“Erin is a NFL Network broadcaster who just moved back from San Francisco to LA. She was puppy sitting and her friends invited her and the pup to go to the dog park to play. It just so happened Jonathan was there with his two pups and one of them ran over to Erin and started playing with her. This led Jonathan to walk over and start chatting with Erin. She invited him to join the group. The two hit it off, though Erin wasn’t sure if she was ready to add dating back into the mix since she was still getting settled. They went out on some dates, there was a chemistry and attraction between the two of them, but she still wasn’t sure. Jonathan took her to one of his favorite restaurants in LA and went in for a kiss and she wouldn’t kiss him. When he asked her why she told him he was too young for her. Jonathan looked at her and in that moment was determined to win her heart. The rest is history and they’ll be getting married in Temecula, California this summer. They are a very casual, laid back and stylish couple and their engagements session showcases that. Soft colors with a rustic, natural landscape for their first look and more formal, minimalistic feel still keeping with the rustic theme for their second look.” –Leah Marie Photography

How did you find your photographer?

After weeks and weeks of stalking on Instagram, I found Leah Marie Photography who I absolutely loved. I narrowed the photographers down to two companies and let my fiance make the decision {I mean, he has to have SOME say in the wedding, right?} I was so happy he picked Leah Marie…we both loved their use of color! Their photos feel fresh, classic and still artistic. We have printed so many of our engagement photos and scattered them about our house in cute little white frames. They captured the romance perfectly.

What are you DIY-ing for your wedding?

A really great idea and it’s super cost effective! Do you have any mirrors in your house? We do…and we figured rather than going on Etsy for our welcome sign we figured we would borrow the talents of our friend who has amazing calligraphy skills and create beautiful signage, including our welcome sign on cool, ornate mirrors. Super vintage looking and a great way to save some money! We went on Amazon, bought a stand {they cost maybe $15 to $20} and use a mirror you already have at home to write the details of your wedding like your seating arrangement or dessert table.

We are also forgoing a lighting company and instead using my fiance to hang Edison bulbs throughout the ceiling of the Ponte. I think lighting is so important in setting the ambiance and the romantic mood, but I wasn’t willing to spend and extra $2k on lighting. After a little bit of whining, I finally got my fiance to budge and he is going to hang some string lights before the wedding day with his groomsmen! It will go a long way if you can ask a friend who is handy at stuff like that and you can save some major dinero!

What are you looking forward to the most?

The music! The moment I really fell in love with Jonathan was when I noticed he had the same appreciation for oldies…the greats like Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra and Jackie Wilson as I did. All the music I grew up with my mom listening to — it really stood out to me. So we are going to take our guests and put them in a time capsule. All the music being played will be motown, standards mostly a focus on 50’s and 60’s music. A particularly revolutionary time in terms of pop music, as it saw the evolution of rock. In the early-1960s, rock and roll in its purest form was gradually overtaken by pop rock, beat, psychedelic rock, blues rock and folk rock. You should see our playlist from Creedance Clearwater Revival to Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin and the Beach Boys. I’m hoping it makes our wedding different and on top of that, you wont want to get off the dance floor! -Erin, the Bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Leah Marie Photography