California Redwoods Winter Wedding

Rachel and Alex wanted to bring a little bit of childhood whimsy to their wedding, so they translated their love of camp into a sophisticated day amidst the California Redwoods with friends and family. Emily Blake was there to capture all of our favorite elements of their day, including the hanging wreath — perfect for any holiday ceremony!

From the bride, Rachel: Our inspiration came from wanting to have a fun and meaningful celebration with our friends and families. We both loved camp growing up and we thought the California Redwoods would be the perfect place to celebrate with our loved ones. People flew in from all over the world and we wanted to be able to maximize our time with them. Guests arrived on Friday to a welcome BBQ, followed by a camp fire sing-a-long. Saturday morning was filled with camp activities including archery, tie dye, swimming, and mole hole. A good-bye brunch was held the following day and many of our friends told us how sad they were to leave, they got the ol’ camp time blues saying goodbye to all their new friends.

My favorite memory from the day was Watching Alex tear up as he read his vows to me, and bouncing down the aisle with him after the ceremony to our friends playing an amazing acoustic rendition of “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall & Oates.

See Also

A Bold Berry-Colored Vallejo Wedding

Any advice for brides planning their wedding now? Find amazing photographers! I found Emily Blake during an exhaustive wedding blog search. This was the 2nd thing I did after we secured the venue and get engagement photos as well. Our wedding came together thanks to our amazing and talented friends and family, we were so lucky to have so many of them help us create a beautiful wedding weekend.

Wedding Music:
Ceremony: Prelude Canon D
Processional: Alex is first generation Swedish American so I walked down the isle to a Swedish Wedding March interlude; The Weather by Built to Spill
Recessional: “You Make My Dreams Come True,” Hall and Oates
First Dance: “Hungry Eyes,” Eric Carmen

Wedding Location: Boulder Creek, CA / Wedding Photographer: Emily Blake / Wedding Venue: YMCA Camp Campbell / Wedding Dress: Rachel Zoe “Amelie Godet Gown” via Shopbop / Bride’s Sweater: Anthropologie / Wedding Shoes: Nine West and Dolce Vita / Bride’s Necklace: Gilt Jewelry / Hair and Makeup: Belle by Marine / Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss / Groom’s Tie: J. Crew / Groomsmen’s Attire: American Apparel (shirts), Zara (pants), The Tie Bar (bow ties) / Wedding Cake: Miette / Ceremony Music: The Northern Key / DJ: Russ Blackmar / Officiant: Bride’s stepfather / Photobooth: A Photobooth Event / Videographer: Karim Amara