Davis California Wedding Day of Emily & Matt at UC Davis Arboretum

A few weeks back I had the honor of photographing the Davis California Wedding of my friends Emily and Matt at the UC Davis Arboretum and Old Fellows Hall downtown.

For years, I’ve worked as a destination wedding photographer. Often I’ll travel all over the country to photograph the weddings of my clients.

I was so thrilled to be traveling this time, to celebrate with my friends. I hopped a flight from Bozeman, Montana and flew back to my former stomping grounds of Northern California to reconnect with some of my favorite people

A loving relationship fostered at UC Davis

Before moving back to Montana, I lived in Davis for three and a half years photographing weddings and working at a newspaper in the San Francisco bay area.

At the time, Emily and Matt were attending UC Davis as Ecology PhD graduate students. Over the years our friendship grew. I watched their relationship blossom and flourish. It was apparent to all onlookers in our friend circle that Emily and Matt were a great match. It was not so much a question of if they would get married but a matter of when they would.

That day finally arrived. Surrounded by hundreds of friends and loved ones, the bride and groom made it official with their beautiful ceremony in the lush green scenery of the UC Davis Arboretum.

The following evening, their wedding reception kicked off in the heart of downtown Davis at the Odd Fellows Hall.

Creating a unique Davis California wedding experience

Rather than have the run-of-the-mill wedding, these the newlyweds created and experience that was a wonderful reflection of their relationship. They tapped into their love of dance, performance, and elaborate costume inspiration from the Burning Man scene they have been participants of. Both Matt and Emily hold that experience in high regard. It inspired their wedding reception into a colorful, exotic ball. The end result was a wedding unique and beautiful unto itself.

Their wedding weekend was the way all weddings should be – a complete representation of a couple’s own awesome style.

For a successful DIY wedding day, it takes a village

For Emily and Matt, being resourceful helped a lot too. To cut their planning costs, they tapped into the talents of their tribe. Many of their friends and family helped contribute to the celebration. Everything from getting help to plan the wedding. Musical friends taking turns to act as DJs. Florists, foodies, and yours truly behind the camera. Everyone came together to help make their colorful Davis California wedding day a reality and amazing success.

I loved seeing such positive attitudes from everyone in attendance as well. When the onset of spring rains forced the outdoor wedding ceremony to be held inside, it didn’t keep anyone’s spirits down for long.

In all, the wedding weekend was a wonderful time full of laughter, love, feathers, and a copious amount of dancing. Don’t believe me? Check out the photo booth these two had at their reception. Yes, the bride and groom wore custom-made super hero costumes. It was epic.

I was so glad to be there to photograph their wedding day festivities. I wish Emily and Matt a lifetime of happiness! -Mike Greener

Reviews of the Day

“My husband and I met Mike in Davis, CA, where we had the privilege of getting to know Mike as both a friend and a talented wedding photographer. When it came time for our wedding, there was no question that we wanted him to be our photographer.

We have zero regrets.

I appreciated that Mike talked with me before the wedding to get a sense of our vision, and shared some of his own ideas. Due to rain, when our plans for a fun photo shoot didn’t work out the day of our wedding, Mike just rolled with it. He was happy to reschedule it for later that weekend. He made a point of making sure that he wouldn’t add any extra stress to the event. Far from adding stress, Mike’s positive energy and supportive attitude made him a blast to work with. Both for my husband and I, as well as our guests.

By the end of the weekend, I kept hearing the same words from my friends and family, almost as though someone passed them as a political talking point: “Best wedding photographer EVER!” And that was before we saw the photos…

Mike’s storytelling background as a photojournalist is evident in his approach to weddings. Rather than doing round after round of boring posed portraits, Mike kept the focus on candid shots. He strives to make people look their best while also authentic (though he snaps a nice portrait as well!).

Looking back through our wedding photos, I feel like I’m reliving the events of the day. I get to see the genuine happiness and love in the faces of our friends and family. We have the story of our wedding captured in beautiful photographs. We will treasure them for a lifetime.

It’s hard to say what I appreciate more about Mike as a photographer – his positive energy and downright charming manner, or his fabulous photographs. It’s rare to find a person who is both easy-going, fun, AND extremely professional. Mike is all of these, and I highly recommend him to anyone who needs a wedding photographer!” – Emily & Matt, married 2014

And kind praise from the bride’s sister….

“May I just say how thrilled I am that my sister hired Mike Greener as her wedding photographer? His warmth, energy, and enthusiasm made the day all the more wonderful for all of us. Mike was able to capture so many details, expressions, and special moments without ever getting in the way. My sister, friends, family and I couldn’t have been happier to have him with us to document the weekend-long occasion.

When the bride endured some wedding stress, Mike helped her re-focus on the positives of the day, keeping her laughing and making her feel beautiful. His pictures were a reflection of that positivity. No matter how rushed or stressful things got (which, you know, often happens at weddings!), Mike kept his focus, rolled with the punches, and extracted joy from every subject.

The vibrant, creative, beautiful photos he captured that weekend will be a permanent reminder that my sister chose the right photographer. We can’t recommend Mike Greener highly enough!” -Laura, sister of the bride