Marla and Shawn- what a couple! We had so much fun at their wedding. This was truly a destination wedding. Everyone came to Northern California from Texas and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine of wine country the week before the wedding. Of course, that meant that everyone was in great spirits throughout the day. On top of that, it is clear how perfect Marla and Shawn are for each other. Their day was not only a testament to their love, but also a celebration of family!

When Shawn proposed, he pulled all the stops, recreating their first date in style. Marla was truly surprised, but didn’t hesitate. She answered with a resounding, “Absolutely!” You can just imagine the cheers.

Marla and Shawn chose to get married at Hans Fahden, one of our favorite wine country venues. They had the best weather, perfect temps and clear skies with fun streaks of clouds. The kind of clouds you almost never see in California. Plus Hans Fahden was all abloom with pinks and oranges and whites. The setting was idyllic.

Marla prepped in the bridal suite surrounded by her closest friends, her sister, her mother, and her grandmother. There was lots of laughter, and suprisingly very little nervousness. Marla seemed so calm.

Before the ceremony, we took a few portraits in the gardens. Isn’t she stunning? When I captured this, I was completely entranced by her eyes. No wonder Shawn adores her.

Here’s the 3 generations of ladies. You can totally see the family resemblance in their smiles.

Marla hid up in the bridal room while we captured a few of Shawn with his family. These are his two darling little girls. They were so good throughout the day. And you could tell they completely adore both Marla and Shawn.

The ceremony took place overlooking the pond. With under 80 guests, it was truly intimate. Marla’s dad shared a special reading for them. And other family and friends created the music.

I can’t get over how sweet Shawn is. That smile is for his daughter. Melts my heart.

Another important element of the ceremony was their faith. Their connection to each other is enhanced by their religious beliefs. They definitely found ways to make the ceremony reflect their spirituality.

Marla and Shawn not only care about each other, they care for each other. You can see it in every gesture- a deep tenderness, appreciation, and love.

The final element to their ceremony was a special ritual designed to include Shawn’s two girls. Marla and Shawn presented each girl with a special medallion which symbolized their importance in the family. After the ceremony, we asked the girls to show us their necklaces. The necklace is really beautiful, but I think my favorite part of this image is the nail polish. So precious!

And just to give you a sense of what’s to come. One portrait with Marla and Shawn in the Hans Fahden gardens!

I can’t wait to share more. Not only did they have this amazing wedding day, but we got together with them again after their wedding to do a Newlywed/ Rock the Dress session. So there will be lots more amazing photos to see.