A few days ago, we had the great honor of featuring Robyn and John’s magical rainy day engagement session, and today we have the equally great honor of sharing their enviably beautiful Orange County wedding, captured exquisitely by Heather and Jon Almeda of One Love Photo. The work of this husband-and-wife photography duo is truly one of a kind, and each and every one of these remarkable images could stand on its own as a piece of art.

Robyn and John’s wedding had a cozy, homespun feel and a “something blue” theme sparked by Robyn’s unique sapphire engagement ring. Following their private ceremony at the Newport Beach Temple, an architectural spectacle reminiscent of the early Spanish missions in the West, the two rode the Balboa Island Ferry to the Balboa Fun Zone, one of California’s oldest amusement parks, where they had a series of playful and poignant portrait shots taken before heading to the bride’s family home in Tustin for a relaxed backyard ring ceremony and reception.

Though their day looks picture perfect, the road to the altar wasn’t without a few bumps. Two weeks before the wedding, Robyn faced every bride-to-be’s worst nightmare: Her designer dress, which she had ordered months in advance, got lost in the mail, and she had to scramble to come up with a replacement. Serendipitously, her Plan B dress, made by a local dressmaker from a 1956 Vogue pattern for only $250, turned out to be the one of her dreams. And so did her wedding day itself, although that, too, didn’t go off without a hitch. “Almost nothing went as planned on our wedding day,” Robyn said. “But if I had to do the day over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Q + A with Robyn

How did the wedding day go? Did everything happen as planned?

I can’t help but laugh at this one. The backyard looked incredible, John looked incredible, and my family and friends looked incredible. This all blew me away, but in short, the answer is no, almost nothing went as planned on our wedding day, from the time I started getting my hair done in the morning to the time we went through the sparkler exit and drove away. Nothing went perfectly. My fake eyelashes kept popping off; the speakers weren’t loud enough to hear what anyone was saying at our ceremony; John and I fumbled through our vows; my brother biffed on the surprise song I had planned for John (which threw me off, and my nerves got the better of me); I missed saying hello to so many loved ones; my heels got completely ruined; my bouquet kept falling apart; we literally couldn’t cut our cake; and John and I didn’t sit down and eat the glorious food we’d been talking about for weeks. But you know what? None of that matters! The looks on my loved ones’ faces were better than I could have ever imagined, and that made up for all the hiccups throughout the day. I am still blown away by the amount of love my friends and family gave us, and by how beautiful and whimsical everything turned out. If I had to do the day all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.

What was your favorite moment of the day?

I can’t really pick just one, but when we went off to take pictures with our awesome photographers, John bought some big homemade chocolate strawberries at a fruit stand by the beach and fed one to me, and that was one of my favorite moments. The chocolate got all over my face, but for a few seconds, I felt like the day was just about us, and it was wonderful. My dad’s toast was another incredible moment. I want that thing printed out and framed.

What kind of advice would you off to future brides?

Remember that the day will be wonderful no matter what, and that there is a great life to be lived after the wedding. I had a few unexpected things that shook up my wedding plans quite a bit (such as, oh, finding out two weeks before the wedding that my dress wasn’t going to arrive), but the show must go on. Remember what this great moment of yours is all about: love. Before, during, and after the wedding, you will be surrounded by so much of it! It’s grand!

Vendors

Photography: One Love Photo / Ceremony venue: Newport Beach Temple / Ring ceremony and reception venue: Bride’s family home in Tustin, California / Flowers: Dandelion Ranch / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals and Found Vintage Rentals / Cakes: Michele Coulon Dessertier / Invitations: Rifle Paper Co. / Bride’s shoes: Kate Spade / Bride’s hairpin: Ban.do / Bridesmaids’ dresses: Shabby Apple / Ring pillow and boutonnieres: Llubav