Elegant Backyard Central California Wedding [Jess + Jonathan]
I don’t know why it takes me about three million years to blog weddings. There is zero explanation for this phenomenon… except for the part that (a) it takes a ton of work and (b) I prefer to just upload snippets to Instagram, let’s be honest. BUT there are several weddings in my queue that just are BEGGING to be shared.
So first up: this perfect California spring wedding from last April. As I was culling through images to share, I kept oohing-and-ahhing at just how spectacular this elegant, summery wedding was, and I’m sure you’ll do the same. Jess did most of the work herself… and you definitely won’t believe that when you see how she pulled this masterpiece together. My jaw hurt from dropping so much: the scenery, the weather, the flowers, the details… I’ll shut up now and show you some pictures.
Can you believe how amazing her parents’ backyard is?! Oh yeah. Forgot to mention that. They got married on her parents’ property… where they have an adorable cabin and keep their horses. WHAT IS THIS FAIRYTALE.
This dress is what dreams are made of. I swear. So elegant.
Jess wore her grandmother’s ring during the ceremony… how pretty is this?! Checks almost all the boxes: borrowed, blue, and old. Grandpa did good, didn’t he?
I love how the bride actually drew this art in the cabin: her and her twin brothers.
Sometimes you just need a LOT of help with that veil.
First looks with Dad get me EVERY TIME.
I MEAN…
I love how families always call them “the twins” no matter how grown up they are.
The wind was so helpful that day…
OKAY FAVORITE
Wait… so many favorites.
How breathtaking is this ceremony site?And yes, she made this too.
With wood from her grandparent’s old backyard fence. She told me just today that her grandparents had passed away while she was in high school, and to have that piece of their lives present even though they had passed on was super special. *cue MORE TEARS*
AHHH this aisle. Again… so much fairytale.
ALWAYS one of my favorite shots!
NOW: cue some of the most cutest, bestest wedding portraits I’ve ever shot in my entire life…
THE LIGHT, THE LIGHT!
C. S. Lewis!! <3
I don’t always include detail shots of *everything* at a wedding, but even this typewriter has a story.
It was gifted to Jess and Jon from an older man at their church. His wife had recently passed, and… *okay more tears* THIS typewriter was the very one he’d had overseas during WWII. To write her love letters. *sniff*
Pretty sure she made these, too…
Their table numbers were pictures of themselves at those ages!
Their favors: wildflower seeds.Totally unposed, ahhhhh so cute!
I love how hard both Jon’s grandma and Jess are laughing in this shot. #emotions
Those dad speeches that make you cry…
And they used the special cake knife that her parents used to cut the cake at their own wedding.
AHHWLOJH VLDJKHVLKJDSHFLJHDJKF and other nonsense words
The wedding party wrapped their car in plastic wrap…
And stuffed it FULL (I mean full) to the brim with balloons.
After they dashed away, I sneaked to my car and followed them to this beautiful meadow for MORE portraits!
YASS.
That last-of-the-day California sunset. MMM.
Best of wishes on ALL your adventures, you two!! And… happy almost-first anniversary… (YES that’s how long it took me to blog this, ahhhhhh, but it wasn’t quite a year, so I’m still proud of myself).
