More Amanda, Kelly, and fantastic pink blooms to come.

Colleen & Keean were married at the beautiful Occidental College, the very location where their relationship began and grew. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we are ridiculously lucky to work with couples who are so in love… because with all the kissing & the smiling & the laughing & the tears, the photos desperately want to make themselves :)

The warm summer day was accented with the juiciest {quite literally} color palette.. bright tangerines & greens, with real fruit incorporated into the crisp arrangements. I had seen citrus decor before, but the talented & creative Kim of Art with Nature also incorporated kiwis & grapes for unique centerpieces that quite literally looked good enough to eat. Beware.. these detail shots might just make you crave something delicious & citrusy :)

Thank you to Kim for introducing us to Colleen & Keean, and to the amazing couple for inviting us to photograph their special day!

Such a sweet first look…

LOVE all the lush roses on the cake…

I first met Gina & Chris at Andrea and Taro’s rehearsal dinner. In between capturing shots of the festivities, we chomped on delectable Mexican food and engaged in conversation with our table mates. Gina and Chris sat next to us with their two beautiful children and as dinner progressed, shared a bit with us about their own wedding. “We got married along a windy cliff,” Gina explained. “There were 4 of us {Chris, Gina, her daughter, and the officiant}. It was really cold.. we might have been wearing windbreakers.” Gina laughed as she recalled their casual and intimate ceremony.

Fast forward a month and I opened my inbox to find a note from Gina. She shared with me their wish to renew their vows, this time in a ceremony in front of their closest family and friends. And so, on a very rainy day in December, Scott and I packed up our gear and headed to The Raymond, a lovely cottage-turned-restaurant in Pasadena. With it’s small warm rooms, dark wooden floors, and twinkle lights at every turn, it was THE absolute perfect place to be cozied up on a drizzly evening!

A wedding is a wonderful celebration of a new life together, but the experience that comes from years of marriage, of raising children together, of experiencing the ups & downs – brought a whole other level of emotion to the day. The gratitude and love that flowed through their words during the ceremony was palpable. After the dinner that followed, Chris surprised Gina with a slideshow of photos from her childhood, including those of her father who had passed away earlier this year. This was followed by a “father-daughter” dance that involved Chris lifting up and dancing with their daughter Jade. And just as they ended, Gina slipped off her shoes for her surprise to Chris, an amazing Hawaiian dance with beautiful flowing movements that spoke of her love.

Gina and Chris – thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your beautiful & intimate celebration!

The gorgeous arrangements & bouquets were all done by Gina’s sister. Love the blooms tucked into teapots and sugar bowls! Each table included a photo that spelled out “love” in a different language – simple, creative, and perfect.

The beautiful figurines were gifts given by Chris to Gina on their 1st and 2nd anniversaries: