“April and Craig were guests at two weddings that I was the photographer for this last year. After they picked their wedding venue, we met together and they decided to also have me as their photographer! We discussed their engagement session, and it came up that April had a horse. I grew up owning a horse as well, and we discussed the idea of having her horse involved in the photo shoot. We set it up for a few months later, and planned on a simple shoot with them and her horse at a winery by her house. The day before her photo shoot, the forecast was 100% rain in the area we were to go to with the horse. Not wanting to brave the weather we decided to do a city photo shoot without the horse, and try for another engagement session in the Spring! As Spring rolled around, I discussed the idea of involving other vendors, and turning this second engagement session into a styled engagement. Ashley with First Pick Planning, was the first vendor I broached the subject with, and she was immediately on board. We began to brainstorm and plan, and turned the originally simple shoot into a dream engagement come true! We had vendors jump on board as we explained our vision of a whimsical setting with our couple and their horse. The colors we chose were greens, purples, and pinks to make a beautiful pastel palette. We brainstormed dress styles, wanting a beautiful flowing look to add an airy effect to our shoot. Ashley was able to partner with Bella Bridesmaids to give us several amazing options to work with. Nella Terra Cellars also came on board as our venue, and their setting of the lush green hills, colorful flowers, and charming lakeside was the perfect fit for our vision! As the day came to be, our team came together to make the engagement session come to life. It proved to be the windiest day that I had ever worked with, but the wind added in its own romance as it caught the flow of April’s dress and caused it to dance behind her. They would walk hand in hand over the lush hilltops with her horse trailing behind her, stopping only to steal a kiss…it looked like a picture out of a story book! The day ended with a gorgeous sunset casting it’s golden light over the rolling green hills, and April and Craig cuddled together under its fiery glow. They say that good things are worth waiting for, and I believe that this session was worth the wait! April and Craig were able to have their dream engagement session with her horse, and for all of us involved it was indeed a dream come true.” – Larissa Bahr Photography
How did you find your photographer?
Larissa was the photographer of two of my bridesmaids weddings last year. It’s always been the same group of girls so it just wouldn’t be complete without Larissa around to photograph my day as well! Not to mention she’s extremely talented :)
What are you DIY-ing for your wedding?
Etsy has been a big inspiration because I always come across ideas I’ve liked and realized I can easily make the same thing myself! We are DIY’ing our wedding favors, centerpieces, table settings and more. Even our guest book will consist of wine corks that we’ve been saving and collecting for 3 years. We are also staining and using our own wine barrels as cocktail tables and putting together our own customized cigar bar, set-up on an old door and 2 barrels.
What are you looking forward to the most?
We are getting married at the Oceano Hotel and Spa in Half Moon Bay, CA. Our ceremony is outside, across from the harbor and when we visited I absolutely loved being able to hear the fog horns and am excited for the character that this will add to our wedding.
The two wedding projects that I am most excited about are our wedding favors and table seating chart. My fiance and I are very into coffee {we have quite a collection of appliances and coffee beans} and have a tradition of making and having “gourmet” espresso drinks together every morning. So when I came across coffee beans wrapped in paper lunch sacks printed with a quote I fell in love with on Etsy, I knew that was easily something we could do ourselves. I was having a hard time deciding how to do the table seating chart until I saw a picture of a huge ornate gold mirror that had been used to write the seating chart with white chalk paint. I immediately knew that recreating this would be amazing outside the reception building which is a stone, iron and wood rustic building complete with a patio fireplace! -April, the bride
Event Credits
Photographer: Larissa Bahr Photography // Shoot Location: Nella Terra Cellars // Engagement Ring: Shane Co. // Bride's Attire: Bella Bridesmaids // Make-up: Makeovers by Asma // Groom's Attire: Handsome Mensware // Design + Decor: The Test of Time Rentals // Florist: Enchantment Floral // Event Planner: First Pick Planning // Calligrapher: JBG Designs // Bakery: U Had Me At Cake
