Jamie and Ariya’s Whimsical wedding day at Summit House Fullerton
If you are looking for a quaint, quintessential wedding venue in California that will transport you to another continent, The Summit House in Fullerton is the perfect option. They have such a beautiful garden cottage aesthetic for their weddings, and with views overlooking the city if the perfect spot to host your wedding reception. When Jamie and Ariya contacted me for their wedding day I was thrilled. We had the honor of photographing their beautiful Chinese tea ceremony in the morning and then their traditional wedding day at Summit House after. Jamie wore this gorgeous lace Essence of Australia gown for the second half of their day with gorgeous lace heels and Ariya dressed to the nines in his black velvet tuxedo and bow tie.
My sweet friend Julie with Emerald Grace Floral Designs came down from Tulare to create the most beautiful floral arrangements for the wedding, I am in love with every detail! Those gorgeous ranunculus and soft blush color palette with combos of peaches and ivory brought a gorgeous spring vibe to this April wedding day. I styled Jamie’s bridal details with additional florals and a golden yellow ring box that tied into her wedding colors of golds and pinks and creams.
Jamie: We met on a Christmas morning through a mutual friend about 3 years before we started dating.
Ariya: We met through our mutual friend and groomsmen, Dale. Through Dale, Jamie and I knew of each other but we did not hang out with each other for a few more years. One day, Jamie was hungry and Dale suggested she get dinner with me. We had our first date eating Korean BBQ and drinking Soju. Both food items still retain a special place in our hearts and stomach.
How did you know she/he was the one?
Jamie: Everything just felt right, even though we weathered so many storms together, the relationship felt easy. There are so many things we understand about each other without having to explain; our love languages just match.
Ariya: During our first year, we had a New Years trip to Palm Springs. It was at this time when I gave into listening to my heart more than my mind. She was the first person to make me feel that way and I knew it was going to be something special.
How did he propose?
Jamie: Ariya booked a weekend getaway to Palm Springs, the place where he first realized he was in love with me, and proposed in front of the museum after lunch.
Ariya; I proposed during another trip to Palm Springs in front of the museum. Near, what would be come the final location of the Marilyn Monroe statue. It held a special meaning for me as it was the place where I fell in love with Jamie.
Why did you choose your venue?
Jamie: Summit House was one of the first restaurants we went to with Ariya’s cousins and an event that really solidified our relationship. Coincidentally, it was around Christmas time about three years after our initial meeting, 2013. We chose the venue because it’s part of our love story, it’s in the city where we wanted to start our family, the food is amazing, and we just love how beautiful Summit House was. Summit house was also all inclusive so it made planning our wedding so much easier.
Ariya: Summit House is one of our favorite restaurants and is renowned for its prime rib. We wanted to prioritize a venue that had amazing food and a connection to us. It is also a beautiful venue that fit the aesthetic we wanted for our photos. Summit House also happened to be in a prime location as it is central to us and our guests.
What was your floral inspiration?
Jamie: I love soft blushes and spring florals! I loved how delicate ranunculus looked and how romantic the florals looked on film.
Ariya: Jamie led the charge here and worked closely with Julie and Sadi to come up with a design aesthetic that would look great in person and in photos.
What was the theme/colors/concept for your wedding?
Our theme was “Ratchet and Romantic”. We wanted the pictures and our wedding to look romantic and classic, but we wanted the party to never end. We were one of the first if not the first weddings post pandemic and we just wanted to celebrate life and love as loudly and as grand as we could. We ended up doubling our original hosted bar budget; it did not disappoint.
Why did you choose Whimsie Studios to photograph your wedding day?
We chose Sadi and Whimsie Studios because we love the airy, dreamy, and romantic aesthetic. We love the high quality photographs and Sadi’s clear wedding styling vision. Sadi was absolutely the most important vendor at our wedding. We wanted the pictures to be the priority for our wedding so we styled our wedding, with her help, all around the photographs. Whimsie Studios also had experience and multiple galleries for our wedding venue. Without Whimsie Studios and Sadi, I doubt we would have planned such a dreamy pandemic wedding by ourselves.
What was your wedding day photoshoot experience like?
Jamie: Our wedding day was incredibly hectic having had a 14 hour wedding. Whimsie Studios was able to calmly but firmly handle my family, execute exactly what we wanted, and make sure there wasn’t any McDonald’s in the back of our wedding photos. Sadi was so great and I felt so taken care of the entire day.
Ariya: If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be “fun”. A wedding day is filled with countless stressors, unexpected events, timeline adjustments, and sometimes difficult people. Throughout the entire day Sadi and Kyle, did not add to any of our stressors, kept everything flowing on time and handled everyone like true professionals.
Sadi and Kyle, kept things light and fun. Jamie and I never felt rushed. Sadi came very prepared and knew the types of shots she wanted and when it would fit in the timeline. She knew how to get Jamie and me to relax so we would look great in our photos.
What was the highlight of your wedding day, the best part for each of you?
Jamie: The best part of my wedding day had to be the ceremony. That’s when all the stress of wedding planning just melted away, when all our ducks were in a row and all I felt was happy. Walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing both my dad and Ariya tear up had to be the highlight of my wedding. Another memorable moment was the Father-Daughter dance. We almost skipped the dance but I’m glad we went through with it. My dad told me how proud he was of me during our father daughter dance.
Ariya: Seeing my bride-to-be walking down the aisle and knowing that in a few short moments she would become my wife. I was more emotional than I had expected I would be. Putting the ring on her finger, sealed the deal and was definitely my highlight.
What did you like most about working with me?
Jamie: You are incredibly responsive and have a clear aesthetic vision. As a low maintenance bride, I was overwhelmed with all the decisions and choices I had to make and you were always there by my side helping to guide me into creating the perfect wedding vision. You also helped by working with our florist to create the most beautiful floral vision for us. We had to plan a full pandemic wedding in 6 weeks while dealing with a family medical emergency where we had to stay at the hospital for 3 out of the 6 weeks. Only with your help and support, we pulled it off. You also made us feel beautiful when all we felt was tired and overwhelmed.
Ariya: Your level of professionalism blew away my expectations. Overall, this was not an easy wedding to plan and execute. Covid threw a wrench into everyone’s plan, but during this entire time you worked closely with us and made adjustments to accommodate us.
You were always very responsive and quick to offer suggestions and collaborate on our execution. You provided valuable insights into the design, aesthetic, timelines, what to expect, and countless other areas that we would have been lost without you. Your patience and guidance is very appreciated.
And of course, we love the quality of the product. The photos have been amazing.
Venue: Summit House Weddings
Florist: Emerald Grace Floral Designs
Invitations: Etsy
Wedding Day Stationery: SGX media
Caterer: Summit House Restaurant
Cake/Cupcakes: Patty’s Cake
Favors: we 3D printed everyone’s place setting
Dj: @djhoneymee
Photo booth: @thepbguy_socal
String Duo: Her Tree @thelizchavez
Videographer: @animorfix
Gown Designer: Essence of Australia
wedding gown: Love Boat Bridal
Qipao/cheongsam: brocade apparel
Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mischka and Betsy Johnson
Hair: @gracelinemakeup HMUA: May
Makeup: @gracelinmakeup HMUA: May
Groom’s Formalwear: Suit Supply
Grooms shoes: Magnanni Velvet Loafers
Groomsmen’s Formalwear: indochino
Groomsmen’s shoes: Cole Haan
Bridesmaid Dresses: Birdygrey
Flower Girl Dresses: Gardenwed Official Store
Wedding Rings: Golden Time Jewelry
Bridal Pearls: Mikimoto
Honeymoon Destination:
- Palm Springs, CA — Minimoon #1
- Waikiki, HI — Minimoon #2
- Paris, France // Europe
- Bali, Indonesia // Southeast Asia
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