There’s this moment during Lisa & Tom’s Monterey Plaza Hotel wedding that’s stuck in my head: They were saying a brief goodbye to each other before heading back to their rooms to freshen up before the ceremony, and the way they paused to look at each other, full of the knowledge that the next time they would meet they’d be getting married, the excitement about the ceremony but the reticence to part because they were having such a great time together … it was a small moment, but so sweet, so telling.

There was a lot of stuff like that during their wedding. These two are really into each other, and it showed. It even infected the people around them, their friends and family shed a lot of tears on that beautiful day in Monterey. But mostly the day was about joy, and that was with us from the first look until the last dance.

Lisa and Tom came to me through my friend and talented colleague Mandi Nack of A Sparkling Event. She made sure the day went off without a hitch and was incredibly beautiful as well. The Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa was a gorgeous venue for the wedding: It’s right on historic Cannery Row, and also perched on the edge of Monterey Bay, which serves as the background for the wedding ceremony.

After dinner, the dancefloor was full of fun and hijinks, everything from Taylor Swift sing-a-longs to headstands and splits by the groom. The evening ended with the newlyweds encircled by friends and family on the dancefloor, all applauding as they danced to the final song.

Check out my favorite photos from Lisa & Tom’s Monterey Plaza Hotel wedding in the gallery below: