Riley & Ben | Walnut Grove Micro Wedding

When I met Riley and Ben at their engagement session, they were so full of joy and so excited for their wedding, I knew it was going to be a dream to shoot. Little did we know, COVID had other plans. Their original date had to be postponed, but a few months later they decided a micro ceremony was the way to go! With just a few close family members in attendance, they tied the knot at beautiful Walnut Grove in Moorpark. Despite the change of plans and all the uncertainty, these two have stayed so positive and their intimate ceremony was beyond beautiful.

How he proposed, from the bride:
The year was 2011. Ben and Riley had been dating for almost a year. Riley couldn’t wait to take Ben to one of her favorite places, Mammoth Lakes, CA. While there, Ben and Riley took the Red’s Meadow Shuttle to visit Devils Postpile National Monument. After spending the afternoon meandering the winding trails through the forest, they arrived at Rainbow Falls, a beautiful waterfall nestled at the end of the trail. They propped a phone against a rock and snapped a romantic photo kissing in front of the raging water…
Jump ahead to 2018. It was Riley’s birthday week and Ben had made plans for a trip to Mammoth to recreate one of their favorite memories. As luck would have it, the road that the accessed the trail to the falls was closed for repair in preparation for the winter season, the bus was cancelled! Ben had to quickly devise a plan B, something he wasn’t sure Riley was up for. This involved a 10 mile hike around the mountain and down into Red’s Meadow to get to the secret proposal destination. In a defining moment, proving her love and commitment to Ben, Riley agreed to wake up before the sunrise to start their long journey! Little did Riley know what lied ahead! Three hours later and they had made it to the falls. As Riley posed to recreate their cherished photo, Ben got down on one knee and the moment was captured perfectly.

Venue | Walnut Grove
Florist | Yamaguchi’s Flowers
Gown | Lili Bridals
Makeup Artist | Ciao Bella Beauty
Cake | Sugar Lab Bake Shop