There are some wedding venues that are beautiful because of the architecture, and then there are places that feel like an entire world of their own. Nestldown in Los Gatos, California is definitely the latter.
Nestled among the redwoods and gardens of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Nestldown has this really unique ability to feel lush, green, whimsical, and ethereal while still having that classic, elegant wedding feel. It doesn’t feel like you’re choosing between a beautiful wedding venue and being surrounded by nature. You get both.
This Nestldown wedding was exactly that. From the elegant getting ready moments at Hotel Los Gatos to a garden-party-inspired dinner overlooking the pond, the entire day felt intentional, romantic, and completely surrounded by nature.
As a traveling wedding photographer, I was especially excited to photograph this one because both locations gave us so much to work with. And honestly, I could have spent hours photographing at Hotel Los Gatos alone.
If you’re planning a wedding at Nestldown, you can learn more about the venue and their wedding offerings on the official Nestldown website and Nestldown’s wedding page.
A Full Wedding Day at Nestldown in Los Gatos
The day started at Hotel Los Gatos, and if you’re looking for a getting ready location in Los Gatos, this place is seriously worth considering.
The hotel has such a charming, elegant feel, with beautiful grounds and so many little areas that photograph well. Between the architecture, greenery, balconies, and natural light, I felt like I could have spent the entire morning finding new photo spots.
We started with the girls getting ready and photographing all of the little details from the morning, including a flat lay. I love this part of a wedding day because it gives me the chance to slow down for a little while and photograph all of the details that the couple spent so much time choosing.
You can learn more about Hotel Los Gatos if you’re considering it as a getting ready location for your wedding day.
Film Wedding Photography at Hotel Los Gatos
I also spent a lot of this portion of the day shooting film photography, which felt especially fitting for the atmosphere at Hotel Los Gatos.
There is something about film photography that works so well with elegant hotels, soft natural light, greenery, and all of those in-between moments. I love mixing film into a wedding gallery because it adds another layer to the story and gives certain moments a completely different feeling.
If you love seeing the different ways I photograph weddings, you can find more real weddings and photography inspiration over on my wedding photography blog.
Bride Getting Ready at Nestldown
From Hotel Los Gatos, we headed to Nestldown for the rest of the wedding day.
This is where the entire vibe shifted into something completely different, in the best way.
Nestldown is surrounded by California redwoods and lush gardens, with winding paths, ponds, meadows, and little tucked-away spaces throughout the property. The gardens change throughout the seasons, but the overall feeling is always incredibly lush and whimsical.
Once we arrived, the bride got into her dress surrounded by her people before we moved into photos with her bridesmaids and family.
Bridesmaid Photos at Nestldown
After the bride got into her dress, we spent some time photographing her with her bridesmaids.
I loved having this portion of the day at Nestldown because the setting made the photos feel so natural. The greenery and gardens created beautiful backdrops without needing to overcomplicate anything.
We got the classic bridesmaid portraits that are always worth having, but I also wanted to leave room for the candid moments between them. The laughing, fixing each other’s dresses, walking around together, and all of those little interactions that show what their friendship actually felt like that day.
These are the kinds of photos that I think become even more meaningful over time. Years later, you’re not just looking at what everyone wore or how the flowers looked. You’re looking at the people who were standing beside you throughout the entire experience.
The Nestldown Wedding Ceremony
Then it was time for the ceremony.
One of the things that makes Nestldown wedding photos so special is that nature is already such a huge part of the setting. The property is surrounded by towering redwoods and gardens, so the ceremony doesn’t need to compete with the scenery. It becomes part of it.
There was something really beautiful about watching the day transition from everyone getting ready and taking portraits into the actual moment they’d all been waiting for.
The bride walking down the aisle is actually one of my favorite photos from the entire day. There was something about that moment, the setting, the emotion, and the way everything came together that made it such a memorable image for me. It’s one of those photos that reminds me why I love photographing weddings in the first place.
And, of course, I was still looking for all of the little reactions happening throughout the ceremony. The couple, their families, the wedding party, and the guests all experience the day differently, and those reactions are such an important part of telling the full story.
Groomsmen & Wedding Party Photos at Nestldown
Directly after the ceremony, we moved into groomsmen and full wedding party portraits around Nestldown.
We moved through these photos really quickly, getting both the full wedding party and the groomsmen photos done in about 15 to 20 minutes total. I always try to be really intentional with timelines like this because I don’t want couples to spend their entire cocktail hour taking photos. The goal is to get the photos we need, make them look great, and get the couple back to their guests as quickly as possible.
Nestldown gave us such a beautiful natural setting for these portraits, and we were able to get a mix of classic wedding party photos along with more candid and editorial-style images that brought out everyone’s personality.
Once we finished the wedding party photos, we moved into couple portraits and were still able to send the couple to enjoy the last 30 minutes of cocktail hour.
Editorial-Inspired Couple Portraits at Nestldown
After the wedding party photos, we took time for couple portraits around Nestldown.
This is probably one of my favorite things about photographing at Nestldown in Los Gatos. There are so many different environments within one venue that your gallery can feel like you photographed in several completely different places.
Some of my favorite photos from the entire day were the ones we took with the huge trees surrounding us. There is something so beautiful about having those massive redwoods in the background, and they made the portraits feel both romantic and a little bit magical.
I also loved the photos we took with the lake in the background. The combination of the water, greenery, and the couple made for some of my favorite Nestldown wedding photos from the day.
We also made sure to take some photos on the wedding swing, which was something the bride specifically requested. The lighting was definitely a little spotty in that area, but the photos still turned out so gorgeous. I love when we can make a specific idea from the couple happen even when the conditions aren’t perfectly predictable. Sometimes those unexpected lighting situations end up creating some of the most beautiful images.
My goal during couple portraits is always to give my couples a mix of images. Some are more intentional and editorial, while others happen naturally as we’re walking, talking, moving around, or taking a break between poses.
I don’t want couples to feel like they spent their entire wedding day standing in front of a camera. I want them to have beautiful portraits and still have time to actually experience their wedding.
Follow Along on Instagram!
Before we get to the rest of this beautiful Nestldown wedding in Los Gatos, California, if you want to see more real wedding days, behind-the-scenes moments, film photography, and recent work, follow along with me on Instagram @torielisabethphoto. I share new wedding galleries, photography inspiration, and all the behind the scenes of what goes on behind the camera.
Back to Cocktail Hour
One of my favorite parts of this timeline was that we were able to move efficiently through portraits and still get the couple back to enjoy the last 30 minutes of cocktail hour.
This is something I really value as a California wedding photographer. There are so many beautiful things happening at a wedding that I don’t want my couples to feel like they’re constantly being pulled away from their guests.
You can have a full, beautiful gallery without spending every minute of cocktail hour taking photos.
They were able to finish out cocktail hour, spend time with their guests, and actually enjoy the beginning of their reception before dinner.
A Garden Party Dinner by the Pond
Then came one of my favorite parts of the day: dinner by the pond.
The sun was setting, the gardens were glowing, and the entire setup had the most beautiful garden party wedding feeling.
Nestldown’s Main Lawn sits surrounded by gardens and the Koi Pond, making it such a beautiful setting for an outdoor dinner.
Everything about this part of the evening felt relaxed and romantic. The kind of dinner where you can look around and realize you’re surrounded by greenery, your favorite people, and the person you just married.
The sunset light made everything even better, and I spent a lot of the evening watching for those candid reactions during dinner and speeches. Those are the photographs that can so easily be overlooked if you’re only focused on the big moments, but they’re some of my favorites to deliver.
Honestly, I left this wedding feeling so happy that I had the chance to photograph somewhere this vibrant, green, elegant, and peaceful. Nestldown is the kind of place that makes you want to come back, and I would absolutely love to photograph another wedding here someday.
After experiencing the property firsthand, I can completely understand why couples are drawn to the combination of the redwoods, gardens, ponds, and peaceful atmosphere.
A Meaningful Family-Made Wedding Cake
After dinner came another really meaningful detail: the cake.
The wedding cake was made by the bride’s mom and grandma, which made the cake cutting feel like so much more than just another reception tradition.
I love when couples incorporate things like this into their wedding day because those personal details tell you something about the people getting married. It’s not just a pretty cake for the photos. It’s something made by people who are important to them.
And of course, we had to document the cake cutting before moving into the rest of the reception.
First Dances & Parent Dances
The evening continued with the first dance and parent dances.
These moments are always some of my favorites to photograph because they naturally create so much emotion without needing any direction from me. I can simply step back, watch what happens, and document the reactions as they unfold.
There were quiet moments between the couple, emotional reactions from their families, and all of those little interactions that make the photos feel personal.
This is really where my approach to wedding photography comes in. I don’t want every image to look like everyone stopped what they were doing because the photographer told them to. I want the gallery to feel like you can step back into the room and remember exactly what it felt like.
Film Photography During the Reception
I also shot a lot of film throughout the reception, and I have to say, it looked so cool.
The combination of the evening light, the dinner setup, the gardens, and then the energy of the reception made film such a fun way to photograph this part of the day. There is something about the way film captures reception lighting and all of those little in-between moments that gives the images such a different feeling.
I love mixing film photography into wedding galleries because it doesn’t replace the digital photos. It adds another layer to the story. Some moments just feel especially good on film, and this reception was definitely one of those.
Between the dinner, speeches, dancing, and all of the candid moments happening throughout the night, I was constantly reaching for one of my film cameras.
Dancing & Reception Photos
And then it was time to party.
Once the dance floor opened up, the energy completely changed. The rest of the night was filled with dancing, friends, family, and all of the candid moments that happen when everyone finally lets loose.
Reception photos are some of my favorite images to take because there is nothing to manufacture. People are genuinely having fun, and my job is just to be in the middle of it all, watching for the moments that happen naturally.
The big dance moves are fun, but I also love photographing the smaller moments happening around the dance floor, the friends laughing together, someone pulling another person onto the dance floor, parents watching their kids, and all of the random moments that you probably didn’t even notice happening that night.
The Perfect End To A Nestldown Wedding Day
The night ended with a send-off, bringing the entire wedding day to a close.
From getting ready at Hotel Los Gatos to the ceremony, portraits, dinner by the pond, dancing, and finally the send-off at Nestldown, this was one of those wedding days that felt like it had a little bit of everything.
Elegant. Classic. Whimsical. Romantic. And completely surrounded by nature.
California Wedding Photographer | Nestldown Wedding Photos
Photographing a wedding at Nestldown in Los Gatos, California is such a unique experience because the setting gives you so much variety. You can create elegant, editorial portraits one minute and completely candid, nature-filled images the next.
And pairing it with getting ready at Hotel Los Gatos makes for an especially beautiful wedding-day experience. Between the charming hotel, the incredible gardens at Nestldown, and all of the little moments that happen throughout a full wedding day, there is no shortage of things to photograph.
As a traveling wedding photographer, I currently photograph weddings all over the country, including throughout California, the Bay Area, and Central California. If you’re planning a wedding at Nestldown, getting ready at Hotel Los Gatos, or somewhere else in California, I’d love to hear what you’re planning.
If you’re still searching for a California wedding photographer, Bay Area CA wedding photographer, or Central CA wedding photographer, you can inquire through my contact form to check availability. You can also view my wedding pricing and collections to see a full breakdown of what’s included.
You can explore more of my wedding photography on my website or browse more real weddings on my blog.
I can’t wait to hear your story.
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