Getting Personal: A Petite Girl’s Dream Wedding

You know when someone says, “My wedding was the best day of my life?” and you wonder how that feels? Well I never really believed that it could be possible until I got married. My wedding day was seriously PERFECT. Flawless. I know- sounds cliche- but truly it was amazing. I think the MOST important part about your wedding is the photographer you choose. I did a TON of research and only wanted the best. I didn’t want a traditional wedding photographer nor did I want traditional pictures. I wanted someone to capture those unique and special moments w/out me knowing the picture was taken. So low and behold, I found Hoffmann. He is by far the most talented and phenomenal photographer I have ever seen. His work is not only artistic but it’s truly magnificent.
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Here is my dress…I only tried on ONE dress and knew it was the one:) I actually did a ton of research online first, found this one and located only one store in CA that carried this line and drove quite a ways to try on a size 10 and even then, knew it was the right one for me. Luckily I was able to order it in a size 0:)

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This dress was extremely heavy. The top portion was very intricate with hundreds of beads and took countless days and weeks to get it tailored. They had to take out each bead one by one and re-put it back on after taking in the dress. The dress is a size 0 but still needed major alterations.

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This is me right before walking down the stairs and down the aisle for the ceremony.

It was so difficult to select just a few of my favorites so hopefully you won’t be overwhelmed by this post. I hope I didn’t ruin the quality when uploading them here.  I tried to keep it sequential so it makes a bit more sense of our wedding day. A little history of me and lovely hubby. We were engaged only after 6 months, together for 11 years, married for the past 2 years. Yes I know, we had a very long engagement but we were very young and I am glad we waited. We moved out to CA from the Midwest together, we were busy focusing on our career so we wanted to wait until it was the right time.
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Our wedding truly was the best day of my life. It was perfection. Nothing went wrong and everything went right. We had perfect weather and the skies were the prettiest shades of blue. Everything just came together like magic! I never thought a day could be so perfect!
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We both wanted a very small and intimate wedding.  Being that most of our friends/family were from out of state and out of the country, we wanted to make sure it was intimate enough where you could spend time with everyone. After seeing so many people’s large weddings and how exhausting it was and not knowing who most of the people attending, I knew that wasn’t for us.

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The location was really important to me because I knew I wanted a beach wedding but did NOT want to be “in the sand” for our ceremony and I didn’t want  just a typical beach wedding. I wanted something much more upscale and the setting had to be absolutely perfect.  I also needed another location to take pre-wedding photos with my family. And knew the St. Regis was just the right place!

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We decided to stay at The St.Regis Hotel overnight since we didn’t live near our wedding location. This is one of my favorite hotels. It’s so beautiful and perfect for a pre-wedding photos. Because so many of our family was flying in from all parts of the country and from Australia, I wanted to make sure we had pictures prior to the wedding. So the timeline was a bit backwards but it actually worked out perfectly. We had pre-wedding photos with the bride and groom as well as our family. It was the first time in a really long time that our entire family was in one spot.
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I know tradition is that the groom doesn’t get to see the bride until she walks down the aisle but that just wasn’t possible. The way we did it was very un-traditional but it worked out perfectly for our wedding since our wedding ceremony wasn’t until right before sunset.
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Here is me getting my hair done…oh gosh I miss my light hair:( My hair stylist was just fantastic. She owns her own salon and I couldn’t have chosen a better person to do my hair on my special day. I knew I wanted a veil with my gown but I didn’t just any veil. I found this veil with little swarovski crystals and pearls that looked like tiny flowers scattered through out without being too busy or noticeable. Loved it!
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I contemplated about getting a makeup artist but am so glad that I did because she did an amazing job! So if you are petite bride to be and wondering if you should spend the money on getting professional makeup done, do it! It’s worth every penny;)

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My make-up artist was amazing! I was really nervous because I have never had someone else do my make-up before but WOW- am I so glad I selected her.
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It was the first time ever in my life I had professional make-up and it was awesome! 

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Here is hubby getting ready..so handsome he is! And he even wore pink for me to match our wedding color theme…such a gracious man he is!
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Oh our pretty little cake…it was so yummy! It was simple and elegant and matched everything perfectly. 
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I still can’t get over the perfect timing of Hoffmann. He was able to coordinate our after ceremony photos right at sunset. And the result, amazing pictures that almost make the background look fake!
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I did all my own wedding planning. I even created our own invitations and menu place cards. I had a very specific idea in my head and I knew I was the only one that would be able to bring it to life. There was a coordinator for the location that helped with some things but I mainly did everything.
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The above picture was NOT taken by Hoffmann– it was taken by me. Just wanted to show you my invitation and party favor that I created. For privacy and security reasons, I had to blur out our full names.:)
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I chose the venue, music,  and I even selected the flowers and setting and even did my own favors!
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I don’t think the day would have been the same w/out having Hoffmann as our photographer. My jaw still drops when I look at our wedding photos, it’s just unbelievable.
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This is one of all time my favorite pictures and I made this the cover of our wedding photo book. It’s perfect in every way…how on earth Hoffmann managed to get my veil blowing in the wind and the timing was incredible!
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Look at my tiny feet! Sorry for all the kissing photos, we are so in love:)

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This is also one of my favs…okay all of them are my favs! Look at the sun bursting thru us…it was magical! The wind was blowing at the perfect moment and the sun just about to go down…omg..I am getting teary eyed! I really wish I could post the thousands of great photos but clearly that wouldn’t be possible.
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Here is my bouquet..can you guess my wedding colors? Pink and white of course! In case you are wondering, I am wearing my 1 carat princess cut platinum engagement ring (Jeff Cooper Design) on my right hand and my 3 carat radiant cut split shank Platinum (Danhov Design) wedding ring. In case you are wondering, my ring size is a tiny size 3! And yes those are my real nails! No acrylics here!

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This is me in the waiting room reading my vows waiting to walk down the aisle. I have never been so nervous in my life!
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The St.Regis is simply elegant and so gorgeous inside. We were so blessed to have this area of the hotel all to ourselves!
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This is in a very popular gazebo near our wedding location…everyone was so kind to have moved out of the way for our pics:)
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The best part about Hoffmann is that he knew what he wanted and was a great director. And most of the time, when we weren’t posing, I hardly knew he was even there! He somehow managed to capture certain moments than only someone of this caliber could do. He truly is amazing and worth every penny!
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I truly felt like a princess that day. 
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I have no idea how I managed to get on top of this piano….LOL
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And we danced the night away into the sunset…Thank you Hoffmann for doing such an amazing job. Words can’t describe how phenomenal you are. I hope I can send many more brides your way. You truly made our day magical and now we have beautiful photos to look back on! I would HIGHLY recommend him for any brides to be. He does travel for weddings as well. I know when we decide to have a baby, he will definitely be the person to photograph our kids too! He does engagement photos, babies, couples, weddings and special occasions. 
Please make sure to click on his link and see his amazing work!
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Leave a comment!

  1. Truly beautiful! You, the day, the wedding, the photographs. Thank you for sharing it with us! I wish you a wonderful, blessed marriage. 🙂

  2. Oh, Annie. I'm tearing up here. Seriously!!! These pictures are beautiful. You looked stunning. Your hubby looked so movie star-like. (we've established that already.)
    Just went back and looked at the pictures again. OMG, I'm speechless. You two are so beautiful together.
    Thank you so much for sharing, Annie.

  3. WOW!! This is so beautiful!! Thank you for sharing your special day with us! This is touching for me because my anniversary is coming up, 4 years with my hubby in March! May your marriage be filled with blessings for both of you, I know mine has been <3

    I couldn't help but notice that your wedding dress need major alterations as well. I to stand in heels for 2 hours while mine was taken in and hemmed a bunch, and that was the smallest size they had!! Why do wedding dresses run large? It was absolutely worth it though!

    I personally love the photo with your tiny, sandy feet =)

  4. Wow. I have no words!! The photos are stunning. You were a gorgeous bride. Your hubby looked like prince charming. The details were exquisite. I can't stop with the compliments!! 🙂 Thank you SO MUCH for sharing!

    PS – In the make up pictures, you look like J.Lo!

  5. Wow! So, so beautiful. I really have no words for it either. I'm so happy for you. <3 11 years is a long time to be engaged but I couldn't agree more -it's better to wait until you're ready. =)

    P.S. I don't know if this is too personal but how old were you when you got engaged? You just look so beautiful and young in the photos!

  6. The pictures are SOOO gorgeous – truly looked like the perfect day. Everything was flawless, the happy (and VERY beautiful) couple, the dress, the color theme (PINK!!!! my favorite color), the flowers, the setting…thanks for the beautiful post Annie! 🙂

  7. Annie ~ you look like a princess! These photos are amazing, and don't worry about posting too many — I'd actually prefer to see more! You two make an amazing couple!

  8. At 20 yrs. old, I as well as my housemates are obsessed with everything wedding-related; we love to dream! These pictures are absolutely GORGEOUS. A dream come true for sure!

  9. WHOA! That is a DREAM wedding! Right in front of the BEACH! This wedding is a PLATINUM WEDDING! LOL! Do you watch that show? It's the best of the best most extravagant wedding! You look like a princess! That was one classy gown! OMG your hubby looks like a movie star, like Tom Cruise with the hair. My love bug Justin is growing out his hair too. LOL! I love your makeup it was so natural! OMG still looking at your pictures! There are soo many celebs who get married in Dana Point! I think Kobe Bryant got married there. Not sure, but I think. OMG still drooling! You two make a beautiful couple and I'm so happy you two are in love! You two are going to have super model children one day if you decide on children. Hehehe!

  10. wow, these photos are breathtaking! you and your hubby are so incredibly lucky to have each other and it looks like you did indeed have a dream wedding! i love the fact that you guys were able to have it at the beach — that would've been my pick too but unfortunately TX beaches aren't very spectacular… i would love to see a part 2 of your wedding! maybe some reception pictures? 🙂

    cute and little

  11. What beautiful wedding photos! You looked amazing and every aspect was so dreamy and romantic. I love that you chose an elaborate wedding dress with a long train – your own wedding is just about the only time you can get away with it so I'm glad you went all out. Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

    petitemom.blogspot.com

  12. I love this….thanks so much for sharing 🙂 You were an absolutley stunning bride! Your dress was actually kind of similar to mine! And I totally agree about having professional makeup done, it is amazing, isn't it…my makeup artist is now on that trashy show Jerseylicious on the style network….lol!!

  13. Your wedding photo album cover is also my fave picture out of all of these. I love veil pictures.

    Will you share with us the brand of your dress?

    I'm surprised you hired a make up artist for such a simplified wedding look. I'm actually glad u went for this look, however. Very appropriate for a beach wedding. I am actually not a fan of the heavy smoky look for weddings.

    You know what Annie? I think you should go lighter during the summer with your hair if you miss it so much.

  14. The pictures are absolutely GORGEOUS! My photographer wasn't a traditional wedding photog either. We picked him because he does a lot of event photography as well as fashion. Did you have a tough time finding a make-up artist? I looked through several online portfolios before deciding on two finalists to do testing…I wanted a simple, light look, not anything too heavy. Also, the artist's services had to be affordable too, as I was paying for my bridesmaids!

  15. My jaw dropped when I saw this. Everything about your wedding was stunning! I love how you carefully crafted every detail to perfection by yourself from the invite to your dress choice to your nails. I'm sure your pictures would have been amazing with just a "normal" photographer but with your incredible scenery and the gorgeous couple you guys are, Hoffmann made it that much more epically gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing Annie!!

  16. @s LOL there you are! How come I can't comment on your blog anymore? 🙁

    And really more? I thought this post was too long as it is..hehehehe Maybe in the future:)

  17. @AubreyOhDang! I don't know the exact brand but will look when I get home from work- it's couture something… and yeah I normally don't wear a lot of makeup to begin with so wanted to keep it as natural as possible. I don't like over done makeup on brides either!!!

    And don't tempt me on the light hair Aubrey! LOL I have thought about it but to go back to light- I would have to strip and bleach my hair and then my hair would all fall out. I would be a bald, petite blogger..LOL So I'll just deal with my dark hair since hubby loves it:)

  18. @CynthiaCI actually didn't have too much of a tough time, she was referred to me and highly recommended and when I did a test run with her- I knew she was the one:)

    I didn't have a bridal party because it was such a small and intimate wedding, we kept it simple with just us:) Which was THE PERFECT choice!!!

  19. @CynthiaCI actually didn't have too much of a tough time, she was referred to me and highly recommended and when I did a test run with her- I knew she was the one:)

    I didn't have a bridal party because it was such a small and intimate wedding, we kept it simple with just us:) Which was THE PERFECT choice!!!

  20. Annie! What a delicious and wonderful post! Thank you! Your readers are very encouraging. Hope to see you again sometime. Hoffmann

  21. ahhh! annie these photos made me smile and giggle the whole way down the post. you had the perfect day and it all looks so dreamy! love the veil picture too. i am size 3 ring too and i didn't know anyone else with that small of fingers 😀 maybe someday i'll have my special day too. a girl can dream!

  22. Your wedding photos are absolutely stunning. You look beautiful on your wedding day. You probably know from AN's forum. I also had a beach wedding. My husband and I didn't want a big wedding, either. We had our wedding on the beach with family members and close friends. Your photographer is very talented. I am sure those photos will last a life time.

  23. wow annie, your photos are amazing! you can definitely see the love between you and your hubby, so beautiful! everything looked like absolute perfection!

  24. Annie, you look BEAUTIFUL in those photos. I'm so happy that your wedding was perfect. I'm sure that for my own wedding, I'll be the one planning everything too because I'd want everything to be perfect. Your dress was beautiful and I adore the simple makeup look. I'm loving every photo you posted, but my fave would be your wedding cover one. Your photographer captured the sun, wind, and everything else at the perfect time.

    xx The Little Dust Princess

  25. WOW. You look absolutely beautiful and your wedding looked perfect! I love your theme – pink & white; my favorite colors. Very feminine.

  26. Oh this is just absolutely stunning! I'm glad everything went so gorgeously and smoothly!

    I wanted to answer your question here – I've been bad about putting things on Etsy but if you're interested in something, just let me know. 🙂

  27. Your wedding was gorgous!! And so were you! 🙂 I love tropical locations!! And what a great photographer!

    Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  28. Your wedding was beautiful! You and your hubby look so cute together.

    My hair was light when we got married, too. Sometimes I think about getting highlights, but I wear such heavy/dark eye makeup… I feel like black is better for me. You look great either way! Lucky! 🙂

    My husband and I want to renew our vows. I really want to go somewhere warm and tropical! Your pictures have definitely inspired me!

    xoxo

  29. Your wedding photos are gorgeous! I love the pink details – and it's great how the guys' neckties match all the pink details. You were a beautiful bride!

  30. Oh my goodness!! Congrats! You both look so joy filled. Happiness is simply radiating from you both! I love the wedding dress and everything looks so well organized! The invitations and place cards look adorable!

    Congrats again!

  31. Annie! What stunning pictures!! Although you give many thanks to Hoffman, I'm sure it could not have been so without such a gorgeous bride and groom! 🙂 It's nice to know that you were able to wait to have your dream wedding – the other half and I have been together for six, and I'm still waiting!

    I actually did my undergrad in the OC and I just love the beach side! Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Newport, Coronado…ahh, favorite haunts! Lastly, I'm so glad you two have found and have continued happiness with each other.

    –J/punksjunk

  32. Annie, love your blog. I used to just dress "comfortably" at work. I FINALLY decided this year to dress nicer. I am a business owner and it's about time I look the part! Thanks for all of your inspiration, I LOVE your outfits and you are beautiful! You may have answered this somewhere else, but what is your background? Are you Filipino? I am:) And I love your hair! What shampoo/conditioner and product do you use?

  33. Those are beautiful wedding photos!I loved the location and the beach sunset photos were just breathtaking. Congratulations!

  34. Super late comment, but just had to say–your wedding looked so dreamy!:) I can't say mine was perfect, but it was fun and memorable and casual, which was all I really wanted. I could go on and on about it (the way brides tend to do), but I'll stop now. Haha.

    Re: makeup–I love getting mine done by a pro. I normally just can't be bothered to do it myself! And it was great that you decided to have a pro do it. They know what looks good in photos.:) (Spoken, er written, like a true magazine editor. Haha)

  35. You look stunning! I absolutely love your wedding dress. Beautiful setting, venue, and fantastic pictures! Thanks for sharing!

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