Aliso Viejo Ranch Wedding

June 22, 2022

ALISO VIEJO RANCH WEDDING AND A BEAUTIFUL ARAB PARTY

This Aliso Viejo Ranch Wedding was pretty simple, in the best sense of the word. My beautiful couple Ahmad + Hiba already were married before this day. They used the space to focus on two main things: bride and groom portraits and dinner with family and friends! It was perfection for what they wanted.

A couple hours fit the most important things to them. The day started with a few getting-ready photos of Hiba. Then we transitioned into a first look at Aliso Viejo Ranch. We took a couple of sweet portraits as guests started to arrive and before the zaffa arrived. The Zaffa are traditional Arab drummers who lead the bride and groom into their grand entrance. This beautiful tradition pumps everyone up onto the dance floor, and it usually leads into a dabka, which a traditional dance that includes going into a circle. After speeches, we went outside for sunset photos. Dinner was catered from Hatam's (YUMMM), this is one of my favorite restaurants while growing up so it felt incredibly nostalgic. The night ended with Knafeh Cafe, which just feels like home. It truly was a perfectly beautiful day.

BRIDE + GROOM PORTRAITS HEAVY

Bride + Groom Portraits heavy in the best freakin way! It was one of the main focuses for this event. The wedding was held in the red ranch barn, and we used the outside space for bridal portraits. The venue is so versatile and has a ton of different backdrops to use. From white barns to stringed lights, to greenery, we had many options. We savored the time, it was sweet and slow-paced. There's a bunch and I'm in love, hope you fall in love with them too.

SOMETHING EXTRA

For this wedding, aside from the cameras that I normally use, I also shot a couple of frames of film. It was the first time I did so during a wedding day and absolutely felt so much glee from it. I love the feel of shooting film but it was also a perfect day to do it. It was a slow moving day that allowed for a little extra love with film. Scroll all the way to the end to see those gems.