Romantic Backyard wedding in Castaic // ©2017 Sun & Sparrow Santa Barbara wedding photographers
We got married in Castaic, CA at a family friend’s beautiful home. Tucked in the hills of a very quiet and quint area…and honestly a place that I could have only imagined. We were so blessed to be gifted the use of this family’s home. The minute it was offered to us, I knew this was going to be the perfect location…..tons of greenery, a huge white rustic farm house, & a white barn to top it off! It was perfect….exactly what this Tennessee girl wanted! Because it wasn’t a typical wedding venue, there were lots of details & preparation that took place the 10 months leading up to the big day! I’m not sure how we did it, but it all came together beautifully with the help of our family. We of course had the typical small hiccups the day of (that everyone warned us about!). The weather was perfect all week and by our wedding day, it was going to be 98 degrees so we were a little nervous about that. It was a tinsy bit warm in the barn where we held the ceremony, but we were prepared. The ceremony was about 7 1/2 minutes (which was the game plan because we wanted to party!) so there was a little excessive sweating, but once the ceremony ended the sun was going down beyond the hill and the weather could not have been more perfect the rest of the night! Another little hiccup that day was that our 16 foot white chiffon draping in the barn decided to fall down an hour before the ceremony! Thank the Lord for the groomsmen and father of the groom — they were able to fix it with minor injuries (our poor coordinate took a good one to the head while trying to help, but she muscled through the night with no complaints!! She’s amazing!). And of course we (the groom & bride) knew nothing about this until after the ceremony….probably a good call there! lol.
I have so many favorite moments from the day — from waking up with my fiancé and blasting music throughout the house we rented (had to start the day off fun, it’s the only way we roll 🙂 to walking with my Dad down the aisle. One of the highlights was also having our family & friends together during a traditional Greek dance (my request as I’m from a Greek family). Dancing, & laughing with the people we love…it was such a special moment! Overall, it was such a gift to have all the people who matter the most in our lives together in one place — something that will probably never happen again. Truly a once in a lifetime celebration that we will always remember!
My advice to any future brides/grooms is to stick to your own vision for your big day (it’s all about you guys!) and have it represent who you are; enjoy every little challenge and special moment because the time leading up to the big day flies by; and once the day comes, just roll with it…laugh at the hiccups, be present in every moment, and remember what truly matters that day is the love you are celebrating together!