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Fairytale wedding at Calamigos Ranch // Joey & Mariah

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FROM THE BRIDE

Thinking back about the day still gives me joy. I did not sleep much the night before my wedding day, because there were so many thoughts and emotions running through my head. From the moment I woke up we began checking things off my list, and it became clearer that my moment was almost here. Hair, makeup, photos, dress, all were being checked off my list, one by one. While everything moved around me I remember feeling an inner peace. It was as if someone whispered, “everything would be perfect”. Everything felt right in that moment.

Butterflies filled my stomach, and on came my song. My brother walked our dogs Sadie-Rae and Scout down first, and then my father escorted me down the aisle, handed me off to my “husband” and our ceremony began. I remember seeing him for the first time, waiting for me at the end of the aisle. It’s a difficult moment to describe, but when you see forever waiting for you it is overwhelming. In that moment, we held hands. Holding Joeys hands and looking into his eyes was one of the happiest moments in my life.

We finished the ceremony, had our first kiss as Mr. and Mrs! For the first time we were announced as husband and wife! I couldn’t believe it! We had decided early on that we wanted a more intimate to do communion after the ceremony, with only us and the pastor. We felt this was our vow before the Lord. It gave us time to let everything set in and a moment of silence to thank God for all that He has given us.

Not long after our vows and the pictures, the party began! We started our party with an amazing dinner, speeches, dancing, dessert bars, photo booth fun and a late night espresso bar! Before my wedding I was given great advice from my sister-in-law to just enjoy and take in every moment (anticipated or not), because it is over in a blink. I love being a wife and, looking back, would not have changed a thing about our wedding! I am so appreciative to everyone who helped our fairytale wedding play out.

What was your favorite moment from your wedding day? // Walking down the aisle and seeing Joey for the first time. We both felt strongly that we wanted the first time seeing each other to be when I walked down the aisle. And Joey’s only request was that the aisle be long enough for him to take the moment in.

What inspired you while planning your wedding & decor? // I wanted simple timeless elements, lace, pearls, roses, and diamonds combined with the natural rustic elements in the venue.

MY VENDORS:

Venue: Calamigos Ranch, Redwood Room www.calamigos.com // Coordinator: Kylie Raache from Wish Wonder Dream wishwonderdream.com // Photographer: Sun & Sparrow www.sunandsparrow.com // Videographer: Rayne Films www.raynefilms.com // Florals: White House Florals www.whitehouseflower.com // Invitations: William Arthur from Nantucket Press nantucketcrossing.com // Desserts: Vanilla Bakeshop www.vanillabakeshop.com // Wedding Gown Designer: Stella York www.stellasbridal.com // Wedding dress boutique: Bridal Elegance www.bridalelegancesalon.com // Ring: Robbins Brothers, Simon G www.robbinsbrothers.com // Hair & Makeup: Kelly Zhang kellyzhang.com // Bride Shoes: Badgley Mischka www.badgleymischka.com // Groom Suit: Men’s Warehouse www.menswearhouse.com // Groom Details: Rolex // Groom shoes: Magnanni // Bridesmaids dresses: Bari Jay www.barijay.com // Groomsmen suits: Men’s Warehouse www.menswearhouse.com

To see more photography from Calamigos Ranch venues, click on any of the links below.

The Oak Room | The Redwood Room | The Pavillion | The Birchwood Room

Peter & Karen // Beautiful wedding at Calamigos Equestrian

FROM THE BRIDE // There were so many wonderful memories that I have from our wedding day that it’s impossible to pick a favorite! I loved all the moments that Peter and I shared. I’ll never forget Peter’s reaction to seeing me during the first look or the incredible intimacy I felt when he read his vows during our ceremony. Even though we were standing in front of all our friends and family, it felt as though it was just the two of us.

One piece of advice I would give to brides is just go with your gut and don’t second guess yourself when it comes to making decisions. I am such a bargain hunter that even after I bought something, I would still look for a better deal and it just added unnecessary stress. My first decision was almost always the best decision!

Vendors:

Venue: Calamigos Equestrian http://www.calamigosequestrian.com/

Cake: Portos Bakery

Coordinator: JenEvents http://www.jeneventsca.com/

Videography: Royal Films http://royalfilms.net/

DJ: Edge Entertainment http://www.partyontheedge.com/

Florist: Kate Baker Florals
Photobooth: Make it Last Events https://www.makeitlastevents.com/

Hair and Makeup: Cathy Shih http://cathyshih.com/

Wedding Dress: Pebbles Bridal http://www.pebblesbridal.com/

Officiant: Jacob Jurado http://www.jacobmarries.com/

Wedding Favors: Pie Bar http://thepiebarlongbeach.com/

Tags: beautiful, bride, calamigos, calamigos equestrian, groom, horse, photos, ranch

Matt & Gyselle // Fairytale wedding in Malibu Paradise

FROM THE BRIDE // Our wedding was absolutely perfect! It was honestly a fairytale Malibu Hills wedding! We’ve never in our lives been able to truly enjoy living in the moment until our wedding day. The only thing on our minds on this day was the excitement of being with one another forever! We were both truly mesmerized and so in LOVE! Our wedding day was euphoric and full of joy!

Our favorite moment of our wedding day was first laying eyes on one another at the alter. I’ll never forget taking my father’s arm and not realizing how heavy I was breathing until I looked up and saw him, my future husband, standing there in a royal blue suit like my Prince charming. He was waiting so patiently to see me! It was surreal…seeing him immediately calmed me down. Everything around us became a blur and all my attention was focused on him and how he looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes. I can just envision that day, where we were so mesmerized with one another, it was such an amazing and beautiful feeling.

We are the type of people that truly do not like stress and do not mind when someone else takes control, which I know is not easy for many people. Our absolutely amazing Wedding coordinator, Aleta Parrish, and her amazing staff (who also catered our wedding as Choux Choux events) single handedly planned all our wedding from the flowers to the all white dance floor, the string lights, the rustic arch. At our ceremony, she had even planned the alter to look out toward a breathtaking view of the Malibu wine country while an amazing harpist played in the background. Aleta even hired our DJ who was fantastic! The only direction we gave Aleta was the meal plan which we chose from her menu by Choux Choux (which is a farm to table caterer) the appetizers during cocktail hour and the 3 course meal, our guests had the main course option of filet mignon or miso salmon during dinner which was cooked perfectly and delicious! We also gave her a hint on the decor ” All White Wedding”, everything else she did from the napkins to the lace table runners, the gorgeous white flowers and silver ware and plates! Everything about the decor was ALL Aleta! She honestly made our dream wedding come true without barely any direction. Truly amazing!

The best part of planning our wedding was allowing someone else to do it! Like I mentioned earlier Aleta Parrish from Choux Choux is simply spectacular! Tiffani Matsuura from Sun and Sparrow (our wedding photographer) was over and beyond what we expected from a photographer! Like our wedding planner she had amazing calming sweet energy. She made me look like a model! She needed no direction from us at all and had us take so many cute photos in the most adorable poses. She even came out an hour early to scout out the venue and figure out what places were the best photo ops. She was perfect! She truly captured the LOVE in our relationship so elegantly.

Now my absolutely favorite part about planning our wedding was how much time I was able to spend with my mother. Unlike most brides I had the luxury of having my wedding dress designer and hair stylist be my mom! Yes, my mother Elvia Rocha designed, created, and tailored my wedding dress all by hand and did my hair on my wedding day. She is truly an amazing mother. I cannot or will never be able to thank her enough for making me feel so special on that day! My wedding dress stole the show! I felt so beautiful and gorgeous in it! It was so comfortable and fit me perfectly! It was truly a memorable experience, from driving down to the fashion district in LA once a week and picking out my fabrics, to seeing my dress made from start to finish, and watching my mom work day and night hand sewing each flower and Crystal bead. It’s an experience I’ll always treasure and remember. I’m so happy and proud to say that my mother made my wedding dress.

My now husband and I are strong believers of hiring the right people to do the job and let them do what they do best! Sometimes its okay to let someone else take control, especially if you do your research! We can honestly say we definitely hired the right people for the job! We also used our family! Like I mentioned before my mother made and designed my wedding dress and did my hair! My mother’s friend daughter did my make up! My husband’s sister was our minister! We saved so much money utilizing these resources and were able to really go all out on other parts of our wedding like our venue. But having our family help us throughout our wedding really made it extra special and brought us even closer together!

MY VENDORS:

VENUE : Malibu Paradise on Malibu Wine Trail Located in Malibu,CA www.vrbo.com

Wedding Planner/Caterer/Florist/Decorations: Aleta Parrish // Choux Choux www.chouxchouxla.com

DJ: Dominic Miranda, Lead Associate DJ/MC // Who’s That DJ www.whosthatdj.com

Wedding Cake: Jamie Cakes www.jamiecakes.net

Wedding Photographer: Sun and Sparrow www.sunandsparrow.com

Minister // Rachelle Moore

Wedding Dress Designer/Creator/Hair stylist : Elvia Rocha

Wedding Make-up artist: Paola Isabel Paoisabel.mua@gmail.com

Tags: beautiful, bright, calamigos, candid, choux choux, estate wedding, Fairytale wedding in Malibu Paradise, fun, jamie cakes, light, malibu, malibu wine trail, moments, natural, nature, paradise, photogapher, photojournalistic, ranch, smile, soft, wedding, wedding photography, who's that dj

Anthony & Nikki // Whimsical Malibu Calamigos Ranch wedding

FROM THE BRIDE // My vision started with wanting to get married under a Willow tree with twinkle lights and have a romantic feel. So I started my research for a venue with that as the determining factor. I definitely used Pinterest as my research tool with a lot. Pinterest is so convenient and helped me gather pictures of what I wanted to create my wedding board. My wedding venue was at Calamigos Ranch. This property is absolutely beautiful! It has a rustic feel to it but I think with my décor it gave a more romantic/whimsical feel. I also wanted to make sure everything was custom to Anthony and I and to include décor that was meaningful to us. The elements around us when we got married were important. I had a cross custom made that held our unity candle, which represented having God at the center of us. The giveaways for the guest were little succulent plants that I handpicked and my bridal party helped pot each one. We pinned our engagements pictures to show our family and friends romantic moments between Anthony and I. I was beyond excited to see everything come together so nicely.

My favorite moment was really marrying my best friend! Walking down the aisle seeing him, the set up and everyone joined together to watch us was truly a blessing. We flew in my Uncle Sam who is a pastor in Spain to marry us. It was important to have someone marry us that know us and can speak from the heart. All in all I loved my entire wedding. I enjoyed every bit of it from the beginning of the day all the way to the end. (I didn’t want it to end!) I couldn’t have been blessed with better vendors and wedding party.

Photography is important to us because it’s what captures important moments of our special day. Photos are always kept and looked at. They are always shared between family and friends. It takes a talented person to capture emotion and feelings within a picture. I was really particular about choosing a photographer. One of my friends used Sun & Sparrow for the wedding like 4 years ago and I always loved their pictures. So when I was on the hunt Sun & Sparrow was definitely in my top picks. Then I saw their website with all the other engagement/wedding photos and it was instant. I knew they were the one. Plus, when Tiffani and I first spoke we totally vibed and I loved her personality!

One thing that I think would have taken some ease off for me in the planning process was to attend a Bridal expo. I never did and I’m thankful that I pulled it off without going but I definitely think that it’s a great starting step. My favorite tool to use was The Knot app for the checklist feature. Every month it gave me my task to do. Also, when going to other weddings really take a look at the vendors and their work/style. Some of my vendors I already had locked in because I loved their work from my best friend’s wedding. Make sure to also ask around with friends and family. It’s always nice to know of someone who used the vendors before or if they have tips on planning process. It’s a plus hearing other people’s wedding stories. The most important part really is keeping God in the center of it all. Prayer helps with everything and it’s amazing to see how God works in mysterious ways.

My favorite part of being married now is living together! We share our daily lives together now and for the rest of our lives. Making the house have both our personality and look to it. It’s fun being couch potatoes together. I enjoy cooking and he enjoys my cooking..hahaha. It really is just all the little things that I love right now.

Event Coordination:

Dean Bernard Events

deanbernardevents.com

Entertainment:

Isaiah aka DJ icyice

http://icyicemusic.com

icyice@me.com

310-920-4282

Photographer:

Sun & Sparrow, Tiffani Matsuura

https://sunandsparrow.com

Videographer:

Xposure, Xerxes Sangco

http://xposure-films.com

Florist:

Wisteria Grove, Lori

http://www.wisteriagrove.com

Room Block:

Hyatt Westlake Village, Rachel Kramarchuk,

Tags: beautiful, bride, cafe, calamigo, calamigos, calamigos ranch, candid, celebrity wedding photographer, couture, groom, happy couple, important, lace, love, luxurious, luxurious photographers, luxury wedding, malibu, personal, photography, ranch wedding, religious wedding, rustic, sun and sparrow, traditional, wedding photographer, whimsical, Whimsical Malibu Calamigos Ranch wedding

Michael & Katie // Bohemian inspired wedding at Calamigos Ranch

August 9th, 2015… our wedding day.

This day was everything we ever imagined and more, it was filled with smiles, laughter, and overflowing love. Looking back, we wish we had more time and wished things happened in slow motion, we even joke about wanting to do it all over again just minus the 9 months of planning. ADVICE: Live in the moment J

As soon as we got engaged we couldn’t wait to start planning. We had always envisioned a rustic, shabby chic, garden wedding. So next step was to start looking on our Pinterest boards where we had millions of ideas. All we had to do was narrow them down, find our favorites, and either DIY or find a vendor who could replicate that exact look and feel. From shopping locally in the south bay to ordering our incredible flower dresses from our favorite place to travel in Thailand everything came together. ADVICE: At the beginning planning everything will seem overwhelming, but if you take each step together you will start to unveil the dream wedding you always imagined.

Next big hurdle for us was to choose our vendors, which took multiple calls, Skype sessions, and even in person interviews to ensure we all had the same vision. ADVICE: As said by our DJ – Michael “If you are not getting the name on the door (one of the owners), then keep looking.” We can honestly say we couldn’t agree more, which lead us to the best! Between our coordinator/florist (A Touch of Lavender by Cindy Wu), our DJ (Ovation Entertainment by Michael McNeil), our fabulous hair and makeup team (Nicol Makeup Artistry by Kimberley Nicol, w/ Aubrey & Lindsey), and most of all our INCREDIBLE photographers (Sun & Sparrow by Tiffani & Elli). They all truly made our day flawless, beautiful and carefree!

We originally fell in love with Sun and Sparrow when Katie saw photos from her friend Larissa’s wedding on Facebook. The photo was incredible and they truly captured the love they had for each other. Once we met with Tiffani, we immediately knew we had to have them be a large part of our wedding. So we decided to have them shoot our wedding and engagement session. Both of their attention to detail and kindness make you feel like you are the only two people in the room. ADVICE: Taking posed photos is always awkward but not when you are with them. They are both so fun and thoughtful, which helps to ensure no hiccups along the way.

The biggest piece of advice we could give any Bride and Groom would be, DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. All of the work leading up to the wedding, no matter how impossible it seems… it will all work out and be worth it in the end. Don’t loose sight of what your wedding is all about, the celebration of the two of you becoming one. The day is all about you so be selfish and remember it only happens ones. Your wedding day will truly fly by so try and absorb every moment.

Michael – “My favorite part of being married is, the smirk on her face when I call her my wife J”

Katie – “My favorite part of being married is, marrying the man who has the same vision in life as me and makes the best out of any and all situations. I am truly the luckiest girl in the world, I get to live life with my best friend, partner in crime and the man who makes me feel like I am the only woman in the room. Oh, and moving up in the alphabet ;)”

VENDORS // Wedding Dress: Katie May // Earrings: BHLDN // Garter: Etsy // Bride/Flower Girl’s floral wreath’s: A Touch of Lavender // Bride/Groom/Groomsmen Shoes: Steve Madden // Groom’s Tux: Express // Groom’s cuff links: Etsy // Groomsmen Tuxes: Friar Tux // Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN/Jenny Yoo // Flower Girl Dresses: Etsy // Hair & Makeup: Nicol Artistry // Bride & Bridal Party Robes: Etsy // Venue: Calamigos Ranch Malibu – The Oaks Room // Coordinator: A Touch of Lavender – Cindy Wu // Florist: A Touch of Lavender // Photography: Sun & Sparrow Photography // DJ/Entertainment/Lighting: Ovation Entertainment – Michael McNeil // Photobooth: Classy Booths // Wedding Cake: Hansen’s Cakes // Cake Cutting Utensils: BHLDN // Cake Topper: Etsy // Table Runners: Ebay // Hotel : Westlake Village Inn

DIY: Arbor, BAR marquee lights, table numbers, all wood signs, favors, lanterns, fabric curtain, place card doors, cake table décor, and much much more, couldn’t be completed without help from our amazing parents, sister in-law, brother in-law & bridal party.