Every so often, you wake up and you find out you’re just in the mood for a really sweet, sunny day California wedding that makes your heart actually start to sing… right? Just me? Either way, if you woke up in the mood to get down with a whole lotta love this morning, you are in LUCK. When I spied this wedding on the Instagram account of photographer Jessamyn Harris a few weeks ago, I knew it was something APW needed:
Rich and Denny had a beautiful wedding in Berkeley, California. These two share a tremendous amount of love and kindness, which touched every part of the wedding. It’s funny, because in a lot of ways they seem so different—one is more outgoing and always working to make people smile, the other is reserved and exudes calm and quiet—but their qualities complement each other so perfectly, it made my heart glow. Even at our initial meeting, I easily picked up on how they defer to each other in tiny, beautiful ways.
This sweet, beautiful vibe extended into every part of the wedding:
Rich made sure to check in with Denny whenever he wasn’t sure Denny had had a chance to give input, and Denny obviously adored Rich’s exuberance and big personality. They just complement each other perfectly, each man’s energy balancing the other’s, and it was a delight to capture that in the photos. They absolutely radiate love for each other, and their community was thrilled to celebrate them.
The wedding was also visually and aesthetically goooorgeous, and for good reason:
The florals featured greenery (before it was Pantone’s color of the year!), including ferns at each table setting. There were white bouquets, with some pops of red and more ferns and greenery, incorporated into the ceremony site at the UC Botanical Gardens, a small amphitheater in a redwood grove. There was a lovely string quartet playing, while Rich’s sisters and their close friends stood up with them, a friend officiated, and Rich and Denny walked each other up the aisle to get married. After the ceremony, there was a reception at the beautiful Berkeley City Club, which was designed by the famous architect Julia Morgan. Cocktails were served on the patio terrace and in the library, which has antique velvet sofas and chairs, and which was decorated with more beautiful flowers, glass bell jars and vases, and candles. The cake also echoed the fern/greenery theme, as did the invitations and stationery, which were decorated with watercolor ferns and branches. There was a candy bar and lots of joyful dancing.
Rich and Denny also worked with an excellent team who helped make the event look exactly how they wanted it do—not too feminine for two grooms, but definitely romantic, and sweet. Decor and design was by A Monique Affair, and Laura Miller Design brought her own magic to the florals. And best of all? The love that Rich and Denny share impacted everyone, including photographer Jessamyn Harris:
It was a delight to photograph all of those elements, and I loved seeing how Chanda [A Monique Affair] and Laura [Laura Miller Design] incorporated the grooms’ input—was a great reminder that the best wedding designs come when a client provides inspiration, and then lets get, and trusts us wedding professionals to do our job, which these grooms totally did! Especially now, it was such a gift for me to get to photograph this beautiful couple, whose differences pull them closer together. Their wedding was full of love, joy, hope, and care.
