“Ryan and Kate’s wedding was special to me. Not only are Ryan and Kate adorable and have such caring spirits, but Kate’s father was the reason I am now a professional photographer! I attended his photography classes when I was just starting out as a budding photographer and decided to take me under his wing. He taught me everything from camera structure, lighting techniques, and how to capture amazing candid moments. When I heard, years later, that he wanted me to photograph his daughter’s wedding, I was honored! I couldn’t believe that my years of photography had come full-circle to be HIS and his daughter’s photographer. On top of it all, Ryan and Kate were married in the very church that I grew up in. The whole wedding was such a sentimental day that brought back so many lovely memories from my childhood. What an honor it was to photograph Ryan and Kate’s sweet love. This is a wedding day that I will never forget.” –Ellie, Sun and Sparrow

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

We loved having a first look where we got to spend a moment together, just the two of us. It was special to have time together before the ceremony. I will always remember walking up to Ryan and his expression when he turned around. We loved having this time together at the start of our day before the ceremony and celebration began.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

Since most of the wedding planning was done long distance, I was more selective with what DIY projects I took on because I didn’t want to ship things from coast to coast or run out of time. My bridesmaids and I are scattered all across the country and it was special to have their help working on these projects in the days leading up to the wedding when we were all together.

I was able to DIY some of the decorations such as the “R&K” silver letters with flowers, the silver geometrics on the seating card table {which we also used at the rehearsal dinner to give a unified theme to the whole weekend}, the seating cards and display, as well as the cake-shaped card box. One of my bridesmaids hand lettered our “kate & ryan” sign for the reception. I created our guest book from a box that looks like a book so that our guests could write individual notes of encouragement or advice and place them in the “book”. I designed our wedding programs to be in a similar style to my Great Grandmother’s wedding announcement from the 1930’s and used this same style on our guest book note cards to keep a unified feel. My Mom also helped me with all the printed projects, making sure the colors were right and picking the right papers. I am so thankful for all of the help from my Mom and bridesmaids!

Did you have a something old, new, borrowed and blue?

For my wedding attire, my something old is the engagement ring and wedding band which are a family heirloom, my something new was my wedding dress, my something borrowed and the blue were my Grandmother’s handkerchiefs. I wrapped one around the stem of my bouquet to carry with me during the ceremony.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

The best advice I can give, is to do what is right for you and your fiance and your families. There are so many options and opinions, which are good to consider, but it is so helpful if you know yourself and your family and can make choices that fit your situation best. For one example, we had an early morning wedding with a luncheon reception and even though that may not be the “norm” we loved having a daytime wedding with the added perk that we could have the evening to ourselves with a relaxed dinner together as a newly married couple. Enjoy the day as you’ve created it and have fun! – Kate, the bride

Event Credits

Photography: Sun and Sparrow // Ceremony Venue: Rolling Hills Covenant // Reception Venue: Double Tree // Wedding Planner: Canary Events // Florist: Laceroots Floral // Cake: Torrance Bakery // Invitations: Minted // DJ: Night to Remember DJ's // Bridal Dress Boutique: Bella Sera Bridal // Bride's Dress: Essence of Australia // Bride's Shoes: Kate Spade Keds // Bridesmaid's Attire: Azazie // Hair + Make-up: Wild Orchid Hair and Make-up // Groom's Attire: J. Crew // Groom's Shoes: Cole Haan // Groomsmen's Tux: The Black Tux // Groom + Groomsmen's Accessories: The Tie Bar