Jeff & Jamie are married!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

From the moment I met Jeff & Jamie, I was ridiculously excited for their wedding day. There’s just something about these two that really makes them my kind of people. They’re genuine, relaxed and super fun to be around. We just clicked. I’ve really come to love them over these past few months and I’m proud to now call them friends instead of just clients. By the time their wedding was here I couldn’t wait and I genuinely felt more like a guest at their beautiful wedding than any sort of hired help. That’s something that’s so special to me and I look forward to the future of our friendship as well as their marriage. I’m so honored and excited to show these photos!

My beautiful new friend, getting all dolled up. I can’t get over how relaxed everyone was early in the day. It was so mellow, full of mimosas and conversation and all things good. Stress was nowhere to be found. Jamie was ready.

A good friend of Jamie handmade her wedding dress! Can you believe it? It came out beautifully and fit her to a T. It was absolutely perfect for their backyard wedding on a summery day. Every part of it from color to the specific pattern of lace was hand-chosen by Jamie and I love the way it turned out.

I can’t explain quite why I love this next shot, but I do. I just love it.

Something borrowed.

These two opted for a first look at Carbon Canyon park to get some gorgeous photos. Having a backyard wedding is a wonderful thing (I know from experience) but it can be difficult to find great photo spots when the entire area is full of decor for the ceremony and reception. The first look gave them some time to just enjoy some alone time together before all the guests arrived. I’m a lover of the first look! How darn cute is Jamie tapping her man on the shoulder!?! I love her expression so much!

Jeff and Jamie are perfect for each other. You can see it in their eyes, their every move…they just love being together. They have fun, they play and they love each other deeply and whole-heartedly. They see clearly what’s important in life and don’t take the rest too seriously. I love that about them. It’s not easy to be so go-with-the-flow when planning a wedding but these two pulled off their homespun event with absolute grace. Jamie says that her advice to future brides would be, “to remember that a wedding is about the marriage and the uniting of two families, not about the way the napkins are folded or the color of the runners. If you can remember that then everything else seems to fall into place because you are with the people you love, celebrating the greatest love of your life.” I think these photos show just where her focus was.

One of my favorites from the day.

I have a soft-spot for unique bouquets. I loved this wild-flower inspired collection of delphinium, thistle and scabiosa flowers with some spray roses to set Jamie’s apart from the rest. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever see a blue bouquet that worked this well!

The special ladies & gents.

On to the ceremony!

Jamie & Jeff wrote their own vows and I think they were some of my favorites ever. They put so much thought into them, I wish I could articulate what they said, word for word, but I can’t. You’ll just have to trust me that they were amazing. I literally laughed and cried in the span of a moment.

Jamie says that she couldn’t wait to see these photos because it’s the part of the day that she wished she could have slowed down the most. I know the feeling exactly. I never thought I wanted a videographer at my own wedding until the day after when I was trying to relive my vows and the wonderful stories our officiant and friend told. So many wonderful things were said and many were a surprise to me and I wish I had a video of our wedding for that one reason only. After all, this is the most important part of the day.

Love their faces during the exit! Especially the second one of Jamie.

When Jamie & Jeff were first engaged they began planning what Jamie calls, “a gigantic, over the top wedding in Temecula.” After a couple of months they realized that this generic event they were planning wasn’t them at all. They scrapped the whole thing, venue and all, and started anew with a fresh perspective. Wanting a day that focused on the important things like family and friends just being together and having a great time, they opted for a more homey feel of Jamie’s parents’ backyard and just started to incorporate the things they loved. As beautiful as wine country can be, I think this is perfect for them. Jamie calls it, “country chic” but I just think it’s Jamie. I love DIY weddings because they just exude personality and I think everything came together beautifully.

The one major recommendation Jamie gives is to hire a day-of coordinator to pull it all together. Jeff and Jamie enjoyed their wedding day without having to do the work themselves, which is exactly how it should be. I too highly recommend a coordinator especially if you are planning everything else on your own. Nobody should have to run around like a headless chicken on their wedding day. Pay somebody to do that for you and just ENJOY!

Here are some of the fun details from the day.

Instead of a formal dinner, there was a heavy cocktail reception instead. I think there may have been even more food, and it was amazingly delicious. Plus, the guests could all walk around and mingle as they ate which made it a lively atmosphere. Very cool.

I cried for a second time during the toasts. Jamie’s adorable cousin told the best story of how this is actually her 2nd wedding and showed some amazing photos of a teeny tiny little girl Jamie and her make-believe weddings as a kid. Classic. I loved it. Jamie’s dad, Mike, was rocking a flat top and too-short shorts which clearly places the photos in the late eighties. His speech came next and I’m in love with the next shot. Mike is quite the character and his big personality is hard to miss but he was such a proud daddy in these moments and his speech was full of sentiment, laughter and tears.

In addition to the delish comfort food appetizers, all the guests brought different desserts for a homemade dessert bar. Love surely is sweet. Those beautiful cupcakes were incredible!