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…

There are many many parts of Carrie & Matt’s day that stole my heart.

There was the warm & homey Senshin Temple, where they had an intimate Japanese Buddhist ceremony set against a breathtakingly ornate altar.
There were the elegantly clean & modern chrysanthemum arrangements & bouquets.
Then there were the millions of white pom-poms, lovingly created by hand and strung above the courtyard for the reception. {I could have seriously spent all day just photographing those alone – it was such a simple concept, yet resulted in some of the most amazing reception decor I’ve seen!}
And then – then there was the In N Out truck they brought in, wafting delicious smells across the entire temple & resulting in happy tummies among all the guests. (And photographers.)

But the kicker, the big thing that made their day so special & pulled so earnestly at my heartstrings, was Carrie & Matt themselves and the amazing, genuine, uplifting love they share. I truly believe that somehow, someway, I have completely lucked out and get to work with some of the kindest & sweetest couples that walk this earth, and it brings me so much joy to see these coules on one of their happiest days, having found the one person that truly completes them. Carrie & Matt of course were no exception, and it was truly inspiring watching how happy they are together.

Do enjoy the photos of the poofs, and the burgers, and the flowers, but ultimately I hope these images reflect the love that filled every moment of this special day :)

Loved this moment post-ceremony – Carrie & Matt embraced right after their exit and held each other for a few minutes… even as guests were exiting and milling around the area. It was such a sweet intimate moment…

Love these mixed CDs Carrie & Matt made as fun & personalized favors!

The paper lanterns below all had unique designs created by Carrie’s friend!

The day after new years, I headed to my first wedding of 2010. It was the perfect way to start off the year (and coincidentally spend my big 2-7!) — despite rainy weather the week before, the sun smiled down all day and Erika and Stephen held a perfectly cozy and lively occasion. There was a warm & laidback joy that filled the day, the kind that makes for my absolute favorite kind of wedding and had us leaving at the end all smiles!

An exciting bonus: their reception was held at the Inn of the Seventh Ray, a whimsical and rustic venue I’ve been aching to shoot at ever since I first came across it on the interwebs. By day it is a restaurant, tucked away in the woodsy hills of Topanga Canyon {how awesome is Topanga Canyon by the way? you’re just driving along the mountain and then BAM! a surprise magical little community} It features refreshing outdoor dining under trees and along a babbling brook, and that day it served as the perfect backdrop for their casual cocktail reception. When I met with Erika she explained how she loved how the backdrop in itself provided so many details – fun chandeliers, flowering shrubs, dainty vases with a single rose.

The afternoon consisted of lots of dancing, happy conversations around lovely white tables, and laughter & toasts in the prettiest natural surroundings. Erika & Stephen – thank you so much for allowing us to share in your beautiful new years wedding!

Loved the bouquets, which were created by Sada’s Flowers, just a hop away from our home in Culver City! I adore bouquets that add in textural non-floral elements like berries, pods, twigs… makes for such an organic and beautiful arrangement:

These amazing cupcakes were all lovingly baked by Erika’s friend, April of Eat Pretty Cake!

The white-framed photo is of Erika’s grandparents on their wedding day {pictured to the right}. Her grandmother fondly explained to me that it rained that day and was drizzling as they got into the car – I love how you can see the excitement in their faces! And of course all the photos made me wonder if one day Erika & Stephen’s would be lined up at their own grandchildren’s wedding :)