This blog post is about a Timeless wedding at The Stockdale Country Club in Bakersfield. Read below to see all the inspiration.

After countless roadblocks many couples would’ve given up on the dream of their big wedding and settled for an elopement. Perhaps even a civil ceremony, which are absolutely fine, by the way. But, not Kristin and Jesus. They had worked so hard and spent countless hours planning and rescheduling different services in an attempt to celebrate their love and marriage the way they had always intended. And after four venue changes and an immeasurable loss in their family, it finally felt like it was all coming together. And they knew just where to celebrate The Stockdale Country Club of Bakersfield.

How We Captured Unforgettable Memories at Stockdale Country Club

The Stockdale Country Club is one of Bakersfield’s favorite wedding venues, and for good reason. The famous gates draw attention from passersby seeking to catch a glimpse of beauty through the colossal iron fence. While the surrounding community flocks to the pristine fairways for eighteen holes of fun and competition. However, it’s the Country Club’s ability to elegantly blend tradition with modern themes of the that sets it apart. It’s here, we found ourselves immersed in one of the greatest celebrations of all time with the wonderful team from Fairy Godmother as we attempted to get Kristin and Jesus married once and for all.

The Bridal Prep

Kristin and her bridesmaids start their prep on site beginning with hair and makeup. Generally, timing is coordinated with the help of your planner so it’s invaluable to work with the best. Preventing any delays throughout the big day and optimizing coverage of photography and other time sensitive services. Fortunately for us, Colleen and the ladies with Fairy Godmother, do everything possible to ensure the tiniest details are never overlooked. Kristin and the ladies are unbelievably kind and absolutely on board with getting creative for the shots.

First Look

A personal favorite moment for any photographer, is the first look. If you are unfamiliar with this newer tradition, you can read more about it HERE. There are many ways to incorporate it too. Kristin actually held two first looks, one with her bridesmaids and the other with her father. Firstly, we started with the bridesmaids, since they were getting ready together, it was easy to have Kristin sneak out with her mom and Colleen to put on her dress. Once Kristin was ready, we called in the girls for the big reveal. It was incredible.

Kristin also decided to share this beautiful moment with her father privately. Now, Sasha is the easiest person to make cry on wedding day – the Father/Daughter dance does it everytime. But, I would be lying if I didn’t admit that this moment ALWAYS makes my eyes sweat. A father/daughter first look results in the most breathtaking moments ever. There is never a wrong way to do it, we just love it so much.

We make full use of the pristine grounds of the Stockdale Country Club. During this key moment of the day, we capture elements of personality with fun prompts and a handful of traditional poses to preserve the moment timelessly. As we begin to wrap, we notice a caravan of classic cars strolling through the gates of the Country Club. Marking the arrival of our groom, Jesus, and the remainder of our bridal party.

Connecting With The Men

Jesus and the gentlemen pulled up to the Stockdale Country Club. The sun bounced off of the classic cars and the ladies took cover inside to prevent Kristin from being spotted. This resulted in some amazing shots. Working with the men, we always enjoy incorporating moments of authenticity and camaraderie. During this time, it’s important to encourage creativity among the group. If you’re starting out on your wedding photography journey, you’ll quickly learn that many men default to their hard exterior. Consequently, your photos may suffer and prevent the overall gallery from being cohesive with the happy esthetic of wedding day. Our best advice is to have fun with it. Join in the humor. Utilize the benefit of having their strength (i.e. think of all the new poses you can include) to create unique and creative images. You’d be surprised how excited the gentlemen can be for photos once they feel confident enough.

Fortunately, Jesus and the guys were more than thrilled to take photos so we had plenty of fun and laughs to make these memories timeless. Donning an ornate jacket, with stunning details, Jesus came prepared to deliver. It’s a pleasure getting to witness the friendship that bonds these gentlemen, it’s one of our favorite parts of the big day.

Ceremony / Bride Groom Portraits

Now, there was a moment during this wedding when we all held our breath. There was rain in the forecast and nobody knew if we would be caught right in the middle of it. The team with Fairy Godmother was prepared. There was contingencies in place in the event of rain, but with the ceremony right around the corner, we could only cross our fingers and hope for the best. Surprisingly, the rain passed by without incident, and as Kristin and Jesus got married a rainbow beamed in the distance. A beautiful sign for the start of any marriage.

Shortly after the ceremony, we jump into family portraits. If you’re starting out as a photographer, the best advice we can offer is to be intentional with your shots. It’s easy to become overwhelmed during portraits without a plan. In the planning process, we recommend including a shot list for your couples to utilize. This ensures that you capture the most important groupings immediately, such as out of town relatives and VIP’s. The remaining groups can be included if there is time, there will always be opportunities at the reception for the rest of the wedding guests to partake in the fun. Time is always against us photographers during these moments so it’s important to make the most of it while the weather is cooperating.

The Stockdale Country Club in Bakersfield offers so many beautiful locations to photograph. It’s easy to find a hidden gem throughout the property. However, it’s the iconic palm trees that produce the most outstanding images. We absolutely love it, and Kristin and Jesus made this location even more fun to play with since they brought rose pedals to incorporate.

Dancing the night away

Making our way into the reception, we race to capture those little details that tell the entire story. These intricacies are the pieces of the story that showcase your uniqueness. So, we pride ourselves on immortalizing them for all time. The Stockdale Country Club has a beautiful ballroom for couples seeking a reception that is elegant and spacious. The house bar is fully stocked and offers many options for guests. And, photographers have plenty of light to work with throughout the night. However, we always bring off camera lighting so we have more creative control over the composition of our images. We definitely recommend adding good lighting equipment to your inventory if you haven’t already done so (you can find some HERE).

Let’s Plan Your Own Timeless Wedding

So there you have it, a timeless wedding at The Stockdale Country Club in Bakersfield. The night was filled with some unforgettable moments, and tearful ceremonies. The Ponce’s laughed, cried and danced the night away surrounded by their newly joined families. Thank you to for allowing us to be a part of it. The team at Fairy Godmother, you are brilliant. We can’t say enough good things about The Stockdale Country Club, every time we work an event here it’s the most incredible experience. Kudos on the brilliant team that always pulls it together. Cheers to the Ponce’s, we love to see all that you have overcome on the way to saying I do, we are proud to be your friends. ¡Salud!

If you’re interested in having us capture your love timelessly, we would love to connect more to hear your story. Feel free to reach us HERE to get started.

Wedding Team:

Event Planning and Design: Fairy Godmother

Bakery: Batch Made n Heaven

DJ / MC: D&G Ent

Band: Mariachi Michoacan Bakersfield

Floral Designer: Flower Power

Rentals: Walker Lewis

Rentals: Moore Decor Party Rentals

Marquee Letters: Luxor Rentals

Hair and Makeup: Heidi to the Joy

Hair and Makeup Artist: Hair Makeup by Jana

Bridal Gown Shop: Enchanted Bridal Boutique

Alterations Sew Elegant Bridal Alterations

Low Rider Cars: Carnales Unidos

TLDR: A timeless wedding at The Stockdale Country Club in Bakersfield