Malibu Wedding at Calamigos Ranch- Birchwood Room

Calamigos Ranch Wedding - Birchwood Room

Kyle & Bryana are that it-couple. Effortlessly cool, impeccable taste, super down to Earth, and MADLY in love with each other. To top it off, they have the CUTEST puppy named Lumi (who was a flower girl). When they contacted me to photograph their wedding at the Birchwood Room at Calamigos Ranch, we instantly clicked and I knew I was in for a treat. Sure enough, we had the best time eating pizza and drinking wine at their engagement session at Palisades Park.

I’ve photographed several weddings at Calamigos Ranch, but this was my first time at the Birchwood Room. It is tucked away in the back part of Calamigos Ranch, nestled behind winding pathways. But once you find your way to it, you discover a hidden gem. The sun peeks in through the back of the ceremony space, and guests dine on an outdoor deck underneath twinkle lights hanging from towering trees. It was simply gorgeous. But you’ll have to take a look at this beautiful wedding to see for yourself…

How the Bride & Groom met...

From the Bride: We met on Facebook (yep, lol) while living in San Francisco. After he added me, I thought Kyle was a recruiter reaching out about a job I had just applied for and I struck up a conversation trying to get more information. I quickly realized he had other intentions. We ended up getting together for dinner and drinks a few weeks later and right off the bat everything felt so natural and comfortable. We talked for hours at dinner, ended up at a dive bar, and shared our first kiss that night. I remember after our second date Kyle let me know that he wasn’t seeing anyone else and wasn’t planning to and we’ve been pretty much inseparable ever since. That was over 5 years ago.

How did he propose?...

From the Bride: My Grandma passed away last year and we were both really close with her. As her health began to deteriorate and she realized she may not be around to watch us get married, she offered me the wedding ring my Grandpa Russ gave to her - which meant the world to me. I wasn’t sure if Kyle was planning on using it or not.

After she passed my family planned a memorial trip for her to Hawaii, one of her favorite vacation places. One night we planned a sunset toast on the beach with mai tais in her honor where we all went around and shared memories. When it was Kyle’s turn, he got down knee and proposed to me with her ring. You think I would’ve had some idea it was about to happen based on the circumstances - but I was totally oblivious. So shocked I put the ring on my own finger, said, “Thank you” and walked away. That being said, it was such a meaningful, special surprise, surrounded by my whole family.

What was the inspiration behind your wedding day?

From the Bride: When we talked about our wedding day our main goal was to throw an awesome party with all the people we love most. We both don’t like being the center of attention - we wanted to celebrate our love while also celebrating all the people that have been such a huge part of our love story. Focusing on the guest experience was really important to us (food, drinks, music & fun). In terms of wedding style - boho, intimate, and romantic with neutral colors is what we were shooting for. We wanted it to be beautiful and classy, but to still feel down to earth and we wanted to still feel like ourselves.

How did you choose Calamigos Ranch as your wedding venue?

From the Bride: “For our wedding venue, we wanted something outdoors and more rustic feeling - no carpeted hotel ballrooms. After searching all over California (Napa, Santa Barbara, San Diego) we fell in love with The Birchwood Room at Calamigos Ranch the second we saw it. It looked like a treehouse out of a fairytale with all of the lights - the perfect place to throw an intimate party with all of our loved ones. We really wanted a wedding venue where we could keep the music on later than 10pm, that came with rentals & catering, and that was close enough to good hotels while still feeling like a destination - Calamigos Ranch was the perfect wedding venue for us. After we toured they let us know there was one Saturday left in 2019 and we immediately booked it.”

What was your favorite moment of your wedding day?

From the Bride: “Our wedding ceremony. Which was unexpected, because we were uneasy about having all eyes on us. I’ve never felt more in love with Kyle than I did standing up there listening to his vows and saying “I do”. The energy between us was crazy, really unlike any feeling I’ve ever experienced. Belting “Shallow” and late night In-N-Out on the dance floor were close seconds.”

From the Groom: “Seeing Bry for the first time in her dress and seeing her walk down the aisle was my favorite part of our wedding day. Also when our musician surprised us with his version of Ultra Light Beam by Kanye West for the processional.”

What is your favorite thing about each other?

From the Bride: “Kyle is the one person I know I can depend on for anything. He shows me he cares through his actions - opening my car door, hunting down the perfect piece of cheesecake to cure my hangover. He makes me feel so loved and has the biggest heart.”

From the groom: “Bry is the kindest person I have ever met. She is never one to judge and always has an open mind. I love the way she loves me and other people.”

Any advice for brides planning their wedding day?

From the Bride:

If there’s something that you know you want, but are going back and forth about budget on - just do it. This is your day. Don’t regret not upgrading or adding something you love.
Choose wedding vendors that are not only talented at what they do - but that you want to spend your time with! Listen to your gut during those initial consultations.
Prioritize having fun and spending time with your partner. You could spend all night saying hi to your guests if you let yourself, but make sure you get out on the dance floor and enjoy your night!
Your wedding day will fly by - try not to stress and rush things, take a deep breath, and enjoy every moment.