Breathtaking Malibu Calamigos Ranch Wedding | Vivian and Felix

This breathtaking Malibu Calamigos Ranch wedding was everything that I had dreamt of and more. When Vivian and Felix asked me to hop on a plane to come and shoot their wedding in Malibu, I was SO EXCITED. I knew that their special day was going to be absolutely amazing, but I could not have even dreamed of how magical it was actually was going to be.

Malibu Calamigos Ranch Wedding

LOVE STORY DETAILS

Like most love stories, once Vivian and Felix fell in love, they fell hard! They both went to the University of California (Cal). Here’s the catch though, they actually never met until after they graduated! After Felix passed her while she was eating Oysters at a local restaurant, he headed on over and talked with her about some memories he had OF her in passing throughout the years!

Although she was weirded out at first, Vivian finally warmed up to him and the rest went down in history!

You can read more about them and their love story here!

Wedding Details for California Wedding

Bride and Groom at Calamingo Guest Ranch

Groomsmen helping Groom get ready on wedding day

WEDDING DAY DETAILS

The Basics

As I mentioned, the couple flew me into Los Angeles from my home base in the Bay Area. They are actually from my area but were wanting a Malibu wedding. I was happy to oblige, and I am so glad that they trusted me enough to be a part of their special day.

Upon arrival at the Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, I was absolutely blown away. I learned that not only is it almost 90 years old, but it also is the exact same venue that the famous YouTuber, Jenn Im was married at. The Ranch has a little bit of everything with beautiful scenery surrounding it on every side! If I could, I would want to shoot there for every single wedding.

Timeline + Specifics

Typically I make most of the timelines for the brides so that they do not have to spend their day stressing about it. However, Vivian was SO ORGANIZED and made the entire timeline for me.

We started at the Airbnb which was a large house with lots of beautiful spaces for images. Each of the bridesmaids was in charge of providing their own dresses. They were given the color of gold, champagne, and pastel pink! Seeing the different dress choices was probably one of my favorite things! The variety made all of the pictures POP.

Everyone pretty much got ready on time and for that I was thankful.

Once “getting ready” and “bridesmaids” pictures were taken, Vivian and I headed to the Ranch for the first with Felix and her dad. In Asian culture, it is common for fathers not to show emotion, but her dad was so happy, proud, and affectionate. I had to try my hardest not to let any tears escape from my eyes.

Wedding Photographer’s Favorite Parts

As a wedding photographer based out of the Bay Area, I spend a lot of my time at weddings (obviously). I see a lot of different takes on wedding traditions, but I am constantly experiencing things that are such a fun addition to a wedding day.

Here is a list of my favorite things from Vivian and Felix’s wedding

While Vivian walked down the aisle, the guests blew bubbles.
Dream chandeliers and fairy lights gave the most romantic feel during sunset portraits.
They had all-you-can-eat sushi for the reception.
An open bar was provided for all of the guests.
The father-daughter and mother-son dance were combined.

Bride getting makeup done for wedding