I love how Sarah + Spencer’s wedding plans unfolded: It all started as a sort of joke.

Their far-flung families were all going to be in town for the Christmas holiday, so why not throw together a wedding while everyone was is in the same spot?
Spencer’s dad had already officiated previous family weddings, so that part was sorted.
The location they chose, Sapha Kafe, was a favorite, so when they asked the owners about hosting their wedding there, and they said yes, that was another sign that maybe this was actually a really cool idea.

And at every turn, what might have been the road block that stalled the whole thing, simply became an open door that said, “Come on in, let’s do this!”.

Sarah + Spencer’s second date was at McKinley Park, where they sat for hours under a canopy of trees, getting to know one another more.
Naturally, they wanted to include that location in their wedding day photos, and decided that would be a great spot for their first look. One catch? We had to get permits from Sac Film + Media, and with the Christmas holiday looming and the time crunch, there was a possibility that we might not get permission.
But the Universe was on their side, because the permit was approved just in time!

However, if you were in the Sac area those weeks leading up to (and during) the December holidays, you know how windy and rainy and absolutely icky is was out there.
So, while we had permission to photo at McKinley, Mother Nature seemed to have other plans.

The morning of their wedding, I woke up and the rains were raining and the winds were howling.
And the weather app showed nothing but downpours, all day and into the night.
But, I kid you not, just before their scheduled First Look, the skies decided to be kind and they stopped crying. The winds died down, and they were able to have their First Look at their spot.

As for the rest of the evening, it stayed dry, Sapha Kaffe hosted an amazing and vibrant event, the food and drinks (hello Thai Iced Tea!) were so delicious, and the homemade cake was gorgeous and yummy.

I loved all the little personal touches throughout the day: the geese with party hats on top of the cake, the vintage brooches, Spencer’s airplane socks, the wee hand-knit (by Sarah) bunny that held their rings, the gorgeous sweater that Sarah wore as part of her wedding gown, hand-knit, by her (of course!).

Mostly what I loved about their wedding was how much they openly cared about each other.
And it wasn’t only Sarah + Spencer.
You could feel it the minute you walked in, everyone seemed so excited to be there.
And they were so full of love and support, for the couple, and for each other.

I was so happy to have been welcomed in to document all the little moments that made up the story of their day.
Congratulations Sarah + Spencer!

Below are some of my favorites from your wedding day:

Cheers!
Stacey