By listening to a toast during a reception, you can get a pretty good idea about the bride and groom’s personalities, yeah?  Well, with Desiree and Brent’s, you’ve got hysterical laughter, streams of emotion-laced tears, and oodles of tender caring eyes.

Emotional mom's.

That’s just it…  Desiree and Brent make you feel fantastic.  They are absolutely the perfect match for each other, full of passion and humor, and all their family and friends welcome you with open arms.  What’s better?  Watching both of their mom’s swap tears and laughs simultaneously at the reception.

Hailing from Los Angeles, Desiree and Brent were looking for a place that was quiet and meaningful, with an intimate atmosphere and beautiful surroundings.  Enter Cambria, California.  Cambria, the first west coast town that Katherine and I lived in for a year and a half, is basically a Disney movie.  It has year-round Mediterranean temps, deer, skunks, bunnies, butterflies, ocean, fields of tall wispy things, horses, grazing cows, and yes, even a colorful trolley with a smiling frosty-haired driver.  It’s residents enjoy life – taking the time to get ultra fresh veggies from the farmers market every Friday afternoon, defying chain stores and big business with powerful zoning laws, and enjoying the oxygen rich air thrown by all of Cambria’s pine trees.

Desiree and Brent officially tied the knot in the old historic Santa Rosa Chapel.  Built in 1870, it’s one of the oldest churches in the country and is a registered national landmark.  It’s from the yesteryear past of craftsmanship and sits atop a steep hill, without electricity, and glowing with sturdy planks of wood.  There’s also a giant iron bell hanging outside (which they of course put to the test). Official wedding bell maybe?  The entrance door was kept open through the ceremony, to aid the light streaming through the stained glass on the sides. A “promise stone,” was used in the chapel, a tradition brought from Scotland.  This was placed atop a pedestal, where Desiree and Brent laid their hands in commitment to each other.

For the reception, they chose to have it at Indigo Moon, a charming restaurant smack dab in the middle of town.  It boasts an intimate setting, with added grace of ridiculously good food.  Out on the patio in the morning before everyone arrived, Desiree made the space look incredible.  The musicians kept the energy high during the reception, and were handpicked by Desiree and Brent and brought up from the L.A. area.  Acclaimed Cuban singer Candi Sosa performed with noted lustre, and her partner, expert keyboardist Victor Cegarra laid out the perfect up tempo Latin vibe for the wedding reception.

First dance fun at Indigo Moon.

At the end of the night, Desiree and Brent were shining with electricity and love, and ended up giving me one of those nice warm zesty thank you hugs.  I had an amazing time shooting through my old school film cameras, and was thankful for all of the gorgeous qualities of light.  CONGRATULATIONS Desiree and Brent!