{ Thank you to Style Me Pretty for featuring this wedding! You can see the post here! }

When Holly first asked me to be her wedding photographer, I was so so excited, but also a bit nervous – as much as its an amazing honor to shoot the wedding of a) a friend, and b) a fellow photographer!… it’s also all kinds of nerve-wracking. I really wanted to do a stellar job for Holly and Jeff & create the best photos possible making me a bit jittery about it all.. but I found, when I showed up on her wedding day, that with how beautiful and heartfelt everything was? This really wouldn’t be very difficult at all :)

Holly’s wedding planning story is one that warms my heart and that I’m excited to share. Initially, as someone in the wedding industry, she understandably felt some pressure to put together something extravagant, super unique, magazine-worthy, trendy, top-of-the-line. After going through all sorts of venues, rummaging through wedding blog posts, and enduring quite a few stressful weeks she realized – that none of this was what she really wanted. What she really wanted was something true to her & Jeff – that was an extension of who they are and a reflection of what’s in their hearts. And as pretty as huge reception halls and giant flowering centerpieces can be, those things weren’t quite them. So she thought of what they loved to do, a pastime that for years was part of their relationship – which is attending baseball games together – called up Dodger Stadium, and took the planning from there.

So this is the wedding I walked into that day.

A wedding on the 4th of July, at a baseball stadium, during the opening game.
A small ceremony on the sunny Loge Patio, encircled by their closest family and friends.
Casual sweets and hot dogs, cups of ice cold beer, tickets for all their guests to watch the game in lieu of a traditional reception.
Personal vows, and tears, and a very very happy Holly and Jeff.
It was beautiful and perfect and so so them in every way.

This wedding makes my heart happy! I felt it was such a perfect extension of Candice & James’ engagement session – warm, genuine, laidback, and full of down-to-earth love. The LA River & Garden Center, a little surprise oasis hiding in the outskirts of downtown, was an ideal backdrop for their day, providing tons of spots for photos and an intimate gathering for guests. Some things to note – the flowers, which were a beautiful labor of love by Candice’s mom; the cool cameras donned by the {impeccably well-dressed} guests (a Pentax here, an 8mm there!); and the croquembouche! I have always hoped to photograph a wedding that had one of these pretty cakes, and it was lovely, not to mention delicious :)

Another day beautifully coordinated by Sassy Girl Weddings and shot with the help of William Kim!

A vibrant wedding with a whimsical “In the Clouds” theme!

Anita and Eric had an intimate church ceremony in Pasadena, with portraits at the stunning city hall, followed by a lively reception on the rooftop of the minimalist Pasadena Museum of California Art. Billy balls, clouds, bright yellow lanterns perfectly complemented their heavenly theme. This wedding just felt so playful and laidback from beginning to end and I had SO much fun shooting it – which makes sense when you’re working with such a sweet creative couple like Anita & Eric and a killer team of vendors led by none other than Uyen from Sassy Girl Weddings!

And the fun doesn’t end there! Thank you to Wedding Chicks for featuring this wedding on their blog today! The full post here…

Thanks to William Kim for getting these awesome portraits of the guys!