A few things surprised me about Nga & Mitch’s Wildwood Acres Resort wedding. I didn’t expect to find a scenic redwood grove tucked inside a retirement community. I didn’t know that one could commission custom bobbleheads for an entire wedding party. And I never would’ve suspected that the quest for true love could be so convincingly compared to searching for a parking space.

And yet, Mitch’s vows were a hilarious and touching reflection on his father’s quirky habit of taking way too long to find a parking space, and how that compares to the journey that brought him to the alter with Nga. I’ve heard a lot of amazing and heartfelt vows at weddings — my clients are very creative and intelligent people, after all — but Mitch really raised the bar. Nga’s vows were amazing, too, and the couple was showered with compliments after the ceremony.

Our day started at Lafayette Park Hotel, where Nga & Mitch got ready and had a tea ceremony. We headed to Walnut Creek for portraits inside Rossmoor, the extremely scenic senior community where Mitch’s parents live. The ceremony and reception were at Wildwood Acres Resort in Lafayette, a long-standing outdoor wedding and events venue tucked into a wooded canyon.

The venue provided a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony, and a fun spot for the reception. Mitch and Nga entertained their guests with a video and slideshow, as well as a trivia competition. A mobile espresso bar provided a nice pick-me-up for me and my assistant photographer Erika.

Such a great day with a wonderful couple. Check out my favorite images in the gallery below.