The Club at Pasadera | Katelyn & Ryan

Katelyn and Ryan are so easy to root for, and their wedding day had that same warm, happy energy from start to finish. They packed the day with the people they love, a whole lot of laughter, and the most gorgeous Monterey light, and I loved every single minute of it.

The morning started slow and sweet, the girls in matching pale blue robes out on the lawn under the oaks, popping champagne and soaking up the sun. Then came the quiet, emotional part, Katelyn stepping into her dress with her mom right there beside her to help.

While the bride got ready, Ryan and the guys kept things easy in their classic black tuxedos, cufflinks and bow ties and all. Katelyn's palette was soft and timeless, blush and ivory garden roses spilling over with so much greenery, and her bouquet was an absolute stunner against her sleek satin gown.

Then came the first look, and Ryan completely lost it, the sweetest happy tears the second he turned around. The two of them just held onto each other and laughed, and you could feel how much they adore one another.

Before the ceremony they took a few private minutes to read letters to each other, tucked into one of the estate's golden archways. There were more than a few tears and a whole lot of laughing, and it was such a tender little pocket of the day.

The Club at Pasadera is a private Spanish-style estate set into the hills above Monterey, all ivy-draped walls and manicured greens with the Santa Lucia Mountains rolling out behind it. For the ceremony, a soft blush-draped arch framed the doorway, lined with garden roses, and a string trio played as everyone gathered.

Katelyn and Ryan exchanged their vows out on the stone courtyard surrounded by ivy and greenery, with plenty of happy tears and laughter, and then sealed it with a kiss and walked back up the aisle as a married couple.

Their wedding party was such a fun crew, the bridesmaids in deep emerald green and the guys sharp in black tuxedos, and we gathered everyone against those gorgeous archways and ivy walls for portraits.

As the light started to turn gold, we stole the two of them away, first to the estate's grand wooden gate where a bagpiper played, and then out onto the green for a few quiet portraits as the sun dipped behind the hills.

The reception details were so pretty, a tiered white cake trimmed with blush blooms and greenery, long tables dressed in soft linens with gold flatware, candlelight, and roses everywhere you looked.

Then the celebration really took off, a bagpiper leading the grand entrance, heartfelt toasts, a first dance under twinkle lights, and a dance floor that stayed packed all night long with a live saxophone in the mix.

Katelyn and Ryan, thank you for letting me be part of such a joyful, love-filled day. The Club at Pasadera was the perfect backdrop, but it was the two of you and your people who made it unforgettable.

The Dream Team

• Venue & Catering: The Club at Pasadera
• Planning & Coordination: Sealed With A Kiss Events
• Photography: De Joy Photography
• Florals: Gavita Flora
• DJ & Entertainment: Dart DJ
• Videography: Estrella Films Monterey
• Desserts: Freedom Bakery
• Rentals: Chic Event Rentals
• Hair & Makeup: Blush Monterey
• Paper Goods & Signage: Heart Paper Soul
• Bridal Boutique: Epiphany Boutique