An Eclectic Wedding on 35mm Film at Sabor Mexicano, Guerneville

Portra 400

Summer, 2026

The Detail

• Venue: Sabor Mexicano, Guerneville CA
• Couple: Emily + Rhasaan
• Guest count: 100ish
• Florals: Moms & Co
• Food: Rhasaan & Co + Diavola Pizza
• Cake: Their friend Laura
• DJ: DJ Beltron

Skip to: Moments Before, Ceremony, Portraits, Dinner & Dancing

From the moment I got on the phone with Emily and Rhasaan, I knew this was going to be something special.

And not because of some huge price tag or dramatic moment they’d baked into the timeline. But because I could tell this felt like the celebration that they’d been meaning to have their entire lives.

Emily spent a lot of our call talking about their shared history in San Francisco. About the vibrant city culture of the 80s that they grew up in. About social justice. She said the words “social justice” at least three times, and that’s not typical in a wedding photography planning call.

In fact none of the call was typical. I learned that Rhasaan is a chef and that we share history as whitewater river guides in the Sierra. I learned that Emily used to be a professional dancer and is deeply creative. We got so carried away, I don’t think I learned a thing about their day-of timeline.

And that says everything about their wedding day. It was about shared history, about personal expression, and about family – the kind you inherit and the kind you choose.

The Moments Before

The first thing that happened after I arrived was a very beat-up, hand-painted van came rolling down the dirt lane with three guys in shorts hanging off the rear bumper. And I thought, “Wow, they hired some really eclectic vendors.” One of those guys walked over and started throwing platters of shrimp and sausage into a blazing outdoor pizza oven.

The next thing I came to realize was that no one I met was a “vendor.” The young woman setting the 100-person dinner table? A niece. The woman spritzing the flowers on the chuppah? A mom. The chef guy with the cool van? Well, that turned out to be the groom.

I finally made it over to the house where Emily and crew were getting ready. There were kids everywhere and a dog to make me feel right at home. There was laughter and heart-to-hearts and plenty of fixing makeup that ran with joyful tears.

All the while guests in all colors of outfit descended upon ceremony space, a sun-dappled lawn fringed with redwoods and sycamores and inviting anyone who sees it to sit and look.

The Ceremony

In full transparency, shooting a ceremony 100% on film is a bit terrifying. You only get 36 shots before you have to rewind, open the camera, spool the new roll, and start shooting again. It takes a good twenty seconds, even if you’re quick.

And this ceremony was about the fastest I’ve witnessed yet. Completely in keeping with the fact that Emily & Rhasaan were there for their people, not to put on a show.

But looking at these photos now I’m reminded how much emotion was packed into that short stretch of history. It looks like Emily cried at least seven times. And for someone who seems to spend most of his time with a slightly-conspiratorial-grin on his face, Rhasaan looks genuinely earnest a lot of the time.

All jokes aside, we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day, standing in the summer warmth of Guerneville, redwoods and sycamores and apple trees (with ripe apples) surrounding us. Sabor Mexicano is certainly one of my favorite versions of paradise.

Portraits

You know, I don’t typically share portraits in my wedding gallery blogs – I don’t consider portraits my specialty and the couples I work with rarely care much for the process of taking them.

But these felt different. They felt like a pause. They felt like space to soak it all in. There was laughter. The dog and kids were all there. There were a few drinks passed around.

There was also the typical desire to “get to the party ASAP”, but we all laughed together and stuck it out. Because we all knew these photos were important to make. Part of what’s so special about a gathering like this is the fact that you’ll likely never see all these people in a single place at a single moment, maybe ever again. That’s worth a picture.

Dinner & Dancing

Giant sunflowers and fading light presided over the single table that fit every one of the 100+ guests. It was a warm day on the Russian River, so everyone was happy to feel the heat begin dissipating into that giant indigo sky. Kids flocked to the big tree swing, hors d’oeuvres vanished as quickly as they appeared, and it wasn’t long before dinner was ready.

The food seemed nearly as integral to this celebration as the couple themselves. And that’s because Rhasaan and his crew prepared most of it. Eating dinner was like having a conversation. And I wouldn’t be caught dead forgetting to mention that cake. Emily’s close friend Laura put together what I am now citing as the best cake I’ve ever had. As rich as it was sweet (actually maybe more rich than sweet), with just the perfect amount of raspberry.

Dinner turned into speeches and the speeches made me cry. There was a lot of laughter but more than that there was a lot of love. Emily and Rhasaan obviously stand at the center of an orbit, one we’d all be envious to be a part of.

The speeches dissolved into dancing as the DJ and lights kicked into gear. And this was a dancing crowd. From the kids to the dogs to the bride, everyone could be found in the middle of the maelstrom at some point in the evening. The playlist was as eclectic as any other part of the wedding, with the salsa-and-adjacent genres standing out. Emily never told me what kind of professional dancer she was, but I’m guessing it involved salsa.

As I walked back to my car I wasn’t alone in looking up at the moon rising over the valley. It was dead quiet outside of the orbit of celebration. And folks were scattered about sitting on lawns and logs, soaking in that layered edge where culture and humanity and the vastness of our world quietly collide.

I think that’s right where Emily & Rhasaan live. In the center, but always looking out.

This Is Why

This is why I photograph weddings – because I want you to remember how it felt.

If you see beauty in the imperfection, if you want to remember the whole story that will be your wedding day, I hear you.

Want to chat? Drop me a note.