This cheerful backyard wedding from Photographed by Chelsea includes vibrant pops of orange and green. From the origami crane backdrop to the piping on the cake, the citrus hues can be found in the smallest detail. I love that Jenn and Mike chose to marry at home; also the site of their proposal! Photographer, Chelsea, shares more:
Jenn & Mike, both school teachers, met through mutual friends. They were quick to fall in love, and together they purchased an adorable house in South Pasadena, L.A. Shortly after, Mike proposed to Jenn by creating a video that documented their relationship, presenting it to her on their new iPad! Their new home provided the perfect setting for their intimate wedding. The girls got ready at the Westin Hotel in Pasadena, which is also where the wedding party & bride/groom portraits were shot. The ceremony & reception took place in their charming backyard, decorated with 1,000 paper cranes handmade by the groom’s mother, burlap table runners, candles, orange & green centerpieces & lanterns strung above the space.
What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?
We had so much help in the planning of our big day. Our Wedding Planner Sue Cook from Sooz events was phenomenal and really worked hard to make sure it all flowed smoothly. We were so fortunate to be able to work with her on such a personal level since she is the mother of my new sister in law. Chelsea was a fantastic photographer and really helped capture the memories and details of the day. She helped put us at ease and really seemed to understand our style and the personal components of the day.
Every part of our wedding had a sentimental component and helped to make the day even more personal. We got married in the backyard of the home that we had purchased in April. When we bought the home we had nothing but dirt in our yard. We worked all summer to landscape the yard so that it would be ready for guests. Mike’s mom handmade over 1000 paper cranes in our colors to not only decorate our wood fence, but bring us good luck as a part of a Japanese tradition. The judge that married us was my soccer coach as a child and a very close family friend.
What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?
My Grandmother was one of the most influential people in my life and although she passed away a few years ago I chose her favorite color, lime green, as one of the main colors for the wedding. We also took our engagement photos on a bench that was dedicated to her in our local park. Gus’s BBQ in South Pasadena was my Grandparents favorite restaurant so it was an easy choice for them to cater our wedding. We loved that they even had small to go boxes with leftovers for the guests to go home with. Our favors were brown butter cookies from the Brown Butter Cookie Company in Cayucus, CA where my family vacationed a few summers ago. We really wanted our guests to enjoy themselves and feel at home. My cousin Rose even created beautiful toiletries baskets for each of our bathrooms.
What was your favorite thing about your wedding?
My favorite part of the day was reading our vows to each other- we chose to write our own and it really made them feel special. I even read mine off of the iPad that Mike used to propose to me!
What is your best piece of advice for other brides?
Our biggest advice for other brides would be to remember that it is only one day out of what will hopefully be a lifetime together so don’t sweat the small things. Enjoy the process of planning and HAVE FUN!
My absolute favorite detail from this wedding would have to be the swoon-worthy orange TOMS. I have major shoe-envy, y’all! I think it was a fabulous way to show their fun personalities, but admittedly, brightly colored kicks are not for everyone. How about you? Would you let your groom and his mates sport non-traditional footwear?
XOXO,
Carlee
Vendors who made it all happen…
Carlee
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Those orange shoes are amazing! Any photographer would fall to their knees for a background like the tiled ones this photographer had the luck to shoot. I’m salivating at the chance right now.
Really lovely wedding and excellent wedding photos. The colorful orange and greens and the vibrant architecture really are stunning.