You may remember this incredibly stunning couple from their epic engagement session which I blogged {HERE}…

John and Kelly prove that love, in its finest form, appears effortless. Infatuating. All-encompassing.

When chaos surrounds you, true love has the indescribable power to calm you. John and Kelly prove that point to the highest degree. Every time I am around them, no matter what surrounds them, their eyes interlock and sheer delight crosses their faces. Their love proves what weddings are all about…. love.

xoxo,
SAW

Check out more favorites from their day in a slideshow {HERE}….

True story: They left their heart in San Francisco.

xoxo,
SAW

They met on a blind date. I know you may be thinking, “How on earth is that possible, blind dates never work out!” And in a sense, you would still be correct.

You see Hayden was on a blind date….. it just wasn’t with Julie. Thousands of miles away from their homeland of Australia in the concrete jungle of New York City, fate played a funny joke. Hayden and Julie were at a bar celebrating “Australia Day”, and Hayden could not seem to keep tabs on his date. Julie, being the captivating and charismatic individual that she undeniably is, attempted to ignore the soft spoken and gentlemanly Hayden.

For a matter of moments.

As luck would have it, enjoying all that “Australia Day” has to offer turned out to be a lifetime reward. Hayden and Julie are two of the most delightful individuals on the face of this planet. And I feel qualified to say that since they are basically the international couple of intrigue. Hayden is one of the kindest, most genuine people who has the capacity to instantaneously put you at ease. Julie is a spunky, lighthearted lover of food and giggling, which undoubtedly makes her the perfect match for Hayden. They truly compliment one another in a way that is difficult to articulate in a way that fully conveys how perfect they are for one another.

They met and live in New York City, and since they have family and friends scattered around the entire globe, they decided to have a destination wedding at Solage in Calistoga. The day was sunny and 70 degrees…. the California weather welcomed them with open arms. The day revolved around amazing meals, company, and scenery.

It is very rare that I second guess anything about my own wedding, but literally Hayden and Julie did EVERYTHING right. Making sure the day was entirely and uniquely theirs, they centered the day around the celebration of love, family… and food. They are two of the most laid back individuals and opted to not have formal portraits taken. They wanted the day to unfold naturally and to cherish every moment they had with their loved ones that had traversed the globe to witness their union. I was able to sneak them away for about 5 minutes of casual photos that I think was well worth it.

The day was perfectly executed by Sarah Pease of “Brilliant Event Planning”. I fully admit I’ve had a girl crush on Sarah since seeing her work as the “Proposal Planner” via Good Morning America. Julie was lucky enough to have gotten the benefit of Sarah’s skills for Hayden’s epic propsal as well. Let’s just say, redonkulous. Read about it on Sarah’s blog[here]!

To Hayden and Julie, thank you from the bottom of my heart for including me in your big day. You two are so incredibly fabulous. Here’s to a lifetime of love, nuzzling, and countless Australia Days together.

xoxo,
SAW

Photography- What Shanni Saw
Planning- Brilliant Event Planning
Venue and Catering- Solage Calistoga
Florals- Julie Stevens Design
Hair and Makeup- Katie Donaghy of It’s A Date at The Powder Room

Air guitar.
Party Rock Anthem.
“That Guy”
Girl attempting the splits. Foolishly.
Diamond Dave.
SHOTS!
Groom licking Blaine (that’s you, Jake!)
Teach me how to Dougie.
Shanni busting a move.

Dancing is, without a doubt, one of the best parts of weddings. The formalities are done, and you are left with people getting down with their bad selves. Young singles and old couples enmesh in a chaos of sweat, drinks, and good music. And if you just so happen to be lucky enough to be in attendance at a wedding Blaine and I are photographing… you might just become victim to dancing with a funky blonde girl only to have her rip a camera out of who-knows-where to snap a blackmail worthy photo of you!

To all those that got freaky with us in 2011, party on.

xoxo,
Shanni (and Blaine!)