I have to admit, I love a wedding day that doesn’t go exactly according to plan…
Maybe it’s because those are usually the days where everyone has to let go a little bit. You stop worrying about whether everything is perfect and start actually being present.
Rain on your wedding day can go one of two ways.
You can stress about it, or you can just roll with it…
Miriam and Ian definitely rolled with it and knocked it out of the park!! Their original ceremony plans had to change, so instead of getting married outside, we all gathered inside the barn at Halter Ranch and honestly, I think it made the ceremony even better! There was something really sweet about everyone being tucked inside together while the rain came down pouring outside. It felt cozy and intimate and very much like one of those moments where you forget there is a world outside of the people standing right in front of you <3
And then there was Miriam and Ian…
Watching these two together, it was so obvious how in love they are with each other. There was no performance to it. Just two people who are really, really happy to be getting married <3
Then, like magic, the rain stopped
Of course, the second we were ready to start thinking about portraits, the rain decided to cooperate and the sun peeked through the gray clouds. Paso Robles after a rainstorm is pretty hard to beat, if you ask me! Everything felt fresh and green, the air was cool, and the vineyards around Halter Ranch had that beautiful moody spring look that makes you want to photograph absolutely everything! I took this moment as my chance to bring Miriam + Ian outside.
And naturally, these two were just in their own little world :’)
We wandered around the property, talked, laughed, took a million photos, and let them have a little time together away from everyone else before we headed in for their grand entrance!
A Lively Halter Ranch Reception
The reception was exactly what it should be.. Fun. Loud. A little chaotic (they even had a tattoo station where you could get their pups tattooed on you!). There were emotional toasts, plenty of laughs, lots of dancing, and so much love packed into one room.
This reception was definitely full of family and friends who were very happy to celebrate these two! :’)
After the uncertainty of the weather earlier in the day, there was something beautiful about seeing everyone let loose and celebrate. Quite honestly, the rain hadn’t ruined anything at all. If anything, it had made the celebration feel even more special and intentional <3
A California Wine Country Wedding Full of Heart
There are so many reasons couples are drawn to Paso Robles for their wedding day. The vineyards, the rolling hills, the incredible wine (duh..), and the timeless beauty of California wine country all create an unforgettable backdrop (did I forget how dreamy the location is?!?!). But Miriam and Ian’s wedding reminded me that the setting is only a small part of the story.
The real beauty comes from the people you have seated in the same room. Real beauty comes from my couples choosing each other again and again.
It’s in friends laughing together during cocktail hour (SO MANY BELLY LAUGHS!)
It’s also in the way a room changes when everyone is dancing. The dance moves this day were out of this world!
And it’s in the quiet moment when the rain finally stops and you get to sneak away with the person you love <3
Miriam and Ian’s Halter Ranch Winery wedding truly had all of it π
PSSSST… before you leave, check out my fav moments of M+I’s wedding day captured on film below!
Photography: Bri Berry Photography
Venue: Halter Ranch, Paso Robles
Planning/Coordinating: Gatherings SLO
Bri, this blog could not have come at a more perfect time. I’m teary-eyed, smiling and laughing all at the same time while reading this. You captured Miriam and Ian and their wedding day perfectly. They’re such incredible partners & you articulated the day so well. I feel grateful and
lucky to be “the mom”. Thank you
for letting us relive their special day in this beautiful snapshot by you π