I feel like this wedding was such a perfect blend of elegant + casual, with a brilliant dash of east coast charm thrown in {carried over by Dana & Brandon from NYC}. And the Hartley Botanica? With its lush gardens, sun-dappled lawns, quiet tucked-away location, it has officially been added to my list of super-duper-swoonworthy venues. I seriously fell in love with the location just from the ceremony area alone!

And while pretty green willows, cute jam favors, and whimsical bouquets all can add to the loveliness of a day, none of it quite compares to the emotion. The laughter, the tears, the love in this wedding was what really made the photos :)

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!