I remember meeting with Mio & Dave for coffee on a cozy winter evening in Brentwood. It wasn’t our first time meeting – her sister-in-law (hi Joyce!) is one of my closest friends and Mio and I were bridesmaids together in Joyce’s wedding. Knowing how awesome Mio & Dave are, I walked into the meeting with all my mental fingers crossed – as they described their dreamy venue {Ponte Winery in Temecula} and vision for the day {an elegant “French country” theme}, I crossed my fingers a little tighter, when she expressed that her mom would be doing the flowers and that the wedding would be a labor of love, I was practically bouncing off the cafe walls in hopes they would book me.

At the end of the meeting, Mio and Dave smiled widely and finally exclaimed, “okay the meeting was just a formality, we knew we wanted to book you from the beginning!” Insert lots of laughter and cheering and happy coffee toasting :)

Their wedding truly was as lovely as they described to me. Mio & her mother worked closely to pull together the rustic theme with bird cages, mossy letters, and opulent florals. They utilized a red and green color scheme that was impressively non-Christmas-y (which I love – you can see another geniusly executed red-and-green wedding here!). They incorporated cultural traditions (like a sake ceremony), but also threw in their own traditions, like having a pie bar (PIE! BAR! THAT’S A BAR OF PIES!) in lieu of traditional wedding cake.

It was a beautiful day and I felt so honored to be there to document it!

{ Thank you to Elizabeth Anne Designs for featuring this wedding! }

It’s so exciting that a quiet little venue like this, placed just off a windy, tree-lined road, was just 15 minutes away from the bustle of the the surrounding cities. Karen and her bridesmaids got ready in the cottage that greeted you upon entering, their laughs echoing against the hardwood floors and gracefully papered walls. There was a sweet first look, there were pretty paper parasols, touches of autumn, an intimate ceremony, a cozy reception.

And the color! The vibrant yellows & reds – I really love how Karen took a super unique {and seemingly difficult} color theme, and executed it in a way that was romantic, soft, classy. It was such an honor to photograph this beautiful day!

Thank you to Alice Hu for shooting with me that day! :)

I’d like to say, for the record, that Tiffany and Jeremy have been dating for ten wonderful years. But in every little moment together – the way they look at each other, the way they kiss, the way they laugh together – it’s like that exciting beginning butterflies/honeymoon/giddiness phase never left. I think it’s a wonderful thing to settle into comfortableness, the feeling of warmth, of quiet, of home. But it’s also a pretty amazing thing to see a couple who has spent so much time together be so enamored, so inspired by their love for each other, that they seem to see each other in every moment as if it’s the very first time.

The last time I was at Fogarty was in the fall {you can see that lovely wedding here!}, and it was fun to see the contrast between the bright golden leaves I had seen then and the pretty green vines that greeted us this time. I so love the rustic feel of vineyard weddings & Fogarty was such the perfect backdrop for Tiffany & Jeremy’s day! :)

Special thanks to William Kim for coming along & shooting with me!

Tiffany read a sweet poem to her mother before the ceremony, thanking her for all her years of love & support – it was such a touching moment –