A Beautiful Wedding at the Houdini Estate in Hollywood, California | Brandon + Anaisa | Destination Wedding Photographer
A Beautiful Wedding at the Houdini Estate in Hollywood, California | Brandon + Anaisa | Hollywood Wedding PHotographer | Los Angeles Wedding Photographer | DESTINATION WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
This beautiful wedding day started with the sunniest skies over Hollywood, California. My sweet and talented husband, Ross, second shot this wedding day with me. He started the wedding day with Brandon and his family, who were getting ready in Beverly Hills, while I went straight to The Houdini Estate to capture Anaisa and her bridal party getting ready. The Houdini Estate is tucked away in a beautiful neighborhood within the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California. The estate was frequented by Houdini and is now a shrine to his illusionist works. They carried on that theme by having a cocktail bar set up with a company called “Magic and Cocktails”, which was more an experience for guests as there was a lot of smoke and theatrics used when the drinks were being made.
After Anaisa’s hair and makeup was finished and she had an intimate first look with her dad, she headed out into The Houdini Estate garden to have a private first look with Brandon. He was waiting for her beneath a beautiful palm tree on a terrace that wrapped around the hilly estate. After they spent a few moments together alone, we took photos with their immediate family members by the estate. They had a vintage Packard car drive them to and from their stunning ceremony, at the lovely Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood, California, where they both attend regularly. I truly love the architecture of old cathedrals, and this particular one had plenty of unique period details within the church and also had a Californian flare at the same time. After their ceremony, Brandon and Anaisa had their driver do a quick stop by Mad Lab Hollywood for a hot and iced coffee before heading back to The Houdini Estate (a couple after my own heart). This coffee shop was also on “my list” for cafes I wanted to visit, so that could not have been more serendipitous. I loved it!
When Brandon and Anaisa arrived back at The Houdini Estate, they were greeted with an excellent mariachi band playing and a champagne wall of shrubs, that had floating hands giving everyone who “rang the bell” glasses of champagne. This also subtly went with the Houdini illusionist theme, which I really appreciated. They were able to enjoy the cocktail hour with their guests before moving up to the reception floor. The Houdini Estate has so many stairwells and little passage ways throughout the entire garden that covers a beautiful cliffside of the estate. It was so unique to see that a bar was set up on one of the mid garden levels, between wrapping tree trunks, so the guests could have a drink before they reached the formal reception table area. Following the first dances and beautiful speeches, Brandon and Anaisa paid tribute to his Cambodian culture by dressing in traditional Cambodian outfits to get the dance floor started! The rest of the evening was filled with a delicious food buffet, a photo booth, cake cutting, a pastry table, endless dancing and my personal favorite… a local street taco truck, Eat Lupitas Tacos. All in all, this beautiful wedding day, that started and ended at The lovely Houdini Estate, was the epitome of a romantic love story told in the hills of Hollywood, California. x
Private Estate Wedding Venue in Hollywood, California - The Houdini Estate | Hollywood Wedding Planner and Coordinator - 3 Little Birds Event Planning | Hollywood Wedding Ceremony - Blessed Sacrament Church | Makeup Artist - Dennesse Rodriguez | Hair Stylist - Jessica Rodriguez of Jess Hair Design | Wedding Caterers - Bites and Bashes | Wedding Bar - Magic and Cocktails | Wedding Florist - Mineral Springs Floral | Wedding Desserts - Rossmore Pastries | Hollywood Wedding DJ - Matt Nasby of Bouquet Sound | Valet - Genesis Valet | Cocktail Hand Wall - Unifier Entertainment | Mariachi Band - Mariachi Los Reyes | Vintage Specialty Car - Eagle Limousine by Sergio Rocha | Dinner Trio - Yayennings | Late Night Tacos - Eat Lupitas Tacos | Cambodian Outfits - Kim and Channa | Wedding Shoes - Jimmy Choo and Badgley Mischka | Wedding Dress - Pronovias | Second Wedding Dress - Grace Loves Lace Zsa Zsa Dress | Wedding Veil - Panache Bridals Pasadena
An Intimate San Diego Wedding at Sunrise | Elena + Sam | California Wedding Photographer | Destination Wedding Photographer
An Intimate San Diego Wedding At Sunrise | Elena + Sam | California Wedding Photographer | San Diego Wedding PhotogRapher | Destination Wedding Photographer
When Elena and Sam told me they wanted their wedding ceremony to be in San Diego at sunrise, I couldn’t have been more excited. There is something so majestic and emotive about the sun rising in the morning, especially when the backdrop is endless curves of the California hilltops and palm trees over a beautiful Lake in northern San Diego. Elena and Sam rented a private home for their whole family to stay. Literally, one of the best ways to have an intimate wedding and the best way to avoid too many logistics of driving around and commuting for everyone on a wedding day. I didn’t photograph this part of the home, but this estate also had a large pool, jacuzzi and rec room with a ping-ping table, literally, that’s the life. (I grew up with a ping-pong table, so always get very excited when seeing them). Anyways, back to this lovely wedding day! I was staying near sunset cliffs in San Diego, and was easily able to Uber up to the estate when it was still completely dark outside, to be there in time for the sunrise.
When I arrived Elena was upstairs getting ready, so of course I went up there first, said hello and took a few photos of her details. Her veil was by the New York designer, Danielle Frankel Studio, and she wore a custom dress that she designed with the help of her friends, dressmakers Blush Fashion and Custom Sewing by Heather. Her modern hairclip was from Lelet NY. Her wedding bouquet was also a work of art that was created with florals from Afloral. After capturing her morning of putting her finishing touches on, I went downstairs to scout out the ceremony site, and when I walked downstairs her sweet mom offered me coffee (which was much appreciated) and I watched the sunrise alongside all of the other family members who were slowly making their way to the backyard terrace overlooking the hilltops. One of my favorite shots I captured from this wedding day, was of Elena’s dad and his mug of coffee, all alone, up before anyone else and just standing at the ceremony site, drinking his coffee and watching the sun slowly rise above the fog over Lake Hodges. Seriously, It was so moving to me, but I can only imagine how moved he must have been feeling on the morning of his daughters wedding day. It was all very emotional and sweet. Once the sun was just over the hills, Elena walked down the aisle towards Sam, with all of their immediate families in support of them. The fog was still hovering from the morning mist and it was a truly beautiful site.
After the ceremony we took a stroll down the cliffside that the rental home was perched upon to take a few couple portraits with the stunning California scenery in the background. We then made our way back to the house for detail images, family portraits and more couple photos. What I loved about this day, is that is all they wanted captured. The wedding day focus for them was the ceremony, and that is the main part they wanted captured. Since the whole family was together in their home, everyone went straight back into casual attire and just enjoyed the rest of their time together as a family. I enjoyed another cup of coffee with everyone before Ubering back to the city center of San Diego and the family went on to have a relaxing day of spending time together. I loved how intimate this wedding day was. Truly, a bride with good taste, a beautiful setting and your closest people are all you need to have a beautiful intimate wedding day. x
Wedding Venue - Private Residence in San Diego | Wedding Veil - Danielle Frankel Studio | Wedding Dress - Custom design by the bride, Elena, alongside dressmakers @blushfashion and @customsewingbyheather | Modern Wedding Hair Accessory - Lelet NY | Custom Tailored Suit - Hartter Manly | Wedding Bouquet - AFloral & Wedding Flower Crown | Wedding Rings - Kasia Jewelry |