Deep within the rolling green hills and majestic oak trees of Santa Margarita, lies a gorgeous wedding venue called Riata Ranch. This is where Bri and Ryan decided to tie the knot during the the most romantic time of day - golden hour. The incredibly talented San Luis Obispo photographers Poppy and Vine captured all of the splendid moments, and I was able to hear their perspective of the day.
Keep scrolling to see the stunning event and the intricate details told by Poppy and Vine!
The Vision
"Bri & Ryan were very straight forward when they initially inquired with us- they wanted photographs that evoked a feeling that the viewer was a fly on the wall taking in all the events and emotions of the day. Our candid photography style lent perfectly to their vision, and we were able to capture their day honestly and without much interference/fabrication of moments on our end."
The Details
"Bri & Ryan are big snowboarders and have spent much of their relationship travelling the world visiting different mountains together. To reflect this, their seating chart was a bunch of ski lift tickets directing guests to corresponding tables named after Bri & Ryan's favorite mountains.
The other detail we were super excited about was the reception space at Riata Ranch. The elevated boho tipis are so unique and unlike any space we've seen at other venues before!"
Memorable Moments
"Once Bri & Ryan reached the end of the aisle at the end of their ceremony, the emotions hit Ryan all at once and he broke down. We were right there to capture this raw, sweet moment which was super special!
During Bri's dad's toast, he recounted the time when he conducted Ryan's secret clearance interview (they both work in the defense industry and Bri's dad just happened to be the one interviewing him). This is a type of interview in which the military essentially learns every detail about someone's life. Bri's dad talked about, upon completing the interview, how he and the other proctor were sobbing, realizing they'd both just met the best man they'd ever known. As fate would have it, years later, Bri's dad would walk his daughter down the aisle to the same man."
How did this wedding differ from any other wedding you've done?
"The setting is so different from the typical oceanfront/ranch/winery venues we typically photograph. From the airstreams on property, to the ceremony space overlooking Santa Margarita Ranch, and of course the tipis, Riata Ranch really sets itself apart in the best way.
ALSO the couple. We really cannot say enough about these two. These two are detail oriented through and through, and made sure to make every part of their day so personal to them and the things they enjoy together. They also made us feel so welcome and part of their group of friends- really just the best clients you could ask for!"
How did the wedding design express the couples love story?
"All of the decor reflected the snowboarding theme- from the seating chart, table names, guest book (their original snowboards). All of it was done in a beautiful, elevated way!"
Were there any challenges you had to overcome on the day of the wedding?
"Personally, I suffered a pretty severe spine injury the weekend before, so this wedding sure was interesting to photograph."
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