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These two joyful lovebirds lit up an otherwise rainy and overcast October afternoon with the thousand-watt glow of Kelsey's smile and the dinosaur-themed, candy-strewn party they threw.
Location: Malibu West Beach Club
Junya and Yuki eloped in Los Angeles, but they wanted some photos to commemorate the start of their married life together. They picked El Matador—smart choice—as the backdrop to these sweet sunset portraits, which they will treasure for years to come.
Location: El Matador State Beach
Brayden and Alicia planned an intimate, family-only gathering at the base of the iconic Point Dume in Malibu, California, to say their vows. They wanted a few snaps of family and friends, but mostly just wanted to get some epic photos of just the two of them at sunset on the day they pledged to spend the rest of their lives together.... so that's what we did!
Jessica and Kyle's sweet ceremony and reception in her parents' backyard was full of tenderness, laughter, tears, and SHOES. (Get a load of Jessica's legendary Badgley Mischkas.) Jessica's dad is a set designer, so the backyard was transformed with a bridge over the pool leading to a sweet barn built for two where the happy couple said their vows under a late summer sunset sky.
It doesn't get any better than this. Grant and Sarah really just wanted to do a paper elopement—courthouse and that's it. But their parents begged them to do a wedding, so they compromised: just the immediate family, she got a dress of Etsy, he threw on a suit and bought a cake from the grocery store, they tapped the closest minister (who happened to be my husband) on the shoulder, and their immediate families flew in from out of state. Oh yeah, and they also rented this badass 1965 Mustang, because if you're going to the trouble of having pictures made, they might as well be fit for a full-page magazine spread.
Lindsay and Jeff’s wedding will go down in history as the most tattooed wedding I think I’ve ever experienced. Everywhere I looked, it seemed, there was someone covered with beautiful ink. And all the rest of the guests who weren’t tattooed looked like they stepped out of an LA fashion mag. I was all heart-eyes all day long.
Steven and Ruth love their friends and family a whole bunch. Their relationship blossomed in the context of their close friend circle. Right from the start, they knew a few hours' long party wouldn't be enough time, so they decided to reserve a weekend retreat center and invite all their guests to enjoy Friday through Sunday in the mountains outside Yosemite, hiking, playing board games, sipping wine, and watching movies by a crackling fire until late in the night.
Jake and Tawni are college friends turned card-game rivals turned travel buddies turned sweethearts. Spend five minutes with them and it's obvious they're best friends and love every second together, whether it's a surf sesh, a grocery shopping date, or a car ride to work (yes, they work at the same place!). Their May wedding at Jake's family ranch in Bakersfield was complete with alllllllll the long-time family friends who have known Jake since he was in diapers, lots of homemade, down-on-the-ranch touches, and a live band that brought the house down and kept the guests dancing long into the starlit night. Oh, and don't miss the drool-worthy getaway car, a contribution from "Pappy," Jake's life-of-the-party grandfather.
Arpi and Edward's May wedding was all about family and shared experience together. From the big party bus that all the family arrived in, to the infinite number of hugs and kisses exchanged, to the extended group dancing at reception, it's obvious these are families who love one another hard and love to celebrate and be together.
Kolby and Liz became friends, and then best friends, and then fell in love over their shared love of adventure, the ocean, and putting their playful hearts and souls into everything they do. It was only natural then that their wedding would be an extension of their earthy and easy-going style. From the paperless e-invitation to the friend's backyard venue to the barefoot wedding party to the sustainable reception (no disposables!), this ocean-loving couple celebrated their Earth Day wedding with intention and creativity.
Brandon and Samantha are match made in paradise.... literally. As Pepperdine sweethearts, they met and fell in love in sunny Malibu, California. So naturally they schedule their nuptials for the same gorgeous location, locking down the awe-inspiring Stauffer Chapel for their ceremony and the breezy Malibu West Beach Club for their sunset reception.
Alexa and Ryan's beautiful wedding day took place at Sacred Mountain Ranch in Julian, California. Highlights? Alexa riding in on a horse (yep), the whole wedding party rocking bare feet (because why not?), and an epic margarita-taco-doughnut feast (that's gonna be a hard one to top.)
Allison and Dan's wedding was an East Coast meets West Coast affair. Having lived in New York for the last several years, their love story and their crowd of friends hails from back east. Allison's roots and their future, however, is out west (they're moving to the LA area soon), so they decided to say their vows and celebrate their wedding in true So Cal wedding style—in a vineyard.
Under a tree, in a vineyard, amidst dear friends and loved ones, Natalie and Ivo vowed to love and serve one another for as long as they both shall live.
These two have been melting hearts since they first got together a couple years ago. When you first meet either Natalie or Ivo, one of the first things you'll notice is how they talk about one another. Ask Natalie about her man and she'll get this faraway look in her eyes and a giddy schoolgirl smile as she quotes something he said that took her breath away or something he did that lights up her world. Ask Ivo about Natalie and you'll get a similar response: the unmistakeable confidence that he has found his other half, amidst an entire universe of stars. Read the story of how they met in a sandwich shop in Malibu on their wedding website. Needless to say, the day Natalie and Ivo pledged to be one forever was just like the two of them together: a natural expression of joy.
