Though they had all sorts of wild ideas when it came to dreaming up the details for their big day, Evangeline + Evan ended up throwing a gorgeous, romantic and non-traditional wedding at Evangeline's godmother's beautiful California property - and it was a perfect reflection of the two of them! So many special details came into play to make this day extra unique. All of their guests wore white because Evangeline + Evan wanted them all to feel like they were a part of the bridal party (too sweet!) and they had Gjusta, one of their favorite local restaurants, cater most of their family style dinner, then based the rest of their menu around it. (Evangeline shares, I created the rest of the recipes and we hired a chef/friend, Melissa Sanchez, to execute day-of to save on catering costs.) We're sharing lots more details throughout the post, but first, let's hear more from the beautiful bride about their location and initial plans for their day:

When we first got engaged we planned on eloping somewhere magical and far away like Patagonia. We eventually settled on Big Sur which is one of our favorite places to photograph, but that fell through because we realized we would have to cut too many people from our guest list in order to make it happen the way we envisioned it. We lost some vendor deposits and went back to the drawing board. We had quite a few different plans (including Big Sur) before we finally accepted my Godmother's offer of hosting it on her property in Encino, CA. It's a place I've lived during a few different stages in my life and where Evan and I landed when we first moved to LA two years ago, so it felt very "full circle" to us to host it there. It was perfect! Being wedding photographers ourselves we've seen so many different types of weddings and beautiful details that planning our own became overwhelming and anxiety-inducing at times. Luckily we had our awesome wedding planner Jessica, owner of Art & Soul Events, to help guide us throughout the process and reel us in when needed.

Thanks so much to Levi Tijerina for sharing these magical photos with us today!

Evangeline: I have so many! I loved our First Look when Evan serenaded me to "I've seen a face" by the Beatles. The moment when I was getting into my ceremony dress and I could hear my mom and brother singing "Going to the chapel" as they lead everyone to our ceremony area. The moment when I was waiting behind the gate before I walked down the aisle and all of the emotions of what was happening finally hit me. I burst into tears. Evan and I locked teary eyes and connected as if we were the only two people in the world. Oh and the speeches, the speeches were amazing.

Evan: My most memorable moment was when the gate first opened and I saw Evangeline. Even though we had done a First Look already it felt like the first time I had seen her. At this moment I couldn't keep myself from crying because she looked so beautiful. It felt like a dream or a scene from a movie. It was unreal at first but once she got closer the moment set in and I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with the woman I love.

Of the Flowers did a beautiful job with the floral design; case in point, Evangeline's gorgeous, textural bouquet!

A custom-made planet backdrop by Laura Stewart made for the perfect ceremony site vignette.

Processional: Bridesmaid + Flower Girl: Sound and Color - Alabama Shakes; Bride: She Lit A Fire - Lord Huron

Recessional: Where is my Mind - The Pixies

First Dance: The Stable Song - Gregory Alan Isakovthis (We didn't have a First Dance on our wedding day and this happened impromptu a few days later during a photo shoot in the desert. Our photographer Levi whipped out his cell phone and put on a random song and we danced around sunset. It was one of our favorite moments of the weekend and appreciate Levi making that happen for us as a total surprise. We now have "our" song thanks to him!)

Evangeline's ethereal wedding dress, by Karen Thomas from The Dress Theory, was a perfect match for the dreamy setting. (And how cute is their fur baby, Chichi, who was their ultra-adorable ring bearer?!)

For the majority of our guests, it was a destination wedding so It was important for us to let them experience a bit of California through our eyes. Of the Flowers transferred the 50 ft garland that framed our ceremony planet to our dinner table and surrounded it with black candles and a variety of fruit instead of flowers. We rented the handmade tables, chairs, and fur throws from, The Wooden Palate, a previous client who was the first wedding we ever photographed in California. We tried to make every wedding decision based on how it helped tell our story, whether past or present.

Purchase things that you will use again. I picked the jumpsuit because I knew that I would wear that over and over again and the same with my shoes and Evan with his outfit. We bought a handmade African Bolga basket for our flower girl and a woven basket from one of my favorite online retailers to hold our confetti in both of which go with our home style aesthetic and are sitting in our living room right now.

Hire vendors that you love, no regrets.

Pick a couple of friends/family to discuss your wedding with. The more people you share with the more opinions that might confuse you. Do you!

photography: Levi Tijerina // location: Encino, California // planning: Art & Soul Events // florals: Of the Flowers // dishware: Fern & Bone // tables + chairs: The Wooden Palate // planet: Laura Stewart // staffing: Black Label Bartenders // dinner catering: Gjusta Bakery // welcome party, cocktail hour + dinner service catering: Melissa Sanchez - [email protected] // paletas: Si Platas // hair + makeup: Amber Rose // dj: Liz Ladoux // paper goods: Evan Carter // napkins: DIY byEvangeline + Evan // guitar: Robin Lane and Adam Siegel // pianist: Julia Othmer // ecofetti: Eco Parti // officiant: Tim Jackson(family friend) // wedding dress: Karen Thomas from The Dress Theory // jumpsuit: ASOS // dress designer + Boutique: Odylyne the Ceremony // ring: Samantha Wills // engagement ring: Custom, Single Stone // groom's suit: J.Crew // groom's shirt: Noose & Monkey // shoes: Jeffrey Campbell // wedding band: The Sly Fox