This Idyllwild mountain micro wedding was my first in the area and I am dying to go back! So quaint and cute. Shannon and Kyle chose to have a small celebration in the woods which was absolutely perfect, you may remember their engagement session here.
Wait.. WTF if a MICRO WEDDING?!? Well basically its a smaller version of a regular wedding but NOT an elopement. There are usually about 50 guests in attendance. A great way for the couple to focus on friends, family and making the most of their wedding details. This is also another way to save a little cash while being surrounded by all their people.
Back when I was a kid, I lived in Palm Springs so this was our quickest way to get to the snow aside from the Palm Springs Tram. So I was excited to go back and photograph a wedding in Idyllwild to see if I could remember anything from my childhood.
I will say Idyllwild was a lot smaller than I remembered but definitely a perfect location for a quick mountain getaway for Southern California residents. Also the perfect location for Shannon & Kyle’s Micro Wedding!!
A micro wedding or elopement is the perfect way to still have a wedding in this Covid-19 era. Just because you can’t have 250 people at your wedding doesn’t make the day any less special. The traditions and love are still present regardless.
The day started out with Shannon getting ready at the Creekstone Inn. It was super cute, all the rooms were different. Kind of like a smaller woodsy version of the Madonna Inn. Literally there were only 9 rooms, all decorated differently and very cozy. Its also located right within walking distance to the Idyllwild Village, restaurants, breweries and galleries.
This was a special wedding because I have known Shannon since I was about 20, yet another Macaroni Grill alumni! Gotta love my Mac Shack crew! To top it all off, Shannon and Kyle are both photographers too so I feel very honored to be chosen as their wedding photographer. Which in a sense made my job fun and stressful, knowing that I wanted all the perfect shots but also loving the fact that they are just so natural with one another and all of their photos felt that way!
Shannon and Kyle chose to see one another beforehand which I loved because that gave more time to take photos after their ceremony with family and friends! What a great first look it was! I just loved their twist on some classic bride & groom style. She is a tad hippie, He’s a tad old school style and they both are a little skater with their customized Vans. There are definitely no rules when it comes to your wedding attire and they definitely made it their own!
The ceremony was just down the road at Lake Fulmor on the doc. The brides mother officiated the ceremony, her Father played a lullaby, he had written for the bride when she was a baby, on his bagpipes. The groom was walked down the aisle by his mother and grandmother. I also loved their handfasting ceremony – a very cool Celtic tradition which is literally Tying the Knot! Super unique and will always be memorable. So many cool moments involving family added that extra personal touch.
The reception was super simple at the Creekstone , Shannon and Kyle chose to focus more on their guests rather than over the top decor. They came in with an Irish dance that got everyone going and even more excited to dance the night away.
The day after the wedding, I delivered their sneak peek and this is what Kyle wrote on his facebook: “Just a few moments from our awesome, life changing day!!! Feeling beyond blessed and grateful!!! Let love rule!!!❤️😃❤️😃❤️😃❤️✌🏻🙏Thank you for the amazing photos Lisa White Jovicic!!!!” Guys, you are so welcome!
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