Just north of Temecula is a city called Murrieta, which is where Chaunti and Garrett were wed at an exclusive private estate appropriately named “Wedding Under the Oaks” in Murrieta. Chaunti and Garrett were so gracious and great to work with, we started by showing up well before the ceremony to take photos of the two of them getting ready surrounded their closest friends and family. Being at this massive private estate gave us a real opportunity to get creative and to really to utilize the amazing light coming from all of the large windows throughout the house. Chaunti and Garrett opted for a “first look”, which provides the bride and groom see each other before their ceremony. It creates a great, intimate and very emotional moment that they are able to share together all by themselves (and our cameras of course). The ceremony took place under a grove of oak trees that was breathtaking beautiful and just like their first look, the ceremony was full of amazing moments and a great display of emotion. You’ll notice very quickly scrolling through the photos, a lack of dancing photos from this wedding. What would be viewed by many as a complete nightmare became one of the most intimate and memorable receptions we’ve had the pleasure to photograph. Moments after dinner being served to the guests out on the side lawn, we notice the lights inside the house began to flicker severely, we also noticed the dinner music was fluttering in and out from the DJ’s speakers. Moments later, as dusk had already crept upon us, the lights went dark and the music went silent for the rest of the evening.

It was told to us later that a car hit a transformer around the corner and the entire neighborhood lost power.

The party keep on rolling however. Guests collected a couple lanterns that were strewn around the property, decorative votives and small tea lights were repurposed to create the main source of light for the entire, now scarcely candlelit reception. Chaunti and Garrett’s first dance took place on the dance floor with their first song being played from the inside of a pick-up truck that had all of it’s windows rolled down. They cut their cake, threw their bouquet and garter in near pitch black conditions with the most infectious smiles on their faces the entire time. By far the highlight of the evening was the string of toasts given by each set of parents, siblings, wedding party, great friends and whomever else wanted to say a few words and best wishes. There were several laughs, a few tears (including our own) and many touching messages that truly made this wedding unique and above all memorable. Not memorable because of the darkness or because there was no loud music or dancing. It was memorable because of the words given to Chaunti and Garrett by their loved ones. Words that otherwise may never have been spoken by those who unexpectedly had the opportunity to do so. It truly provided for a special evening for us, thank you Chaunti and Garret for allowing us to capture your wedding day. Please enjoy the photos. The photo below was entered and won 3rd Place in a Worldwide Photography Contest recently! Click here to see more details! 

Chaunti and Garrett just wrote a review of our service and their experiences with us on Wedding Wire. Click Here to see their 5+ Star Review! 

Wedding Photography Coverage: HOLDING & CO. PHOTOGRAPHY, Riverside, CA  |  Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: Wedding Under the Oaks (Private Estate), Murrieta, CA  |   Make-Up Artist: ROCK ME UP MAKEUP, Covina, CA   |   Hair Stylist: Desiree Dueling-Toth, Murrieta, CA   |  Cake Artist: LIL MISS SHORTCAKES, Temecula, CA  |  Florist: POSIES & PETALS, Temecula, CA  |  DJ: LIBERTY EVENTS UNLIMITED, Temecula, CA | Coordinator:  D’RENAE EVENTS, Murrieta, CA  |    Wedding Dress Designer: KITTY CHEN, Los Angeles, CA