Vassoula & Hany had a beautiful Greek wedding last month, filled with warmth, love, and tons of vibrant energy! A traditional ceremony was followed by the ultimate party of a reception, filled with stunning details (I was mesmerized by the unique centerpieces.. and Sprinkles cupcakes? YES PLEASE.), touching toasts, and tons & tons of dancing!

One of my absolute favorite parts of every wedding day is the getting-ready portion – I love capturing all the sweet details & the bustling pre-ceremony anticipation! Vassoula looked unbelievable and with the amazing light that filled her home, I was in shutter-happy heaven :)

The reception setup was gorgeous, a mix of round & long tables, tons of glowing candles & the prettiest shades of purples and blues…

When I first met with Angela & John {over mile-high pastrami sandwiches at Jerry’s Famous Deli, my kind of couple!}, they shared about their wedding, but also extensively about their families. I got such a strong sense of how important their families were to them and what a vital role they would be playing in the wedding.

But what I discovered on their wedding day was even more wonderful – that they were close with their families yes, but also that the two families seemed to be so close to each other. I spotted their mothers laughing together and walking arm in arm, I saw the sweet friendship between Angela’s brother and John’s son, observed the fun interaction between everyone on the dance floor. A wedding day, just as it joins people, most definitely joins families, but I seriously felt as if everyone there was already one big happy wonderful family – tears and hugs and laughs were shared freely among everyone and it was amazing to witness.

I know Angela poured her heart and soul into planning this wedding and it unfolded perfectly. It definitely couldn’t hurt that it all started off with the loveliest pair of shoes…

I think my heart skipped 2 beats when I saw her bouquet, pale pink peonies are one of my favorites…

For their first dance, John surprised Angela with a live song performed by their friends. Her reaction was perfect!

I love how John’s son came over and sat on Angela’s lap during the slideshow. So sweet:

Fact: I take the phrase “The Happiest Place on Earth” not as a slogan, but as the cold hard truth (second only to “wherever there are cupcakes”, but that would make an awkward amusement park theme). And I could argue the Disneyland skeptics til the end of time – that singing animatronic pirates and pastel-colored rides and bundles of balloons and yummy turkey legs (and snow at Christmastime, snow!) outweigh the crowded, expensive side of things. So I was more than a bit excited for Van & Hai’s engagement session at Disneyland! We traveled from land to land and I got to photograph an amazingly happy couple in a fantastically happy place.

I would say that the positive vibes of Disneyland are infectious and therefore brought joy into the photos, but the truth is that it was the other way around – Van and Hai are some of the sweetest, warmest people I have ever met and they bring the happy with them wherever they go :) I feel truly blessed to have met them and loved photographing them in a place that holds some of their favorite memories!

I really love the soft pastel colors we found in this little corner:

Really adored Van’s stylish outfits!

I leave you with a quick shot Hai took of Van & I. I generally like to stay on the other side of the lens, but when Hai asked to snap one of us together, I couldn’t miss an opportunity to pose with such a sweet client-turned-friend! :)