When it comes to couples that totally captivate Lindsay and Joe are as charming as can be, and their big day? It’s somehow even more enthralling. With the talented Anne-Claire Brun Photography behind the lens capturing every mesmerizing moment, we’ve got it all waiting for you to favorite in The Vault!
From Anne-Claire Brun…Last Spring I have shot a wedding in Campovida. I already loved my couple, I had shot their engagement session in Northern California the previous year and it was a lot of fun! I thought it would be a good wedding but I had no idea…
First, the venue was incredible and Lindsay (+ her mom!) did an incredible work with the design! I loved everything about this wedding. The animated getting ready, the emotional first look between Lindsay and her dad, the friendships in the bridal party and with the siblings, the ceremony under the tree, the speeches and the four parents holding hands, how the couple had planned a cake for the groom’s brother as well, because it was also his birthday and finally, everyone having a blast on the dance floor.
I have rarely seen so much love between two families. Between all the guests. It was truly different, the way that everyone interacted with me, the way they talked, laughed and danced…
I always say that I shoot weddings because it’s wonderful to be surrounded by so much love and happiness but it’s rare for it to be this much. I feel honored to have been the witness of such a pure moment and I am grateful that I came across so much love. It was humbling and amazing.
From The Bride…Joe and I went to high school together, but were just friends back then. It wasn’t until many years later, when we both found ourselves living in San Francisco, when we reunited. A mutual friend was in town, which brought us together one night, and there was an undeniable chemistry between us. We hung out long after the rest of the group had left, talking for hours and learning about each other like it was the first time we were meeting. We were together from that moment on!
He completely surprised me by doing his proposal in a way that was actually not so surprising! He had always said he would do it in some very obscure, non-cliché way so that I never saw it coming. But he got down on one knee while we were at the beach at sunset on the first day of our Hawaiian vacation! I never thought he would have done it in such a “what you see in the movies” kind of way, so ironically enough, it ended up being the perfect way to completely catch me off guard!
We are so lucky to have so many amazing family members who were so supportive and helpful throughout the process. If it wasn’t for our amazing Moms and Dad’s, we would not have had the final product that we did! We spent what we thought at the time was way too long choosing each vendor, but it turns out that was the best thing we could have done! We ended up with an amazing group of wedding vendors who made the whole experience so enjoyable. Our wedding planner, Courtney Cargile, made us feel so at ease in the months leading up to the wedding. Since we had so many of our family members contributing in various ways, and so many little DIY projects throughout the process, our biggest concern had always been whether everything would come together in the end. She really took charge and went above and beyond to make it sure that it did!
Joe and I tend to have eclectic taste – we appreciate both a classic/refined, and a modern/funky aesthetic, so it made it hard to decide on which direction to go with our wedding look. We took our time brainstorming and exploring different ideas and venues, but once we found Campovida, our vision totally fell into place. Campovida is centered around sustainability and nature: “we are obsessed with all things rooted in real – not tinkered or changed for the sake of fitting in.” (in their own words from their Website). We kept this as our mantra to create a simple, yet elegant wedding that would accentuate the beautiful gardens and unique grounds there. We worked with an amazing local florist who uses only local and sustainable florals and materials. We accented the flowers and greenery with simple gold and natural wood touches, and kept the frills to a minimum, focusing on details that had real meaning and purpose. My Mom and Dad were amazing and surprised us with even more DIY touches that we didn’t know about – a custom “We Did!” sign for our dinner chairs, beautiful signs and hanging golden spheres to deck out our dessert table, and beautiful gold candlelit lanterns hanging above the head table. It all came together even better than I had imagined it!
My favorite moment of the day was the ceremony. We chose not to have a first look, so standing at the altar was the first time we had seen each other that day. I had been so nervous about being in front of so many people with everybody’s eyes on us. But it turned out to be an oddly serene and calming moment knowing we had so many loving friends and family members together in one place to support us. It was an amazing feeling to finally be saying our vows – something we had been looking forward to for so long! We couldn’t have imagined the ceremony being any more wonderful – it was the perfect, peaceful way to kick off the rest of the evening!
An advice for future brides and groom would be to try to simplify wherever possible. Wedding planning can spiral out of control if you let it. Don’t get caught up in what you ‘should’ do – stay true to yourselves and remember how you feel as a guest at a wedding and what you do and don’t notice. Another big piece of advice I’d give is to not focus as much on how you want things to look, as much as how you want to feel and how your guests to feel throughout each part of the wedding.
Photography: Anne-Claire Brun Photography | Event Design: The Bride and the Bride’s Mother | Event Planning: Courtney Cargile | Floral Design: The Monkey Flower Group | Wedding Dress: WTOO Watters | Cake: Schat's Bakery Cafe | Stationery: Minted | Jewelry: Kate Spade | Hair + Makeup: Bay Area Beautiful | DJ: AMS Entertainment | Favors: Chocolate dipped cookies made by our Moms and Sisters | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Officiant: Thomas Lengyel, Groom’s Cousin | Venue: Campovida | Napkins: The Knot | Signage: Bride's Sister
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