More Than a Photographer: Capturing the Heart of Your Wedding Weekend
In the world of luxury weddings, beauty is expected—but what elevates a celebration is intentionality. A wedding weekend isn’t just an event; it’s an immersive experience. From the welcome dinner to the farewell brunch, every moment is thoughtfully designed to reflect who you are and how you love. And those are the celebrations I specialize in—multi-day, high-touch wedding weekends where every detail matters.
As the founder and lead photographer of Magnolia West, I don’t simply show up to take pretty photos. I become part of your wedding weekend in the most natural way: as a calm, grounded presence who feels like a friend to your inner circle, and as a collaborative partner your planner can rely on. I’m there not just to photograph what’s happening, but to anticipate, support, and deeply witness every layer of your story.
A Seamless Presence Throughout Your Wedding Weekend
Your wedding weekend is full of dynamic moments—quiet connections, joyous reunions, intentional details, and emotional traditions. My role is to blend into the fabric of it all. I take time to know you and your people before the big day arrives, so when I step in to photograph, it never feels intrusive. Whether I’m documenting the laughter at your welcome dinner or capturing tender moments between you and your family during the ceremony, I do it with care, grace, and intuition.
Trusted by Planners. Loved by Couples.
For planners, I’m more than a vendor—I’m a trusted creative partner. I understand the rhythm of a multi-day event, and I show up ready to support the vision you’ve spent months curating. I work with precision, professionalism, and warmth, ensuring the wedding weekend flows seamlessly while every meaningful moment is documented beautifully.
More Than Just Photography
True luxury is about ease, comfort, and being deeply seen. I approach each wedding weekend with a high-touch mindset—whether that’s helping a groom feel grounded before the first look, texting with a bride to help her choose an engagement outfit, or reading the room to know when to step back and when to lean in.
You won’t just remember how your wedding looked. You’ll remember how it felt—because every image will reflect the intentionality, emotion, and connection woven throughout the weekend.
Planning a wedding weekend that’s layered, immersive, and full of meaning?
Let’s connect about how I can serve as a seamless, soulful presence for every moment that matters.
Here is a small glimpse into Brooke & Jonathan’s wedding weekend in Santa Barabra.
We kicked off the wedding weekend with a welcome party at Pali Wine Co. in the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara. Then we took a trolley to Lucky’s in Montecito for an intimate candlelight dinner. On the wedding day, I arrived at the Belmond El Encanto early to ensure that I had plenty of time to photograph all of the details without anyone feeling rushed. I’ll drop a few photos below to set the scene for the weekend. You can view more photos HERE in my portfolio, or inquire for the full gallery. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to read Brooke’s review of her experience with me.
You can view more photos from the wedding HERE in my portfolio, or contact me to see the full gallery. I’m always happy to share.
Review From the Bride:
If you have the chance to work with Ariel, you absolutely must! Choosing a wedding photographer was one of the most crucial decisions in my wedding planning process. Once the celebration is over, the photos are all you have left to relive those precious moments. If you are looking for gorgeous portraits that will look great on your mantle AND genuine, emotion-filled candids, but don’t want to photography to “overtake” or “distract” on your special day, Ariel is for you!
Ariel has an unmatched ability to capture moments and she is also incredibly kind and hardworking. She went above and beyond, from providing detailed directions to our engagement shoot after a rockslide blocked our route on PCH, to expertly redirecting traffic for stunning shots of us on a trolley at our welcome party. On our wedding day, she arrived early and stayed late (in the sum of several hours) to make sure everything was perfect.
Most importantly, Ariel made me, my husband, our bridal party, and our families feel completely at ease in front of the camera. You spend as much, if not more, time with your photographer than your spouse on wedding day so it was really important to me to find someone who I had great chemistry with and Ariel instantly felt like a friend. She has such a warm and calming energy. She truly felt like one of the bridesmaids!
Working with Ariel was one of the best decisions we made! I couldn’t recommend her more!
