Magical Ranch Wedding at Galway Downs by Wedgewood in Temecula // Sarah and Matt

Sarah and Matt had the most magical wedding at Galway Downs in Temecula. It was pretty much a fairytale. The venue? Beautiful. Lush meadows with tall whimsical trees surrounded by white roses. When the light hits…wow. The perfect venue to showcase a love like Sarah and Matt’s.

I met them for the first time for their engagement session in LA. We were in the hills, it was early morning, and the summer heat didn’t shy away from making itself known. The only thing that distracted Matt from the 90+ degree weather, was Sarah. Every time he looked at her, it was like everything bad in the world faded away. It was a quiet kind of love, one that you felt. So it was the most amazing surprise when Matt came out of his shell while surrounded by all his friends and loved ones their wedding day!

When you meet their family and friends, you immediately understand all kinds of love. There were happy tears everywhere, from everyone (including us)! We can’t wait for you to experience it, so tag along as we go through memory lane and teleport to Temecula, CA on a day that legit felt like a dream!

Sarah and Matt wanted a traditional first look: one where he first sees her as she walks down the aisle. But as an alternative, Sarah opted for a first look with her bridesmaids! I absolutely love this idea because when you have a #bridesquad like hers, you can’t miss out on a first look opportunity!

To be totally transparent, she needed someone to help her get ready without ruining the moment of the “first look.” So one of her maids of honor, Amber, helped her prep alongside her mom. Honestly, when Amber first saw Sarah in her dress, she started tearing up. It was all worth it.

So if you ever feel like someone’s gonna miss out on your first look, don’t worry. Every minute is a moment and it can all be captured!

Sarah, you’re an angel. You lit up the whole room and you were glowing! Absolutely stunning.

We would drive out of Los Angeles to photograph a wedding in Temecula anytime! Galway Downs by Wedgewood was seriously so magical and ephemeral. The trees and roses, with the addition of some rustic wood elements throughout the ceremony and the ranch really created the perfect backdrop for Sarah and Matt.

Let’s take a moment for three things:

1. That pathway bridge where Matt, the groom, and the bridal party walked down to enter the ceremony area is mind-blowing.

2. Sarah entering in a CARRIAGE!! This is it. Literally fairytale wedding.

3. MATT AND SARAH’S FIRST LOOK!! IT. IS. EVERYTHING.

(we can’t ignore everyone else’s reactions to this moment. someone pinch us because it’s too good to be true. re-living it through this blog is giving us goosebumps!)

“The most beautiful day with the most amazing people in my life.”

— Sarah Ayala-Wesoff

After the most perfect garden meadow ceremony and portraits, Sarah and Matt turned their romantic rustic reception in Galway Down’s reception ranch. We love wood beams and light fabric to elevate a space.
Their red, white, and green wedding colors fit the space so well and allowed for a hype party!

P.S. Their semi-naked cake was delicious. It looked to good to eat, but omg.

Shoutout to Lance, Matt’s best friend, who recommended us to Sarah and Matt! Thank you for introducing us to the most amazing people + the most hype bridal party! What a great community to be surrounded by!

Venue: Galway Downs by Wedgewood
Photography: yours truly, A+M Badillo Images

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Check out Casey and Brendan’s Downtown Los Angeles Engagement Here

Documentary Style Engagement in Downtown Los Angeles // Casey and Brendan

Downtown Los Angeles, CA
(Grand Central Market + Angel’s Landing)

Meeting Casey and Brendan was like a breath of fresh air. From our first phone call to the engagement session, they expressed that they weren’t so into posed photos and wanted a more candids. They chose DTLA and Grand Central Market as the backdrop of their engagement because they wanted to highlight Los Angeles since it played a big part in their love story.

Their documentary style engagement session in Downtown LA was everything and was such a good fit for their love story - which, by the way, is just like a movie! And because no one can tell it better than they can, here’s how it went:

“We met on the ides of March 2020, the pandemic lockdown happened at midnight the night we met. I (Casey) should never have been where I was when I met Brendan. I was supposed to be in Ireland celebrating St. Patrick’s day instead of at a bar in Venice beach because the travel bans happened 2 hours after my plane took off to take me there. I didn’t even live in LA. I lived in San Luis Obispo. I was just so tired after my 36-hour trip to Europe and back that my travel buddy and I decided to stop for the night instead of driving 4 hours home from LAX. We needed rest and a drink to process everything that was happening! Brendan was there with his brother and would have left before I walked in but a band album came on the sound system of ‘the Brig’ that they had just seen in concert a few days before...”

The locations in this Downtown Los Angeles documentary engagement session are the very iconic Angel’s Landing, Grand Central Market, and local streets around the area! The bustling city matched Casey and Brendan’s upbeat dynamic. Plus, the food & beer at Grand Central Market were superb and totally represent some of the things they love to do together.

All images taken by A+M Badillo Images, Los Angeles and Pasadena Wedding Photographer.
Serving Southern California and travel where your love takes us!

“…When he walked up to me we were both trying to figure out where we knew each other from. Sure that we had met before. We hadn’t… not one mutual friend and living hundreds of miles apart. We hit it off immediately. After returning home the next day we FaceTimed in our perspective quarantine homes (with our parents). We FaceTimed for hours everyday for 2 months before meeting in halfway where we became official ;) We dated for 1.5 years long distance before I moved to LA to be with him and where we live together now. We feel very lucky to have met. It was meant to be!”

Thanks for the beers and all the fun running around downtown, Casey and Brendan! I love this city so much and will take any opportunity to capture any part of Los Angeles and show off your love story!

And hey, if you’re still here reading, this is your sign to let me tag along with my camera on any city, old town (or winery) date night you want to have! I live for great food, vibes, and photos ;)

Check out Liz and Favian’s Elegant and Rustic Wedding at The Hacienda in Santa Ana, CA

Modern Romantic 6th Street Bridge Engagement // Katherine and Ricardo

Los Angeles, CA

When discussing engagement session locations, Katherine said they were looking for a place that highlighted Los Angeles. It’s where they met and fell in love. The 6th Street Bridge had just opened at the time so after checking out a couple potential spots and going on a drive on the bridge, they decided to move forward with it. I’m so glad they did and I can’t even explain how AMAAAAAAZING they looked!

**Not pictured: me waiting on the street to meet them and as I turn to look across the road, I see them running and waving at me, sun glowing behind them, looking absolutely stunning. I just knew it was gonna be a great session, and I totally regret not turning on my camera to capture that scene that totally looked like it came out of a rom-com. But enough of my ramblings, back to their story!

“We met and fell in love in Los Angeles in our mid-to-late 20's. We encountered some of the toughest obstacles as a couple during those years. We feel like overcoming these obstacles helped to solidify our commitment to one another.”

“I want to feel the sense that we’re each other’s peace. We’re each other’s best friends and know 100% that we always have each other’s backs.”

— Katherine

Another reason why this location was perfect for them: Ricardo said that he grew up right next to it, so he knew the old-school bridge and the surrounding area was kind of like his playground. My favorite part was when he said he and his buddies used to make music videos in the LA River back in the day. I can’t say I haven’t done something remotely the same ;D

It was such a beautiful day. After all the rain we’ve been having here this month, we had to postpone their session and push it a week. Twas a good thing though. The rain had cleared up the smog so the DTLA skyline was clear and the sun came down and gave us a colorful sky.

It was a modern, romantic engagement on the Los Angeles 6th Street Bridge.
Leaving a little space here on the internet to remember Katherine’s chucks that we forgot on the bridge. I’ll think of them whenever I see this photo.

Thanks to Katherine and Ricardo for slaying this session! I can’t wait for your wedding this year!

Click here to check out Boris and Maria’s fun county fair session!