serendipity garden / oak glenn wedding photographer / jen + arthur
What an honor is was to shoot Jen's wedding. Not only is she the best wedding planner in the industry but she has also become a dear friend. Her company is called Campfire Events and I've worked with her on a handful of weddings and styled shoot. She always does the most amazing job so I had no doubt that the Campfire team would pull off a flawless wedding. Her fairytale wedding came to life and I'm so excited to share this wedding with you. Vendors: Venue: Serendipity Garden / Planner: Campfire Events / DJ and MC: Musical Phunktions Kevin DJ Kevro / Florist: Giah Event Studio / Lion Dancers: Ane Thanh Lion Dancer / Hair + Makeup: Phamous Beauty / Bakery: Michelle's Bakery
Words from Jen:
Describe your love story. Our love story started with a handwritten note on the back of a receipt in a restaurant and a lunch date that turned into much more than either of us could have imagined. Upon each meeting, we found out little things that drew ourselves to one another. Whether it was our love for swing dancing, art, cooking, theater, or maybe even his dog Dawson, we shared it all. Our love moved quickly but easily and was fueled by corny jokes, sour Haribo gummy bears, great food, laughter and adventure. Seven years later, Arthur proposed on a duffy boat where we shared one of our first dates. Unbeknownst to me, he gathered 60 of our friends and family to celebrate our engagement just moments after the proposal. Tucked away in a ballroom with front row seats to witness this moment against a cotton candy sunset sky, they cheered and awaited the next surprise as we walked towards their ballroom door. There were a lot of happy tears that day and I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. After that, we started to plan our big day! As a wedding planner, what was it like planning your own wedding? What was it like being on the other side? It was exciting and very humbling. As any bride, I went through the highs and the lows (with pints of ice cream) when you have to pick what you can and can’t have on your wedding day and after looking at the sheer cost it takes to have a memorable wedding day. Nevertheless, it all worked out, as it always does, and it was nice to know that my methodology and advice was tried and true. I wanted to see if I took my own advice, which I did. I promised I wouldn’t be the bride with an ear piece in her ear throughout the day, which I wasn’t. At the end of the day, I had a fabulous time at my wedding, but I excited to be back behind the scenes making magic happen for others. How would you describe the style of your wedding? What was your vision and how did you see it though? The vision was of a wedding that was outdoorsy and adventurous and we made it a point to incorporate our traditional Chinese culture with modern elements of design. Our colors were mustard, blush, midnight navy and dusty rose. Florals were very organic vs structured and this movement was carried over through the use of driftwood. We wanted guests to feel like they were far enough from the city to check out of daily life and be present to take in the beautiful mountain view with nature all around them. We carried this theme through our décor and even our wedding favors that were made by Wilderess, an amazing candle company in Long Beach owned by a good friend from high school. These candles burned around our wedding and each of our guests took home their own so they could reminisce on this beautiful experience.
One of the most memorable traditional elements we incorporated were lion dancers at our wedding and they were a huge hit for all of our guests. We were so fortunately to have such a talented team of vendors to help bring this all together. What top 3 advice would you give your brides? 1. Find moments to breathe throughout the day with the love of your life. This helps you soak in special moments before the day passes by. 2. Avoid having too many cooks in the kitchen so you can stay true to your vision. 3. Budgeting isn’t always easy but it’s so essential to work out early on and keep track of it throughout the process. What are the upcoming trends for 2019 Lettering and calligraphy is going to stay a hot trend as we find ways to continue to personalize and bring this craft into weddings. Geometric elements are going to stay. I think that dark colors will rise with moody notes, dark cakes with contrasting designs. Lastly, Vellum, vellum, vellum!! I’m obsessed with this new trend and can’t wait to see how couples creatively integrate this.
