An Intimate California Elopement: Sarah + Lou

bride wearing pink cardigan

I’m pretty excited about today’s real wedding feature. It’s of one of the sweetest couples I know – and I feel honored to call them both friends. Today we are sharing the whimsical and ultra romantic elopement of Sarah Yates (photographer + blogger behind A House in the Hills) + her husband Lou Mora (also a talented photographer). Sarah + Lou choose to elope because they wanted to have a really intimate, sweet and romantic wedding day.

A bit about the day from Sarah, “We knew with our personalities planning an elaborate affair (or really ANY affair) we would become easily overwhelmed and potentially lose sight of what was most important to us. After lots of going back and forth, we decided it would be just the two of us, our lovely friends Max + Margaux Wanger, and Brian (aka Sharkpig) to capture it all with Max’s dad Walter acting as our officiant and his mom Kiko as our single guest. We knew that surrounded by just these few people that we love and adore we would feel comfortable enough to stay present during our ceremony, which was so important to us. We also really wanted our ceremony to be outdoors and somewhere that felt a little private. We chose Tree People in Los Angeles for it’s easy access, amazing views and somewhat secluded pathways.

bride

boutonniere

white bouquet


Gorgeous bouquet designed by their close friends at Bash, Please.

bride

bride


Isn’t Sarah’s Monique Lhuillier dress gorgeous!!! Totally love it. And good news brides, Sarah is selling her dress! If you are interested please email her at: [email protected].

ceremony in the woods

ceremony in the woods

ceremony in the woods

ceremony in the woods

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

By far my favorite moments of the day were the ceremony! It was pure magic. The sun was shining and we felt like we were the only people on earth, completely caught up in getting married and each other. It was just amazing and surreal! And Walter surprised us with the most whimsical and romantic wedding ceremony I've ever heard, it couldn't possibly have been more perfect. We laughed, we cried, we were swept away with the experience just like we imagined we would be.

ceremony in the woods

ceremony in the woods

ceremony in the woods

bride and groom

bride and groom

gray tie

bride and groom

bride and groom

bride and groom

bride and groom

bride and groom

wedding band

bride and groom

city view

bride and groom


And their amazingly beautiful film by Sharkpig. I think it might be my favorite of his…

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

My advice for those planning an elopement is to splurge on a few things that make it feel really special – whatever that is for you. For us, it was our clothes and a incredible meal at Lucques that evening to share with our friends who were involved in the day. It made it feel extra special and fun. I also can't say enough how much we love and appreciate our photos and video. It was so amazing to share with our friends and family who weren't there and see/hear their reactions, tears, and love. And looking at either one I'm immediately brought right back to that sunny day and all of the love we were overwhelmed with.

photography: Max Wanger // hair stylist: Jaime Campbell // makeup artist: Nyrie Aitken // cinematography: Brian Morrow of Sharkpig // floral design: Bash, Please // location: Tree People // wedding dress: Monique Lhuillier -- and Sarah is selling it! If interested, please contact [email protected] // lou's suit: Alexander Mcqueen // necklace: Kate Spade // earrings: (these were lou's initials!) Maya Brenner // Hair clip: ban.do // bracelets: Forever 21, Stella and Dot

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