Heartfelt & elegant Carmel Valley wedding at Holman Ranch

Katja and Chris had a simple vision for their California summer wedding; it was to be centred around romance, love, and elegance. "From the moment we met we both valued romantic gestures, and simple but important acts of love. We wanted our guests to see and feel the love between us from the moment they walked onto the property to when the last song was being played on the dance floor." CARLIE STATSKY captured their beautiful day at HOLMAN RANCH which was planned by ENGAGED AND INSPIRED.

The gorgeous bride tells us, "We are fortunate enough to have found Holman Ranch, a private, tuscan, and incredibly romantic venue to complete our perfect and picturesque day. The ceremony location has a breathtaking backdrop that showcases natural beauty at its finest. Each and every nook and cranny of the venue presents a unique, beautiful, and romantic feel. It had everything we envisioned and more. From selecting the flower arrangements to the decor we wanted it to complement the beauty of the venue and capture that soft romantic feel that Chris and I share. One of the most important aspects for us, aside from photography and videography, was the food. We wanted our guests to have an delicious, organic, and farm fresh meal. When we met with the owners of Paradise Catering we knew we hit the jackpot. Their food was simply delicious. Hands down one of the best meals I have ever had.

Thinking back to our big day there were several moments that we will cherish in our hearts forever. One of those being the three readings we selected that were read by family members. As this marriage is a blending of a family we wanted to highlight that no matter what challenges we face we will always face them together. And that true love is flexible, patient, understanding, and has a sense of humour. Another highlight for us was sharing our written vows to each other. While neither of us are confident public speakers we found it important that on this day we share our love and commitment with the people who mean the most to us, our tribe. I know for myself, hearing my husband's vows reminded me how unconditionally loved I am and how lucky I am to have found my person. Those few moments were the most magical and romantic of the entire day. While there are many more highlights, the last one was when we had our first look in the courtyard. I remember when the door opened and I saw Chris standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me my heart skipped a million times over. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen and my eyes teared up knowing that today would mark our forever love story. Walking down to meet him my heart was overflowing with joy. The way he looked at me reminded me of how much this man loves me despite my flaws and imperfections. The love I felt in that moment was true, authentic, and forever lasting.

I hope that when people see these photos they can feel the love, romance, and heartfelt details that were put into making this day one of our favourite memories. This is our love story and I have loved every minute of it."