Jul 12 min read

Bright and Magical West Coast Wedding: Raigan and Kyle

Spring in wine country was the perfect backdrop for this California wedding this March. Kyle's parents hosted the wedding and reception at their dreamy home overlooking the valley of Murrieta, California. There were blue-tinted Santa Rosa mountains in the distance and palm trees overhead. It was a "pinch me - I'm dreaming" kind of wedding. Although rain threatened to change the timeline, the clouds thankfully gave way to sunshine and blue skies (after I whispered a few prayers of course).

A Little Backstory: I've known Raigan since she was 14. She called my studio and asked if she could job shadow me for a day. That day turned into me hiring her to hold reflectors, package prints and whatever else I needed help with. I was so impressed with her maturity and her confidence, especially at such a young age. Since then, I've celebrated her graduation from high school, photographed sessions for her mom and their family and then again celebrated with them when her son Salim was born. We've stayed connected. When she reached out to me and asked if I would photograph her wedding it was such a huge honor and it meant so much to be the one documenting the day.

During the infancy of the planning process, Raigan sent me a mood board full of the vibe, her ideas and vision. These ideas were marvelously transformed into a colorful palette featuring pinks, oranges, blues and yellows by the killer florist Tre Fiori Floral Studio and her stunning dress from Vows Bridal was a gorgeous centerpiece. Autumn Gosejohn did a lovely job on Raigan's hair and makeup. It even transformed from ceremony to reception in style. Kyle and his groomsmen were calm and collected in their suits with floral ties and pocket squares. They all looked exceptional and I know it was quite the weekend spent with so many of his family members and childhood friends.

The cocktail hour was located in the beautiful front drive of the house and featured wine, a cute vintage phone for leaving the couple messages, hors d'oeuvres, and photos from the engagement session by yours truly. As guests mingled, the backyard was transformed into a California dreamscape complete with twinkly lights, tea lights dancing on the surface of the pool, the Santa Rosa mountains in the distance, the perfect music by DJ Rick Winters, the best mojitos I've ever had and a taco bar to die for. This was a dreamy California wedding.