s roommate) invited her over to the house for brunch. Mark had been asked to cook this brunch by Megan earlier in the day, for “some friends.” So it came to pass that over this delicious meal, the spark that had flared between Ashby and Mark several years earlier was rekindled… and the rest, as they say, is history.
Venue: Beltane Ranch
Coordinator: Karin Kamb
Hair/Makeup: Jacqueline Cain
Florist: Family friend
DJ: Josh Dukes
Catering: Park Avenue Catering
Photographer: Christy McCarter Photography