Kathryn & Jonathan // Saddlerock Ranch Wedding

Kathryn & Jonathan’s love story is a modern-day fairytale involving an off-limits office crush, a best friend who turned into a permanent third wheel, and a whole lot of pizza. Might as well be a rom-com, let’s be honest.

It all began in the summer of 2013, when Jonathan interviewed Kathryn for a political internship in DC. As Julia (their previous boss / their wedding officiant / my congresswoman ) told it during their ceremony, Jonathan, for some reason, said he just had to be the one to interview Kathryn. Likely due to her her outstanding qualifications and completely unrelated to his crush on her, Jonathan did end up hiring Kathryn.

In Julia’s office, there was a pretty strict policy prohibiting workplace romances. According to the couple, they never broke her rule. A forbidden office crush?!—color me intrigued. Soon after they began working together, the two went on their first *non-date friendship outing* to Amy’s Pizza. Kathryn’s long-time close friend & Jonathan’s future best man + friend Matt was also at the *non-date.* Matt hilariously claimed that Jonathan was clearly “third-wheeling their friendship,” but he was open to it.

At dinner, Kathryn, Jonathan, and Matt all ate one pizza. Matt was full. Then, Jonathan & Kathryn looked at each other and said, “do you want a second pizza?” and proceeded to each get & eat an entire additional pizza. Towards the end of the dinner, Matt realized he might actually be the third wheel… to two incredibly hungry people.

The couple continued to be *just pals* until Jonathan went to visit Kathryn at college & attended a semi-formal with her. Although there was no pizza at the event (to my knowledge) there were sparks. Jonathan was smitten from the jump—his mom said in her toast that after she saw Kathryn & Jonathan together & heard the way her son talked about his new girlfriend, she was certain that “Jonathan was going to marry Kathryn, or Kathryn was going to break his heart.” Mamas just know, and she KNEW her son was in love. *Camera pans to me crying in the corner.* In the half-decade that followed—through multiple jobs, law school, countless family trips, disappointing world series outcomes for Jonathan’s beloved Dodgers, and many more pizzas—K & J’s relationship grew stronger.

Six years after their fated two-pizza-party non-date-date at Amy’s, the couple headed back to their favorite spot for dinner. That night, Jonathan asked Kathryn to marry him. Matt was not there, but Kathryn did say yes.

When Kathryn & I chatted on the phone about her Saddle Rock Ranch wedding plans, I was so excited to capture their day the following summer. Then the pandemic entered the chat. The couple made the difficult decision to postpone their celebration an entire year, as they planned to have family & friends travel from all over the country to celebrate them, and didn’t want to get married without their favorite people. Time between August 2020 and August 2021 fleeeeeww by and before we all knew it, the couple’s big day arrived.

On the most uncharacteristically perfect August day in Malibu—72º and breezy, sandwiched between two toasty weekends with temps soaring into three digits—Jonathan & Kathryn became husband & wife. Meg at MM events planned & executed an unbelievably stunning wedding day for the couple, and Unique Floral Designs elevated the setting to another level with breathtaking floral arrangements and details.

Their old boss, congresswoman Julia Brownley, officiated their ceremony in the swaggiest pink power pantsuit I’ve ever seen. A couple hundred of K & J’s biggest fans laughed alongside the couple as Julia shared her side of things—retelling the duo’s origin story from the very beginning.. in her office. Later, Kathryn & Jonathan exchanged personal, meaningful vows, as their family & friends alternated between giggles & tears.

Hearing from Julie & the couple, and then listening to speeches from other family members (and Matt) later on in the evening, a few things became clear: 1) Kathryn & Jonathan are a perfect match. They compliment one another in every way—loving each other for their respective quirks, strengths, and shared values. 2) Kathryn & Jonathan are just plain GOOD humans. They love those around them well, and they are deeply loved in return. 3) This couple will never be bored together. Jonathan will always have a fact to share about Ventura County’s avocado industry (per Matt’s speech), and Kathryn will always be itching to have JB join her on some outrageous hiking adventure and / or other high-paced outdoor activity with her incredibly tall family. 4) The couple will always eat well. And they will often choose pizza.

K & J just work, and their sweet & easy love for one another was wildly evident throughout their entire celebration. 

It’s impossible to fathom picking one highlight of their day, because it was actually just all fun. As a photographer, it’s a bit rare to feel *present* enough to absorb all the incredible energy of a wedding day (since one is usually hyper-focused on making sure it’s all captured to the best of one’s ability). But on Kathryn & Jonathan’s day, I really FELT it all. I appreciated every laugh, joke, smile, silly moment, emotion, & detail.

This is allllll credit to Kathryn’s immaculate planning & the epic team of vendors she hired to make sure the day ran smoothly. The Braunstein wedding was just.. the best. From Kathryn cracking up when her veil got stuck in her (gorgeous) bougainvillea arch on her way down the aisle (unfortunate, but hilarious) to the couple’s deeply emotional vows, to the GIANT Horah at their reception where the couple clearly feared they were about to face-plant off the chairs they were being lifted in at any moment, to our laughter-filled sunset portrait session where K & J kept saying variations  of “WE DO IT FOR THE GRAM!” and “WOW, this is FUN” (people just.. don’t ever say that when we’re taking wedding photos.. I loved it)—it was all plain phenomenal. I left their celebration with full memory cards & a fuller heart. Frankly, I felt wildly lucky to spend the day by their side.

I can’t wait until the next time I get to see the Bronsteins. Hopefully there’s more pizza in our future, and I can take a page out of Matt’s book and third wheel a few of their dates. 

Congratulations to the kindest, most magnificent couple. May your life be full of pizza, laughter, and adventure for 100 years to come.