A Real Couple’s Dream Wedding Сame to Life in a Californian Editorial Shoot

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Location: Ojai, California, USA
Setting: Villa
Wedding season: Summer
Number of guests: 24
Wedding theme/style: Spanish, elegant, modern.

Sadie and Tyler married during the chaos and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented them from having a wedding celebration. Finally, when they could have this celebration, it was an intimate yet epic affair. Inspired by a Spanish sunset, their wedding combined traditional European elegance with a modern feel.

Zha Zha Liang‘s work highlights the unique story of the couple with elegance and authenticity. Her photos of this wedding are captivating with a balanced color palette and rich orange tones that evoke the taste of summer. Her technical expertise shines through in the meticulous composition and lighting of her images. The warmth radiating from her photos creates a welcoming atmosphere.

Sadie and Tyler’s celebration took place in a private Spanish-style villa nestled on 40 acres of private citrus orchards and vineyards overlooking the entire Ojai California Valley. The colors of the surrounding lemon and orange orchards, terra-cotta tile roof, and adobe accents perfectly fit with the color scheme of their day and perfectly reflected the Spanish vibe. “For Spaniards, orange blossoms represent joy and happiness for the newly married couple.” told Zha Zha Liang.

Sadie absolutely glowed in her newly released Spring 2023 “Gianna” Monique Lhuillier Bride gown. Her cathedral-length, intricately laced veil added the perfect hint of Spanish heritage, giving a slight mantilla veil vibe without being cliché or over-the-top. Adding to the luxury Spanish feel, her hair was kept in a low side bun with a beautiful, blooming peony accent flower.

The groom and his best man wore matching classic black suits by Friar Tux with bow-tie and necktie. They started the day with a glass of whiskey and friendly laughs.

Sadie and Tyler took a walk around the villa’s grounds for their first look. The picturesque Californian setting and unique charm of the venue made this moment unforgettable for the couple. “It was my favourite day together.” shared Tyler.

The ceremony was held in an open-air setting, framed by the rolling Ojai hills. The couple exchanged vows beneath an arch decorated with peach and cream roses. The guests threw petals up in the air as Sadie and Tyler walked down the aisle.

Vibrant sunset colors were woven throughout their wedding and floral design, perfectly matching their venue’s Spanish architecture and surrounding orchards. “Similar to the sunset itself, the reception tablescape had a soft ombre effect. Shades of citrus yellow on the end of the table slowly and naturally moved to terracotta pinks, dusty peaches, and finally burnt sienna oranges cascading to the other end of the table.” Zha Zha Liang told.

Modern onyx flatware, black shantung napkins, and an intricate black design on the 18th-century plates created a beautiful black contrast to the sunset-colored floral. The intricate camille-etched glassware mirrored the plates’ old-world elegance.

For the reception, Sadie changed out of her gown into a beautiful Sareh Khajehnouri dress with a modern Hi-low hemline.

Just as the sunset turns its surroundings to dark shadows, accent hues of black were used in this design to juxtapose and bring out the vibrancy of the sunset colors. Zha Zha Liang shared: “Black is also a common color for catholic Spanish brides, signifying the bride’s commitment and devotion to her groom “until death do us part.”

After the traditional cake cutting, the couple filled the champagne tower and celebrated this beautiful day with all the attendants.