There are some places in Southern California so incredibly breathtaking, you forget where you are for a second. Malibu Rocky Oaks is one of those places.

And it was there, perched on the top of a Malibu mountain, that Jennifer and Elliott said their vows to one another, choking back tears (there was much debate about who would cry first — spoiler: it was Elliott). As you’d expect from a doctor and meticulous planner, Jennifer had the details of the day orchestrated months in advance — hours upon hours of preparation — and it all culminated in that single instant. You can understand the emotion behind those vows — it was a pretty special moment to be a part of.

There were so many awe-inspiring aspects to this day, mountaintop vista aside, between the vineyard photo sessions, live doves, monogramed ice sculptures, fields upon fields of floral decorations, incredible music, a perfect sunset, dare we go on?  Really, 90 seconds isn’t long enough to share everything from that day. But here are some of our absolute favorites.

A huge shoutout to Sterling Engagements Inc. for making our lives incredibly easy while at the same time accomplishing the daunting task of turning a castle on a mountain into the perfect host for a day’s worth of wedding festivities. Couldn’t have asked for better photographers than Callaway Gable , seriously some of the best at what they do. And of course we’d be remiss if we didn’t thank our friends at Make-Up Therapy, The Food Matters, Luxe Linen, Fantasy Frostings, Classic Party Rentals, A Rental Connection, Lounge Appeal, Super Cool Creamery, Matthew Evilsizor and Conscious Bean, Amber Event Production, White Dove Release, Shawna Yamamoto Event Design’s amazing floral collection and of course, Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards for making a memorable day into an unforgettable one.

Sydnie and Sahar are realists, the groom’s Best Man, Shane Demello explained. Whenever there’s been any sort of conflict over the six years they’ve been together, the pair has always confronted it head on and emerged from the ensuing discussions stronger and more in love than ever.

It’s a story we kept hearing over and over at their wedding — that the emotionally mature couple has found strength in each other ever since they met through a friend back in Arizona.

After spending the day with these two, we have just the moment to put this in perspective.

Sitting some 100 yards below the helipad that served as the ceremony site (yep, we said helipad) is a granite thumb of boulder protruding from the mountain. It’s a pretty majestic spot that juts out from the Malibu Rocky Oak grounds, and overlooks the Malibu valley stretching out to the west below. Sydnie had requested that after the ceremony, they do a brief sunset photo session from the rock, which we were all excited for — who doesn’t love epic sunset photos? When sunset rolled around it was every bit as picturesque as we’d imagined, but what we hadn’t planned for were the chilly, ocean-driven 20 mile-per-hour winds that buffeted the rocky outcrop as the evening fog began to seep off the coast and pour into the valley. Plus, Sydnie and Sahar had to find a way up there. Cue epic music.

Yet here was Sydnie in her wedding gown just an hour after being married, gamely holding onto Sahar’s hand as the determined couple bouldered/hiked/crawled up the side of a mountain for the picture of a lifetime. After some careful treading they were able to scramble to the top of the boulder.

It’s a moment we — and no doubt Sydnie and Sahar — will never forget. Gusty ocean winds were swirling around the just-married couple as the sun sank behind them. And full behind-the-scenes disclosure, Sydnie (ok, everybody) was freezing in the chilly evening breeze. But the pictures and film tell another story: Sydnie and Sahar stood on that freezing rock unfazed, holding onto one other, each made a little bit stronger (or at least, a little less cold) by each other’s presence. They stuck it out on that spot for several minutes before they had enough. And it was totally worth it, as you’ll see.

As always, thanks so much to Alexandra and her entire team at Sterling Engagements who put on such a gorgeous wedding, the incredible Malibu Rocky Oak Vineyard Estates for hosting,  Lilla Bello for fantastic floral arrangements, the lovely ladies at Design Visage and Makeup Therapy, Dash Entertainment, Amber Event Productions, The Food Matters, El Canito Cigar Events, Pacific Strings Trio, Cocktail Concierge, Fantasy Frostings, Luxe Linen, Prim and Pixie, Maya Myers Photography who is a blast to work alongside, and of course Sydnie and Sahar for sharing their day, so many laughs and showing off their rock climbing skills in full wedding attire.

It’s a funny thing how a business built on selling scraps of metal could be such a testament of strength. In this case, it turned out to be much more than just a business. It’s the very foundation of two families’ deep friendship. It was this friendship —  begun many years ago — that eventually led to the marriage of our friends Brittany and Tyler.

You see, their two families have been welded together (see what we did there) for a handful of decades. Both their fathers became partners in the scrap metal business and over the years since their families’ bond has been well, forged pretty strong. The respective children of the two families had always been friends but as they grew older it was inevitable a romance would arise. There was a moment when it clicked for then-teenage Brittany and Tyler, on a joint-family vacation to Tahiti. The talked and hung out endlessly that trip, their mutual interest growing as their relationship from family friends transmogrified into romantic interests. When they parted ways at the end of the summer for their respective colleges — it was clear that they wouldn’t be parted for long.

Though their families date back so much further, that was undoubtedly the beginning of their own path together. Some seven years later, Tyler got down on one knee and pulled a piece of stationary from his pocket. He read that poem to Brittany, asking her in so many words to be his bride. Those scraps of stationary were kept and framed along with the wine bottle they used to celebrate; that frame was on display, sitting on a nearby table when Tyler spoke his vows in October at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, fittingly another poem.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention a few of the fabulous people who joined us in being a part of the day: flawless floral displays from Art with Nature Design, an incredible array of food from 24 Carrots Catering and Events, the unmistakeable and incomparable DJ Steve Shanahan of Honored Occasions, talented photographer Joel Maus from Studio EMP — a pleasure as always to work alongside — Saddlerock Ranch for serving as the gorgeous venue for the evening and of course everything for the entire day so meticulously planned to a T by our friends at Intertwined Events.

The details that so many worked on throughout (and for that matter, in the days leading up to) the big day were breathtaking. Shortly after the ceremony we overheard one of the guests in attendance — mesmerized by those same details we were — leaned over to the crowd of people next to him and chuckled, looking around in appreciation at the dozen tables filled with bouquets of flowers and the willow trees billowing with lights. He echoed the sentiment so many wondered with amazement that night, “Can you believe all this was built on scrap metal?”

We can think of nothing stronger on which to build a new marriage. And it really does make for a fairy tale like beginning to Brittany and Tyler’s life together: two families, two poems, a whole bunch of scrap metal and one very happy couple. They really are a couple scraps to each other (it was after all, their chosen hashtag). And we mean that as the highest of compliments.

In the month of giving thanks for all that we are grateful for in our lives, we know it is important to give back to the causes we believe strongly in. RAD Camp is one of those charities. For those that don’t know, RAD Camp serves adults (18+) and children (4-17) with developmental disabilities. It ensures that every participant is treated with respect, while encouraging independence, growth, and FUN! Most importantly, at RAD Camp they focus on each camper’s ability – not disability – and are dedicated to making sure each participant has a great time in a safe and caring environment.

Please join us in making a donation to this amazing cause.

Be apart of the cause, donate at : bit.ly/1XZSDps

Thank you for your consideration!

Erin and Quint have known each other just about as long as they’ve been alive. They grew up as friends in nearby Hermosa Beach and as they grew up, so did their relationship. They formed around them a strong — not to mention hilarious — group of friends, family and supporters.

Erin and Quint started dating on August 22, 2003; they were 16 at the time. Their wedding day marked their 12-year anniversary, a day they decided to spend with the close friends that have watched as their relationship blossomed from friends to husband and wife. For Quint, an avid golfer, it was a morning on the The Links at Terranea — with a few beers involved along the way. And Erin spent the morning relaxing and getting ready in the villa with her close friends and Pi Phi sisters.

It was a moving and really, really fun day with both couples and their posses. There were emotional moments throughout the day, but all that paled in comparison to when Quint and Erin read each other their personalized vows.

“I promise i will age gracefully, a race it appears I’m already losing to you at the age of 28,” joked Quint. “Erin you’re my best friend, my lifelong partner, my cooking companion, my travel buddy, my other half and its very hard to imagine life without you. when I sit down and think about it, spending forever with you just doesn’t seem like it’s going to be long enough.”

It was pretty clear, they both poured some serious soul in there; there were jokes, laughs and pretty much everybody cried at some point.

“I promise to ride with you in your golf cart wherever you want to go,” Erin told Quint minutes later. “At 16 a girl dreams of marrying her first love. Today you have made that day my reality.”

It’s moments like that that make what we do all the more worth it. And when the backdrop for such an occasion is the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean? It doesn’t get much better than that.

Special thanks to Erin and Quint for sharing their day with us and hats off to our friend Jeannie Savage and her team at Details, Details for planning yet another beautiful day, Nisie’s Enchanted Florists for the gorgeous floral arrangements and of course the Cuban Cigar Factory for the incredible hand-rolled cigar station in the evening (you know we had to indulge). We’d be remiss if we didn’t extend a shoutout to Gabriel and Carlie of Gabriel Ryan photography, as always, a pleasure working alongside friends.