A Lovely Backyard Wedding and Reception – Brittany & Adam

Anna Mae Lam Photography Vintage Backyard Wedding

Brittany and Adam recently got married in an intimate backyard wedding with their closest family, friends and loved ones.  With the high cost of weddings nowadays, I’ve always dreamed of having a small casual wedding right in my backyard, so I was thrilled to find out that their wedding was just that.  They started out the day with a ceremony at Brittany’s aunt’s house followed by a reception on Adam’s very own back patio.  Even though it was a super casual event, Brittany did an excellent job with the details.  Her wedding was every bit as classy and elegant as a wedding held at a fancy reception hall.  Here are some highlights from their special day.

Anna Mae Lam Photography Vintage Backyard Wedding

I’ve said it before but I just love taking pictures of the bride getting ready.  Isn’t Brittany so pretty?

While I was with the girls before the ceremony, Shawn went downstairs to capture some shots of the boys doing their thing.  Thanks for being an awesome second shooter Shawn!

Isn’t this the perfect setting for a sweet backyard ceremony?

Anna Mae Lam Photography Vintage Backyard Wedding

After the ceremony, we headed to a nearby park to take bridal party portraits.  Here is another gorgeous image that Shawn captured.  I love his style and composition, and feel so lucky to be able to share this photography journey with him.

The reception took place at Adam’s home where he grew up.  His backyard was also transformed into a dreamy area with twinkling lights, vintage details, and home-style food.

Does anyone else love details as much as I do?  Brittany did a fantastic job personalizing her wedding with these do-it-yourself projects.  I loved the chalk boards that were used as signs, and the fact that Brittany and Adam even had a s’mores station complete with graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows!

Perhaps the highlight of the reception for Shawn and me was the food!  Guests dined on tacos from a taco cart with rice, beans, chips and salsa on the side.  Those tacos were so delicious – they rank up there with some of the best reception food I’ve ever tasted.

Delicious homemade cupcakes were also served with a traditional cake.

Besides cake cutting, there wasn’t anything else planned for the reception.  No first dance, no speeches, no bouquet toss, etc.  The evening was spent chatting with guests and truly enjoying their company as Brittany and Adam celebrated their marriage.  I think that is a great idea for any wedding.  There wasn’t any stress, time line to follow, or structured evening.  It was the epitome of a laid back, simple backyard wedding.  I’ve never been this relaxed at a wedding before!  Here are some candid moments from the rest of the evening.  These images tell such a great story about their special day.

Doesn’t their wedding feel like a fairy tale?  I was so sad to see it end but I love looking at these images because it brings back a lot of good memories and fun times.  I hope Brittany and Adam feel the same way too.:)

Los Angeles Engagement Photography – Tara & Ben

Tara & Ben are so in love.  She’s been out of the country for the last year so they’ve been doing the long distance relationship thing.  I can’t imagine being away from Shawn for that long so I give them lots of kudos for sticking it through.  It still makes me feel all warm inside when I hear sweet love stories like theirs.  I am such a hopeless romantic.  Anyhow, back to Tara and Ben.  She just got back into town a few weeks ago so it wasn’t a surprise when they couldn’t keep their hands off each other during our engagement session!  I am not complaining either.  That only made our photos even better.  They are getting married in a couple of weeks and I am so thrilled to be covering their wedding.  I absolutely love these photos because we got to experiment with night shots in downtown Los Angeles.  I love how passionate and bold each of the images are.

Laguna Beach & Orange County Engagement Photography – Taryn & Thomas

Taryn and Thomas came all the way down from Las Vegas to do their engagement session with me!   Okay, just kidding.  Not really.  They were town to visit relatives but they found me on a last minute whim and decided to do an impromptu photo shoot.  Taryn grew up in Vegas so she definitely wanted to do something away from the city and close to the beach (one of her favorite places).  So we met in Laguna and had a lovely evening strolling along the coast and enjoying a gorgeous Orange County sunset.  Thanks for choosing me among the many talented So. Cal photogs Taryn and Thomas!   Shawn and I had an awesome time with the both of you.

Los Angeles Engagement Photography – Jelene & Rey

Isn’t Jelene’s smile absolutely brilliant?  I love looking at these photos because her smile is contagious.  She had no problem making Rey light up for the camera.  I truly enjoyed hanging out with the two of them and Shawn at Union Station and downtown Los Angeles.  Jelene is so sweet and charming, and Rey reminds of a smooth cool cat.  How did I get so lucky having the opportunity to photograph all of these amazing couples?!   I am definitely looking forward to covering their upcoming wedding next month.

Santa Monica Pier Trash the Dress Session – Laura & Brad

I don’t get to do much of these “after” sessions but I really do enjoy them (also known as “trash the dress” shoots) because it gives the bride and groom another opportunity to don their wedding attire one last time to capture images that were missed or not taken during the wedding day.  Laura and Brad recently got together with me at Santa Monica Pier to do just that.  There was no pressure of an actual wedding day and we had a ton of fun eating cotton candy, riding the ferris wheel, and sinking our toes into the warm sand.  I am so glad Laura chose the pier for the session because Brad’s hot pink tie and Laura’s bright bouquet perfectly complemented the festive carnival backdrop.