Wedding | Nicole & Sean

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met the weekend I moved to California while volunteering at Mosaic Church located in Hollywood. What started out as friendship quickly grew into a deep love for one another through long morning coffee walks in Santa Monica. 

We knew there was something special after sharing our first kiss on the first day of summer. Just a week later we officially started dating and we quickly knew that we wanted to build our lives together. 

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We wanted a small, intentional wedding in a location that was meaningful to us both. As a wedding photographer myself, I knew getting married at a private estate would make the day feel more intimate. Sean went to college in Ojai and it felt like a beautiful way for us to start something new together in a spot that meant a lot to us both in unique ways. 

How many guests did you have?

35 guests.

What was your budget? 

Our budget grew organically throughout the process but we knew in the end we wanted our guests to have the best experience celebrating throughout the weekend with us. 

Tell us about your outfits.

Sean wore a custom suit from Suit Supply with styling help from our talented friend Reginald Holliday. Reginald has been working in fashion for years and knew we would love his unique eye and perspective. Sean chose a double-breasted suit with a looser fit pant to give his look a timeless, but modern style. For his footwear, he choose an Aime Leon Dore loafer. I love the bow tie he choose, it was an oversized satin style that pulled the whole look together. 

As a wedding photographer, I wanted to find a dress that felt unique to me and my style, and that I had not shot at someone else’s wedding. I chose a ballgown style dress designed by Jenny Yoo that was exactly what I envisioned. My veil was custom made by A Stitch in Time, a Brentwood boutique.  I finished my look with with Tiffany & Co. pearl earrings. gifted to me by Sean and my grandmother’s vintage diamond bracelet. 

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

Choosing the right vendors for our day. We really wanted vendors that were experts at their craft and also felt like extensions of our intimate guest list. 

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Having our reception feel like an intimate dinner party was important to us and something we wanted our guests to experience. Our venue had an iconic location on the side of the property with romantic steps through an orchard that led guests to the dinner. Our guests could not see the table from above, so it was fun to have the element of surprise as they discovered a single long table set for them. 

For photography I wanted to incorporate both digital and film. I love the look of film and the feeling it evokes. Some of my favorite moments were on film and were captured by our wonderful photographer and friend Nikki Strekowski. Since receiving our gallery, it has encouraged me to incorporate film more in my own work for my couples. 

Any tips for couples getting married?

Be present. Trust your vendors. Savor every single moment of the day! 

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Since most of our guests were coming from out of state we wanted to create a weekend full of events and activities to ensure everyone felt seen and taken care of. Our wedding planner Janna Takeyama was a huge help in coordinating to make our weekend exactly what we envisioned. 

When it came to choosing our vendors for the day, I knew I wanted friends from the industry who I have worked with to be part of the day to make our day the most meaningful. The most important vendors for us were our photographer and videographer, who are our dear friends. Not only do I love working with Nikki Strekowski,our photographer, and Eric our videographer from Sabrina Ryan, they are just the best people. On a day like your wedding, you only want to be surrounded by the people that help you feel your best. 

With the help of our families, vendors and incredible planner, we were able to pull together a wedding that felt extremely personal yet elevated in a place we will forever cherish. 

Photographer: Nikki Strekowski Photo @nikkistrekowski_photo | Planning: Takeyama Events  @takeyamaevents | Flora: Ojala Floral @ojalafloral | Videographer: Sabrina Ryan @sabrinaryan | Ceremony & Reception Location: Private Estate Ojai, California | Celebrant: Carlos Pimentel @iam.carlospimentel | Hire: Rental Avenue Events @rentalavenue | HMUA: Lisa Chamberlain Beauty @lisachamberlainbeauty | Catering & Beverages: Slate Catering @slatecatering | Cake: The Dutchess Ojai  @thedutchessojai | Stationery: Minted Weddings @minted | Entertainment: Second Song @secondsong_official | Dress: Jenny Yoo @jennyyoonyc | Suit: Suit Supply @suitsupply | Veil: Custom | Watch: Vintage Omega Seamaster @omega | Shoes: (Sean) Aime Leon Dore & (Nicole) Jeffrey Campbell @aimeleondore @jeffreycampbell | Jewellery: Tiffany & Co. @tiffanyandco