Maddie & David // Intimate Santa Barbara Courthouse Gardens Micro-Wedding

Maddie & David met at the most romantic place on earth—the gym. In 2017, they noticed one another a few times as their workouts overlapped, but never spoke. David claims that the first time they officially met, Maddie sprinted across the patio of a local bar to say hi to him. Maddie claims their first real interaction wasn’t until February 2018, when they happened to be refilling their water bottles at the same time, and finally spoke. This is why witness testimony is rarely regarded as solid evidence in a court of law…. ;) 

Wherever + however they first interacted, the couple quickly hit it off after their first date (the day after the water-fountain encounter), and have been together ever since. Three years later, after the two ran some errands and spent the day relaxing, David left home to run one last errand and returned with a bouquet of white roses. Minutes later, he was down on one knee in front of the couch asking Maddie to be his wife. To her, it was the perfect proposal. Sunday is “their day,” and everything felt incredibly natural and meant-to-be. They celebrated with their dogs and a few glasses of champagne, and began to plan their wedding soon after.

When I first met Maddie & David for their engagement session at Stanford, I realized that 1) these two have a better sense of style than I’ll ever have, 2) Maddie is a sweet darling gal who I HAD to be friends with, and 3) David is freaking hilarious. Maddie & I quickly decided we were soulmates (sorry David), as I couldn’t get enough of her amazing energy, enormous heart, and silly sense of humor. David cracked me up their ENTIRE session because he absolutely hated taking photos but was a champ nonetheless. We listened to a fun + romantic playlist created by Maddie, explored the cactus garden at Stanford, and left feeling like old friends.

For their wedding day, the couple decided on a small family-only Wednesday micro-wedding at the beautiful Santa Barbara Courthouse Gardens. Not one for massive gatherings and exhausting social scenarios, these two wanted to make sure their wedding was intentional, simple, & intimate. A ~SoCal romantic + chic~ mood was the goal, and OH BOY was it accomplished flawlessly. :) 

Maddie & David’s wedding day was relaxing, easy, and absolutely lovely. I met up with Maddie at her hotel (where Santa randomly drove by on a golf cart… but that’s beside the point) where she got ready with just her mama. The energy was immaculate and calm, and I shot a few details as Maddie got into her dress and prepared for a first look with her dad. Downstairs, I set up her dad facing away from the building before Maddie walked out and told him to turn around. He cried, she cried, I cried. Their tender relationship was on fullll display & everyone’s emotions were so sweet.

We all set off to the courthouse for the big event, where I met David & the couple’s families on the beautiful garden lawn. Their CHIC, wonderful officiant stood on the stairs with David as Maddie’s father walked her across the lawn. Once the couple joined hands, David’s nerves were clear as day! Maddie had to physically shake him and say “hey, relax, we’re just getting married” (lol) for him to un-tense and ease into their short + sweet ceremony.

The couple’s adorable baby niece kept peeking over at the camera, and I couldn’t get over how cute she was! I wondered what her memories from the day would be, and thought about her looking back at the photos of her aunt & uncle’s wedding in 15-20 years. :’)

Throughout their entire ceremony, Maddie & David were so locked in, gazing intently into one another’s eyes with sheer joy & pure love. They exchanged rings, repeated classic vows, and then had their first kiss as husband and wife.

After family photos, M & D shared personal, handwritten vows with one another in private as the sun set behind the glowing main courthouse arch. It was magical—with perfect lighting & weather & zero crowds, it felt like the whole place was theirs. Following their vows, we shot portraits all around the gorgeous lawn. I oo’d & awe’d over Maddie’s INSANE bridal beauty as David slyly took iPhone photos to the side. Freaking cuties. 

After wrapping up their photos, we headed to Lucky’s where Maddie & David’s families gathered for a delicious dinner. Maddie’s flawless Italian romantic playlist (that I actually still listen to OFTEN while making pasta or pizza..) set a beautiful tone for the evening, and the couple enjoyed brief toasts followed by tasty food with their favorite people.

All-in-all, their wedding day was so much FUN, so romantic, unbelievably chic, and just perfect. I am the biggest advocate for couples doing EXACTLY what they want on their wedding day and omitting any traditions or expectations that don’t fit their vision, and M + D did just that. The following weekend, they had a big reception with friends & family in the bay, and Maddie texted me saying “WOW I am so glad we had the EXACT wedding day we had!!!!” #NoRegrets :)

Congratulations, Maddie & David. What a day. I love u.