Tex Kelly Productions
Wedding photography portfolio image from Mendocino Headlands in Mendocino, California

Wedding Photographer & Filmmaker · Mendocino, California

Wedding Photographer & Filmmaker in Mendocino, California.

Cinematic films and editorial photography for weddings.

Inquire Call (707) 382-1108
Tex Kelly, weddings for Mendocino, California

Hi. I'm Tex.

Welcome to wedding season, Mendocino edition.

I'm a North Coast filmmaker and photographer, voted Humboldt County's Best. Wedding photography and film in Mendocino is one of the things this studio does most, full-day photo and film coverage with FAA Part 107 drone aerial, delivered together so couples have one storyteller across every frame of the day.

My job is to make you, your families, and your guests feel completely comfortable so the day stays the day, not a photo shoot. No stiff poses. No staged-looking smiles. Just real, intentional, cinematic coverage of how the day actually unfolds in Mendocino and across Mendocino County.

Now booking 2027 weddings in Mendocino.

Book your Mendocino wedding →
Weddings in Mendocino, California. Tex Kelly Productions

A note from Mendocino

Cinematic wedding films and editorial wedding photography in Mendocino, California. Headlands cliff-top ceremonies, historic Victorian-village receptions, and Big River estuary vows. Full photo and film coverage with FAA Part 107 drone aerial.

The Approach

Weddings in Mendocino. Made for this place.

The Mendocino venue

Mendocino venues, lit and scouted.

Mendocino weddings are weekend-long destination events, couples and guests rent the entire village's lodging and run welcome dinners, ceremonies, receptions, and farewell brunches across multiple days. Headlands cliff-top ceremonies with the Pacific as backdrop are the signature shot. We typically travel down for multi-day coverage and stay locally to shoot every event with full presence.

Weddings, Mendocino, California
North Coast wedding in the redwoods, Mendocino County.
Weddings, Mendocino, California
Real wedding-day moments, golden hour.

The Mendocino day

Real moments, captured intentionally.

A Mendocino wedding isn't a day, it's a weekend. Welcome dinner, ceremony, reception, farewell brunch, all spread across the village inns. So we shoot it as one continuous story instead of a single event. Staying in the village means we catch the in-between moments too. The morning the whole party walks down to the Headlands. The reception that runs late, past the fog rolling back in. One team there for all of it, not just dropping in for the ceremony.

The Mendocino County scouting advantage

Mendocino, Scouted for years.

To a first-time visitor the Headlands look like one dramatic cliff. After tracking the fog there across seasons, they're a handful of different ceremony spots. The bluff that stays clear when everything else socks in. The patch of grass that catches the last west light. The Big River estuary that goes glassy and quiet when the headlands get crowded. That kind of scouting is what keeps a destination weekend from being at the mercy of the marine layer.

Weddings, Mendocino, California
Hometown ceremony, Mendocino County.

2027 Weddings, Mendocino

Now booking Mendocino weddings for the year ahead.

Saturdays in Mendocino fill first, venue holds, planner timelines, and golden-hour ceremony windows all stack on the same dates. Couples planning a year+ out get the cleanest weekends and the best honeymoon scheduling. Reserve early.

Reserve your Mendocino wedding → or call (707) 382-1108

Recent Work

Wedding Photographer & Filmmaker in Mendocino. A look at the work.

  • Newlyweds kissing in front of the Ferndale Ingomar Theatre. Humboldt County Victorian wedding photography
  • Wedding celebration with crowd. Trinidad, Humboldt County wedding photography
  • Bride and groom among the redwoods. Trinidad, California wedding photography
  • Editorial bride portrait. Arcata, Humboldt County wedding photographer
  • Bride portrait. Humboldt County wedding photography
  • Wedding moment captured in Old Town Eureka, California
  • Couple on the beach at Trinidad with the redwoods behind. North Coast destination wedding
  • Wedding moment in an old-growth redwood grove. Humboldt County wedding photography
  • Bride smiling at a Loleta elopement. Humboldt County wedding photographer
  • Beach ceremony at sunset with videographer in frame. North Coast wedding
  • Bridal portrait at a backyard ceremony. Humboldt County wedding photographer
  • Bride and groom walking the aisle under a redwood with celebrating guests
  • Outdoor ceremony under an oak tree with guests. Fortuna, California wedding
  • Bride raising her bouquet as guests celebrate. Fortuna wedding photography
  • Bride and groom first dance in a golden-hour field
  • Couple celebrating in a redwood forest. North Coast wedding photographer
  • Black-and-white first dance editorial. Northern California outdoor wedding
  • Bride walking the aisle with her father under the trees
  • Groom carrying bride at golden hour surrounded by Humboldt redwoods
  • Bride greeted by guests at an outdoor ceremony. McKinleyville wedding photographer
  • Bride at a wedding celebration moment. Humboldt County wedding photography
  • Sofia and Cam, elopement portrait on a fallen redwood, Humboldt County wedding photographer
  • Editorial bridal portrait with white-rose bouquet in a North Coast orchard at golden hour
  • Wide outdoor ceremony with floral aisle and pine-grove backdrop. North Coast wedding
  • Bride and groom kiss as confetti flies overhead. Monica + David wedding
  • Kendra and Gannon, full wedding party portrait in a redwood grove
  • Bethany and Chris ceremony portrait under a floral arch
  • Bride and groom on a North Coast small-town main street
  • Black-and-white editorial couple portrait at the coast
  • Rose and Charles, groom carrying bride at sunset
  • Couple in front of the Carson Mansion. Eureka wedding photography
  • Bride and groom kiss as guests dance behind, outdoor reception wedding
  • First-look moment between bride and groom in soft natural light
See full weddings portfolio →

Selected Wedding Films

Cinematic wedding films, documented in full.

Feature-length wedding documentaries and editorial wedding films, full coverage from getting-ready through last dance, edited for the way couples actually want to relive the day. Click any thumbnail to play in place. Click any thumbnail to play in place.

  • David & Monica's Wedding Documentary, 35 Years Before They Met, His Dad Saved Her Dad's Life

    Feature-length wedding documentary

  • Brunton Wedding Film

    Northern California wedding cinematography

  • Shane & Sofia Weekly. A 45-Minute Wedding Documentary

    Northern California long-form wedding film

  • Mrs. & Mrs. McClurg

    Cinematic wedding film

  • An Emotional, Romantic & Cinematic Wedding Film. Trinidad Elopement

    Trinidad, California elopement

DaVinci Resolve wedding-film edit in progress. Tex Kelly Productions editing suite

The Editing Process

Months in the edit suite, curating the story.

A wedding film isn't shot in a day, it's made over months. Hours of raw cinema footage, multi-camera audio, drone aerial, and second-shooter coverage get assembled, color-graded, and scored frame by frame in the edit suite.

Every transition is intentional. Every cut earns its keep. The goal is a film couples actually want to re-watch, not a montage of clips. That kind of editorial discipline is the difference between a wedding film and a wedding highlight reel, and it's why these turnarounds run weeks instead of days.

Venues + Locations

Where I shoot weddings in Mendocino.

  • Mendocino Headlands

    Cliff-top ceremony venues immediately west of the village. Plan around afternoon fog.

  • Historic Village Inns

    Period Victorian inns for welcome dinners, receptions, and farewell brunches.

  • Big River Estuary

    Boat-access ceremony and portrait location. Quieter and less common than the headlands.

  • Mendocino Bay Beach

    Sand-beach ceremony venue at low tide. Sunset window is the play.

What's Included

What's included with weddings in Mendocino.

  • Full Photo + Film Coverage

    Cinematic motion and editorial stills delivered together so you don't sacrifice either side. Solo coverage available for smaller events.

  • Drone Aerial Coverage

    FAA Part 107 certified drone work integrated for outdoor ceremonies and sweeping reveal shots, included on most outdoor wedding packages.

  • Cinematic Highlight Film

    4–6 minute highlight reel cut to your story, broadcast-quality color grade, properly licensed music, broadcast-grade audio.

  • Feature Wedding Film

    15–30 minute full feature covering ceremony and reception in long form, for couples who want to relive the entire day.

  • Edited Photo Gallery

    Full-resolution edited photos delivered in 6–8 weeks. Print-ready files, web-ready exports, and a private online gallery for guests.

  • Engagement Session (optional)

    Most couples add a pre-wedding engagement session at a meaningful North Coast location, included in upgraded packages.

How It Works

How it works in Mendocino.

  1. 01

    Initial Inquiry

    Send a note through the form or call (707) 382-1108. Share your wedding date, venue (or shortlist), and how you envision the day.

  2. 02

    Consultation Call

    30–45 minutes on the phone or at the Eureka studio. We talk through your story, your priorities, and what coverage levels make sense.

  3. 03

    Custom Proposal

    Within 24 hours of our call, I send a tailored quote with package options, timeline, and clear deliverables. No hidden fees.

  4. 04

    Booking

    Signed agreement and 25% deposit reserves your date. Remainder due before the wedding day.

  5. 05

    Pre-Wedding Planning

    Engagement session (if booked), timeline coordination with your planner, vendor introductions, and a final pre-shoot check-in.

  6. 06

    The Wedding Day

    Crew arrives 2 hours before ceremony. Full-day coverage from getting-ready through final dance. Drone aerials integrated as the day allows.

  7. 07

    Post-Production

    Edited photo gallery in 6–8 weeks. Highlight film + feature film delivered as broadcast-quality MP4s plus social-cut versions.

Investment

North Coast wedding packages start in the mid-four-figures and scale with scope (single shooter, full photo and film coverage, multi-day, destination travel). Send your date and venue and Tex will reply within 24 hours with availability and a tailored quote.

Wedding Photographer & Filmmaker in Mendocino. FAQs

Frequently asked questions.

  • Do you cover multi-day Mendocino wedding weekends?
    Yes, most Mendocino weddings are weekend-long destination events (Friday welcome dinner, Saturday ceremony + reception, Sunday farewell brunch). We travel down for the full weekend and stay in the village so we can shoot every event with full presence.
  • Which Mendocino headland ceremony venues do you recommend?
    Mendocino Headlands State Park offers several cliff-top ceremony spots, the most popular are the bluff trails immediately west of the village. We've shot many ceremonies there and coordinate around afternoon fog patterns. Permit required from State Parks; typically straightforward to obtain.
  • What does a wedding package include?
    Wedding coverage starts with photography or videography and scales up to full-day cinematic films. Most couples book the full photo and film package, cinematic motion plus editorial stills delivered together. Aerial drone coverage is available as an add-on for outdoor venues. Every package includes a planning consultation, day-of coverage, and a fully edited gallery delivered within 6–8 weeks.
  • Do you travel for destination weddings?
    Yes. Tex Kelly Productions covers weddings across Humboldt, Mendocino, and Del Norte Counties. Eureka, Arcata, Trinidad, Ferndale, Mendocino, Crescent City, the Avenue of the Giants, and beyond. Travel further into Northern California is regular. International destination weddings are considered case-by-case.
  • How far in advance should we book?
    Most North Coast wedding dates book 6–12 months out. Peak season (May through October) fills earliest. Reach out as soon as you have a date, even if the venue isn't locked in yet. Tex can often hold a tentative date for two weeks while you finalize.
  • What venues have you worked at?
    Many weddings across the North Coast, redwood-canopy ceremonies in the Avenue of the Giants and Founders Grove, coastal vows in Trinidad and Mendocino, Victorian elopements in Ferndale, ranch weddings across Humboldt, and barn-and-vineyard ceremonies further inland. Send your venue when you reach out and Tex will share work from there if available.
  • Do you do engagement sessions?
    Yes, engagement and proposal sessions are a separate service. Most couples who book the wedding film also do a pre-wedding engagement session at a meaningful North Coast location: the bluff where they got engaged, the redwood corridor where they had their first hike, or somewhere new together.
  • How do we book?
    Send an inquiry through the contact form or call (707) 382-1108. Tex replies within 24 hours with availability and a tailored quote. Once we lock details, a signed agreement and 25% deposit reserves your date. The remainder is due before the wedding day.

Nearby weddings cities

Weddings near Mendocino, other locations I shoot.

Flexible on where you shoot? Many clients book a hometown location + a destination second location in the same day. Below are the other cities where I'm currently booking weddings, same playbook, same editorial eye, different backdrop.

Inquire

Wedding Photographer & Filmmaker in Mendocino. Tell me about your wedding.

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