Mai & John were married last month in beautiful Dana Point. For most weddings, we do portraits at the venue, but we were lucky enough to squeeze some time into the schedule to visit one of my favorite rustic backdrops in the OC! Mai & John (and their super fun bridal party) were so laidback and wonderful and we loved photographing their intimate wedding!

It was an extra fun weekend, since we were working two back-to-back weddings with the superwoman Uyen of Sassy Girl Weddings. We all soaked in Mai & John’s amazing day and then woke up the next morning to hang out all over again! :)

I love the moment right after the bride & groom recess and exit, when the wedding party & the guests are all still inside… such a sweet intimate moment:

Love the whimsical details & the subtle bird theme…

I find that when a bride and groom are amazingly sweet and awesome, they have most likely filled their life with similar people. Tina is lively and brimming with an amazing energy; Sam has a calm & wonderfully mellow demeanor – but they share the same qualities of warmth, of compassion, of exuding happy, positive vibes. And as I discovered at their wedding, they are surrounded by family and friends who all share such qualities, and it resulted in a beautiful day with all the best components – warm hugs, bursts of laugther, heartfelt speeches, crazy dancing – all moments that make for the very best photos!

Tina is an event planner for Panda Restaurant Group and with her experience, I knew the day would be executed with the utmost finesse and thoughtfulness. They chose a venue that reflected their modern aesthetic and then draped it in details that made me swoon. There was a subtle bird theme that filled the day which I absolutely loved!

And of course there was a huge emphasis on the food (read: my kind of wedding!), catered by Panda Restaurant Group Catering Team which included everything from sweet potato fries, to prime rib, plus the addition of a few “bars”, namely of the sushi, candy, and gelato varieties. See them in all their glory below!

Tina and Sam – thank you so much for entrusting us to capture your phenomenal day! Around every corner was a beautiful moment and a lovely detail, and we could not be more honored to have shared in the day with you!

I loved the sweet moments of Tina and her mother walking hand in hand down the aisle, and the group hug that ensued at the end:

The light during the ceremony was phenomenal:

At the cocktail hour, I came across a boy with a Rubik’s cube – he solved it in front of my very eyes in a matter of seconds!

Tina’s friends Amanda of Fresh Events Company (who I always LOVE working with!) & Alicia of Alicia K Designs helped coordinate all the details of the ceremony and reception:

The candy station!

The sushi bar!

And last, but certainly not least, the gelato corner!

Tina and Sam also had a photobooth with a neighboring crafting station. It was a total hit and guests returned multiple times to take more pictures and make more pages!

Tunes were provided by Jason with 11H Entertainment – he’s always engaging and fun!