What a day! With rain in the forecast we were able to just miss the down pour and experience one of the most beautiful ceremony locations in San Diego. Sammy and Lindsey said their I do’s in front of family and friends in Mission Valley with an incredibly decorated arbor as their back drop. Heres a recap from their wedding day.

Thoughts from the bride & groom

Q: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?

A: Since we planned to have a pretty small wedding, we wanted the theme to be simple, but elegant and romantic. We were really inspired by the color palette, which was blush, dusty rose, mauve, and silver. I never pictured myself having a "pink" wedding, but all the colors just complimented each other so well and looked sooo beautiful, especially for spring! We incorporated a planting ceremony, which I think perfectly symbolized our two lives joining together as one and how our roots will continue to grow as we do.

Q: Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

A: Most of the decor was DIY actually! My mom was the mastermind behind all of the decor and she did such an amazing job!! Me and my mom had so much fun working on all the crafts together, but doing it yourself can definitely be hard work! I think it's super rewarding though once everything finally comes together and looks amazing! It was really important to us to keep the romantic/elegant theme consistent, so we incorporated the beautiful blush tones all throughout the ceremony and reception spaces, a lot of personalized elements, and a little glitter too, because who doesn't love some sparkle? I think everything turned out absolutely perfect and I want to thank my mom and dad for their huge contribution to creating such a magical day!

Q: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?

A: Tre Fiori Floral Studio did an absolutely amazing job at portraying our theme with the bouquets, centerpieces, and arch! The arch was decorated with beautiful florals, greenery, and crystals hanging with rose buds interwoven. My bridal bouquet was seriously stunning, and was even more perfect than I ever could have imagined! The floral arrangements played a huge part in conveying the romance of our wedding and made it so much more beautiful!

Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

A: One thing that was really special about our wedding was that Sammy's Uncle Tony officiated our ceremony. It meant a lot to both of us that he was able to make our ceremony personal and intimate. I think one of my favorite parts of the wedding was the dancing! When I was putting the song lists together, I got really excited about dancing to some of our favorite music with all our friends and family. Jim from Sure Shot Entertainment did such a great  job at getting all the guests on the dance floor and having a blast! This might sound crazy, but another one of my favorite things that happened was that it rained!! It started to rain during cocktail hour while me and Sammy were taking our bride and groom photos, and I will never forget how it felt. I have always heard that rain on your wedding day was good luck, but I never believed it until it happened to me. It reminded me to never take life too seriously because sometimes you just need to dance in the rain with the person you love. Plus, we got some super cute photos with umbrellas!

Q: Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.

A: I always knew I wanted to feel like Cinderella on my wedding day with a big, fluffy ballgown, but after trying on a good number of wedding dresses and liking so many different styles, I actually became quite confused. When I tried on "the dress" I actually didn't get "that feeling" right away. After I had initially decided it wasn't the dress for me, my mom and the consultant started looking for other dresses for me to try on, but with the dress still on, I found myself dancing around the room. The more I looked at myself in the mirror with that dress on, the more I fell in love with it. The intricate lace detailing on top with the perfect amount of sparkle, and the beautifully layered ballgown skirt just fit me and my personality flawlessly. It truly made me feel like a princess. Originally, we were going to have Sammy and his groomsmen in blue, but after shopping around for tuxedos and looking over our color palette some more, we chose to have them in black. Sammy looked so great in a classic black tux, white shirt, and skinny black tie, it seemed like it was meant to be. To incorporate the color palette the bridesmaids were wearing (blush, mauve, and dusty rose), we had the groomsman wear blush bowties, which ended up looking so great!  Everything really came together so well and looked beautiful!

Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

A: Me and Sammy met in high school math class. I was a junior and he was a senior. We were really close friends before we finally became officially boyfriend and girlfriend in October 2012, my senior year of high school. Sammy proposed in Mammoth on December 20, 2017. He planned to propose on the peak of the mountain, but unfortunately due to high wind, the gondola to the top of the mountain was closed... He ended up proposing in such a sweet and intimate way once we got back to the room. He hugged me, told me how great of a day we had, and told me how much he loved me. He then got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I was in complete shock. I just remember immediately crying, putting my hands on my face, and repeating "oh my gosh, is this real?" I love surprises, and I have to say that was the absolute best surprise ever. Of course I said yes, and the rest is history :)

Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

A: Since we didn't do a first look, the most anticipated moment was seeing each other for the first time at the end of the aisle. Sammy's reaction to seeing me was absolutely adorable. He was so emotional I think he had everyone else crying with him. I have never felt happier in my life than in that 30 second walk down the aisle to my future husband,  on my (also crying) Father's arm. That moment was more perfect than I ever could have imagined.

Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?

A: My advice for planning a wedding would be to give yourself enough time to plan! Getting everything done ahead of time makes it so much easier to focus on and actually enjoy the fact that you're getting married, instead of being stressed out with planning things last minute. Also, learn to let things go. Everything is not going to be perfect, so living in the moment and overlooking little things that may go wrong, will allow you to enjoy your day so much more!!

It was so awesome to be a part of Sammy and Lindsey’s wedding day. We started with details at the hotel just down the street in Mission Valley before heading to the venue. The style and overall vibe of their day was incredible and made it such a fun time to capture.

About us: We are San Diego wedding photographers, based in La Jolla California. If you are searching for a local wedding photographer in the area we would love the chance to get to meet and hear about your wedding plans! From destination weddings in the mountains to small intimate back yard weddings we love the diversity that photographing weddings has to offer. This career has led us to meeting so many amazing people and excited to meet so many more!