I knew Rachel and Keith’s wedding would be a blast after I spent time with them during their engagement session at the OC Fair.  https://danielleanddeanne.com/2018/08/11/oc-fair-engagement-shoot-rachel-keith

Rachel has one of the most infectious smiles I’ve come across, and it shined brightly at the wedding.  The couple is laid back and all about having fun together, so their wedding venue was a perfect fit. Married at the beautiful Saddlerock Ranch guests passed by zebras as they drove in, and then got to meet and feed lettuce to the famous Stanley the Giraffe (@a_giraffe_named_stanley) who you might remember from the movie The Hangover.

One of my favorite moments of the day was capturing the First Look between Rachel and her dad. When he turned to see his daughter all dolled-up in her wedding gown he was absolutely speechless.

Dinner was made up of appetizers including mini burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, and french fries. In an informal fashion, guests were encouraged to jump in and grab food whenever they liked throughout the evening. It made everyone feel welcomed and encouraged the party to begin quickly. For dessert, instead of the traditional cake Rachel and Keith opted for a French treat called a croqu-en-bouche—consisting of choux pastry balls piled into a cone and bound with threads of caramel. With three cream flavors to choose from there was something to please everyone’s tastes.

A professional dancer, Rachel works at a dance studio run by her mom; so with a guest list littered with trained dancers the dance floor was never empty. While shooting everyone having fun and showing off their moves I’m hoping I picked up some of their dance skills (okay unlikely).  I was impressed that even Rachel’s dad lit-up the dance floor with a special dance that had everyone laughing.

Shortly after Rachel and Keith’s wedding day, the Woolsey Fires destroyed some of the gorgeous Saddlerock Ranch venue, but thankfully Stanley the Giraffe is safe and the venue will re-open in 2019.  I look forward to the possibility of shooting many more weddings there.

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