Moorpark Wedding at The Walnut Grove
Mike & Jessica’s Walnut Grove Wedding at Tierra Rejada Farms
Imagine two of the sweetest, kindest people you’ve ever met… add the cutest kid ever, a gorgeous day in September and one epic wedding day. Yep! Mike & Jessica’s wedding was certainly one for the books. Every detail was planned from the gorgeous flowers, down to the cigar bar that came out after dark. But look past all those pretty little details, and it was not hard to see the IMMENSE amount of love that these two have for each other. The day was filled with so much love, laughter, happy tears and incredible stories from family and friends about Mike & Jessica’s life together.
I always boast that I get to work with the most amazing couples, and this one was no exception. Throughout the entire wedding day, Mike & Jessica reminded me why I love photographing weddings so much. It’s such an honor to capture such special memories for not only the couples but their whole family as well! These two are kind and warm, and I’m so grateful they chose me to photograph their wedding day. Now that I’m done gushing, on to the good stuff!… You’ve GOT to read all about their sweet story and check out the photos from this beautiful wedding at the Walnut Grove in Moorpark…
How the Bride and Groom met…
From the Bride- “We met when we were 21/22 years old through a mutual friend and we went to the Laugh Factory. I thought he was full of himself and he thought the same of me, and in the end, we ended up dating haha! We dated for a while but I was the type of girl that did not want to be held down, and he enjoyed relationships. He gave me the ultimatum and I chose independence. I knew shortly after I had made a major mistake but he was adamant that I chose what I chose and I had to deal with that… rude. He was then in a relationship for 7 years! They broke up.
He called me and I was 3 months pregnant and he STILL wanted to take me out on a date. The rest is history... he has loved me even with my belly, and now our son, Troy, like I never thought anyone could ever love. Our relationship moved fast at first, but because we had dated before we just knew it was a good love, one that would last. He knew I wouldn’t introduce him to my son if I didn't think he could be a great dad, and he knew what being with me meant. :) It makes me happy thinking that someone could love me and accept me with all the “baggage”, and not even view it as baggage.”
How the Groom proposed...
From the Bride- “We took a trip to San Antonio, Texas to visit my dad's side of the family. Mike proposed on a small bridge that went over the Riverwalk. His friend (and his wife) from the Border Patrol lived just a short drive south and they picked us up from the airport to hang with us that day and his wife had the ring the whole time. We stopped to take a photo on the bridge and next thing I knew, Mike was on one knee proposing! I was SO embarrassed because I told him I didn't want to be around a crowd, but of course, he did it anyways!! In the end, the cheers and clapping made it that much more special!”
Wedding Planning Inspiration...
From the Bride- “We wanted a clean, romantic and traditional wedding. One that we could look back on and not be embarrassed by any of our choices! I was adamant that we have a clean color palette and not have “clutter” or anything. We even changed our minds about having greenery down the center of the tables during our wedding reception for that reason.”
How did you choose your The Walnut Grove as your wedding venue?
From the Bride- “We really wanted to get married in Santa Barbara but that was far above our budget. When we found the Walnut Grove in Moorpark it gave off a little bit of that same feeling of Santa Barbara. We were so excited about that! Since we wanted a simplistic feel, we knew that the venue itself had so much character that we didn't have to add much to it to make it the way we wanted.”
Any advice for brides planning their wedding day?
From the Bride- “To remember that you are not like everyone else as far as style and finances, so make it special to you. I wanted all the flowers… but I couldn’t afford all the flowers… so we had to decide early on what meant the most to us and that's where we were willing to splurge. You Erin, we splurged on you ;)”
From the Groom- “Make sure you make time for yourself and your spouse. Jess and I had the opportunity to take a 15 min break… chill out, catch your breath, hold hands, drink and eat something and smile.”
What was your favorite moment of your wedding day?
From the Bride- “One of my favorite moments was dancing with Mike during our first dance. I just kept saying I love you… almost uncontrollably. It was hitting me that he was mine and I was his. His favorite moment was taking the garter off… he said ‘that was fun’. LOL”
What is your favorite thing about each other?
From the Bride- “My favorite thing about Mike is that no matter what, even if he thinks I am wrong, he will always have my back. He won’t let me get away with anything and will end up telling me if I am in the wrong, but he will always take my side and keep me and Troy as his number ones should we ever be in a situation. I never feel alone, he knows what being a better half is.”
From the Groom- “I guess I can do the cliche thing that most couples do regarding their spouses… like standing by their side… because of course, that is true for me as well. She does support me more than anyone I know and I know I can count on her for everything and lean on her for support any chance that I may need it. But, my favorite thing about her … her hair; that thing is a seriously controlled chaos… her uncontrollable love for Troy, which gives me confidence that her love will extend to our future family… her ability to overcome life obstacles that come our way that she, unfortunately, has to tackle herself because I am away for work...and most of all the way she looks at me; because she always looks at me while subconsciously letting me know I will be one with you forever and nothing else matters but us and our family.”
All photos were captured by Moorpark Wedding Photographer Lovisa Photo. If you enjoyed this Wedding at the Walnut Grove, you may also be interested in this Wedding at the Muckenthaler Mansion as well as Brian and Ellen’s Walnut Grove Wedding.
Much thanks to these talented Wedding Vendors:
Wedding Ceremony Venue: St. Mary Magdalen Chapel
Wedding Reception Venue: The Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Farms
Photography: Lovisa Photo
Planning: Mia Bella Weddings & Events
Florist: Flowers by Maria
Hair: The Hair Kraver
Makeup: Melissa Valencia
Invitations: Minted
DJ: DJ Abe
Catering & Cake: Command Performance Catering
Dress: Kay’s Bridal
Groom's Attire: The Black Tux
