A Scouting Mission

In keeping with my lack of ability to relinquish creative control over all things wedding, I gave myself a task today. I felt that I should go to the spot we've picked for our engagement pictures on a little scouting mission.

As I mentioned before, I found our e-pic photographer on Groupon. While said photographer is certainly generous, he is not crazy - he limited photo shoots to a 5 county area. Counties including Marin (home of San Francisco), Napa (home of... Napa), and Sonoma (home of my job!)

Yes, my job is about two hours away from my home, but when you work 24 hour shifts, full time is only 1-2 days a week, so I manage. The drive home is always much nicer than the drive into work. Partly because I'm going home, which is inherently nice, and partly because I choose to take the scenic route. Literally! It is the "scenic highway" or the "Valley of the Moon" Highway, named so by Jack London who lived there for a time. And it is beau-ti-mous! Fills the cockles of my heart with warmth and calmness.

If I could drag the photographer from one little niche off the highway to another, I totally would - the wooden horse statues, the huge T. Rex, the creepy cemetery, the old gnarled vines, the beat up pick up for sale, the quirky winery directional signs - it is all so much fun! Unfortunately, I think that would take several hours, and we only have him for 1 or 2. So, sadly, I had to pick one place.

Happily, there is a wonderful state park in the middle of this road - Sugar Loaf Ridge State Park. Marc and I went hiking to the top of Bald Peak one day. We were not particularly photogenic at the time. Wanna see?

See?!


But check out that view!

We will NOT be hiking to the top of the mountain for our E-pics, but the drive up to the park entrance and the valley around the bottom has some amazing spots. I swung by on my way home from work this morning to get some inspiration. Here are a few thoughts I have for our pics:


Hiking alongside a roadside waterfall?



Wading in the creek?



Running through the hills a la Sound of Music?



Picnicking on soft, mossy stones?



Wandering down a wooded path, hand in hand?



Silhouetted by magical forest light?



Playing hide and seek between tree trunks?


And to truly get a feel, here is an example picture that I painstakingly created of me and Marc actually at a lovely spot:


What do you think?