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Tamara and Brian's Intimate Bali Wedding | Destination Weddings

melissajmattson
Feb 9, 2015
3 min read

Bali was an adventure of a lifetime.

And it all started here in Paso.

I was in church and I got a voicemail wedding inquiry. So I called back to find it was a mom calling on behalf of her daughter. Typically these go no where -- brides and their moms don't usually agree on style, so if the mom likes me her daughter may decide to hate my work just to keep the mother-daughter status quo.

So we set a date, I went to their house and we found a mutual love in small dogs, maltese and yorkies. Also a mutual love in wine and chatting. We spent time talking about their wedding that was set for the Paso Robles Inn, and their jobs, and weddings in general! Next thing I know I'm feeling like we're old friends and I'm so glad they're booking me on the spot - not for the job but so I can be there for the day.

Fast forward to their wedding day (blogged yesterday!) and I hit it off with Mikkeena's bridesmaid - her aunt Colean. We exchange emails and planned on my taking her sons senior portraits when I'm in San Diego a few months later.

Along comes Grant's senior pics (probably one of the funniest most charming kids around!) and Colean let's slide something about a couple who wants to take photos of them surfing in their wedding outfits.

So naturally I tell her they sound awesome and I'd love to shoot a wedding like that! Well.. just so happens that the wedding is in Bali and she'll pass my name along.

I figured it was a one in a thousand chance they'd actually pick me -- even after the first phone consult. And then it happened -- they booked me. I jumped around for joy in my living room. Not because of the couple, but just because of Bali. So after a few exchanged emails and phone calls my trip to Bali was booked and last June Colean and I met up at LAX to adventure to Japan, Kuala Lumpur, and ultimately Bali.

It wasn't until we were on the plane talking about Tamara and Brian that I realized that while I already like Tamara, I hadn't hardly ever talked to Brian and didn't know what either of them looked like (the fact that they're both gorgeous was a definite perk!).

I met them on my third day in Bali, and they were so warm and welcoming from the start. They didn't want me just to capture their Bali wedding and surrounding adventures, but they genuinely wanted me to be a part of their adventure. And I did become part of their adventure, became their friend, and even part of their Bali family-- and that's how I ended up crying on their wedding day with so much love and joy for these beautiful people that I had only known for less that 100 hours.

This wedding was everything a wedding should be. It was people with only love and support in their hearts, dedicated to making this day something beautiful for a beautiful couple. Everyone came together to give pedicures, set up video cams for those back in the states, put together the decorations, set the table, curl hair, and more.

And the pure happiness, joy, and love on everyones face says more than words can. (I promise I tried to trim down the photo set, but even 8 months after the wedding all these images still mean so much and are so beautiful)

Destination weddings are all day adventures, starting with breakfast and coffee!

Soon to be husband and wife, having a last moment before they go their separate ways for the day.

Massages and pedicures were called for!

And keeping a schedule of massage and pedicure times took quite a lot of work. Meanwile Brian and Rae were busy working on how to get the live cam to work t

Throughout the day everyone made the trek down to the beach to gather sand that we would sprinkle into a jar along with our blessing on their marriage during the ceremony.

Birthday/wedding day shots in celebration of Katie, Tamara, and Brian!

And how could a wedding end without any mishap at all?? So of course a bathroom handle had to break with poor Nicki inside! It took quite a team, and about fifteen minutes but luckily she got out before things got dire!