When Tamara and Russell first booked me for their wedding photography, their plan was to have a destination wedding in the Caribbean. However, as the planning went on, they realized that a big wedding was simply just not them. So, they scrapped their plan and are now having a very intimate winter wedding here in Minnesota! First, I have to say that I absolutely love that this couple switched gears and are really having a wedding that they feels suits them, instead of what 'they think they should do.' It's very refreshing! However, when all is said and done, it was still incredibly important to include some of her favorite ladies in the wedding festivities! What Tamara decided to do is, in my opinion, going to be a big trend amongst brides. She invited me along to her bachelorette party, had her ladies bring their bridesmaid dresses and had a photo shoot in one of the coolest cities in the country - San Francisco! Our shoot was the perfect activity to do on this trip and it was also super fun for the girls to get all dressed up, have a session and a night-on-the-town afterwards! The next day, we continued the party and headed to Sonoma's Wine Country to tour and taste various vineyards along the way! What I love about this is many things. It was purposeful and a great excuse to simply take photos. It was definitely more casual, since it wasn't the actual wedding day and everyone was able to experience an amazing trip together - and have it documented as well! It was also great for Tamara, because she is incredibly close with all of these women. Some of them are sisters, others are friends from high school and college - and she even surprised her mother with a ticket out to join them! Overall, the weekend was an adventure and a true celebration among these women to 'send off' their friend to be married!