Calamigos Ranch Wedding at the Redwood Room
Redwood Room Wedding at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu
When Matt and Kristen reached out to me to photograph their wedding at the Redwood Room at Calamigos Ranch, I knew I was in for a treat. You see, I've worked at Calamigos Ranch before and fell in love with the dense oak trees and twinkle lights that cover the property. It's one of the most romantic wedding venues in the area, especially in the evening when the twinkle lights illuminate the grounds. The wedding venue is tucked in the Malibu Hills, right outside of Los Angeles- a treat for those looking to escape the city for an outdoor wedding.
But it wasn't until I finally got to meet the bride and groom at their engagement session in Venice Beach, that the excitement really kicked in. It was clear to see that these two are madly in love. Their chemistry is undeniable and they are most certainly giddy for one another. As a wedding photographer, I couldn't ask for anything better. It's couples like these that you don't have to give much direction, because they are so comfortable around one another, and capturing their love is simple because it pours out of them with every glance. I love this because I'm able to truly capture couples like this as they are. A simple "lean towards her ear and tell her how beautiful she is", is all it takes to make Kristen break out that award-winning smile.
One of my favorite moments of this wedding at the Redwood Room was the bride and groom's first look. The moment had finally come for Matt and Kristen to see each other in a private setting right before their wedding ceremony. Emotions were at an all time high and Matt had to catch his breath because he could not contain all of the love in his heart for Kristen. It was enough to bring tears to my eyes from behind the camera. You can't "pose" moments like this. But you'll have to read on to see the photos from the first look...
How he asked...
From the groom: "Kristen and I met at a party at her house our freshmen year of college. We were both dating other people at the time but we were definitely checking each other out... haha. I wanted to make the wedding proposal really special for Kristen. She had never been out of the country before so I invited her on a trip to Italy with my family. Our first night in Rome I took her on a night walk to the Trevi fountain. The fountain looked beautiful in the moonlight and a light rain fell from the sky. I told her to turn her back to the fountain, close her eyes, make a wish, and throw the coin over her shoulder into the fountain. She followed my instructions unsuspectingly and when she opened her eyes I was waiting on my knee to propose. I told her that it was always going to be her and that I knew it from the moment we went on our first date. After lots of tears she finally said yes and we kissed in the rain."
Choosing The Wedding Venue
When I asked the bride and groom how they chose the Redwood Room at Calamigos Ranch as their wedding venue, Matt told me, "We had heard about Calamigos Ranch from various people and decided to start our wedding venue search there. When we saw it in person we instantly fell in love with it and booked our date the same day." Sounds like destiny if you ask me. When you know, you know!
What Inspired your Wedding
The groom says, "Our wedding was inspired by Colorado and the beautiful mountains and trees. When we visited Calamigos Ranch we definitely got a Colorado vibe and fell in love with the outdoor wedding venue. Kristen loves classic styles so we tried to incorporate classic elements with the rustic aesthetic of the wedding venue."
Tell me about the Honeymoon!...
From the groom: "For our honeymoon I got to take Kristen out of the country for a second time, to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas! It was the end of the tourist season there so it felt like we had the resort all to ourselves which made it even more romantic. Our favorite part of the trip was a powerboat excursion that took us to a private island where we fed iguanas and stingrays, and snorkeled with sharks. We both wished that day would never end."
Favorite Moment of your Wedding Day...
From the groom: "Our favorite moment of the wedding was just after the ceremony when the guests cleared out and we went back up to the alter to soak in everything that had just happened. We danced under the stars and got to enjoy the beautiful venue one last time before the reception started."
All photos were captured by Malibu Wedding Photographer Lovisa Photo. To see more, check out this Walnut Grove wedding in Moorpark and this wedding at Colony 29 in Palm Springs.
Thank you to the following wedding vendors
Wedding Venue: The Redwood Room at Calamigos Ranch
Photographer: Lovisa Photo
Planning: DB Creativity
Florist:
Live Band: Crowd Theory Band
Event Lighting: Pacific Event Lighting
Dessert: The Donuttery and Urban Espresso
Rentals: Pretty Vintage Rentals
Hair and Makeup: Diana Campos
Videographer: BGS Productions
Bride's Dress: Alfred Angelo
Bride's Shoes: Badgeley Mischka
Groom's Attire:
Bridesmaid Dresses:
