If our first wedding feature of the year is any indication, we're going to crush 2016 over here at GLW! We're basically obsessed with Lori and James' gorgeous outdoor fete. One part boho, one part rustic and 100% romantic, this one has more than it's fair share of swoon worthy details all designed and photographed by two of their dear friends Kaleb Norman James Design and Ali Mae Photo. It sure helps to have friends in the biz becasue as the bride says: "...they literally NAILED it. We honestly couldn't have made it more "us" even if we tried." We know you're going to love this one!

We feel like the most unique element of the wedding was the fact that the venue accommodated almost all of our guests and we had the ability to connect with our closest friends and family all weekend. It was such a special place and such a profound period of time all together.

The gown is Monique Lhuillier. My maid of honor was actually flying in to town for a weekend to help me search for a dress along with my mom. The appointment at the bridal salon where I found the dress was a last minute add-on. The appointment was before any of my bridesmaids arrived in town so it was just my mom and me. It was the first appointment of our weekend and the first time I ever tried on wedding gowns. The dress was the third one and my mom and I bawled our eyes out. Once the girls arrived into town we ended up going to only one other appointment before we called it quits and went back to buy the dress!

Having James' dad, Mike officiate the wedding was extremely personal and special. But I think having two close friends, Kaleb Willis and Ali Lavin, do the design, photography, and execution takes the cake. They are both incredibly talented and we didn't even really give them direction. We just told them to do whatever they felt like would be right for us and they literally NAILED it. We honestly couldn't have made it more "us" even if we tried.

Two things come to mind immediately: first is the candle lighting we did to honor James' late mother. It was really important to us to make sure she was a part of it somehow. Even though she wasn't there physically, we know she was there in spirit. The second is the colossal dance party that lasted 3 hours! Nuts.

I (Lori) moved down to L.A. in 2013 and on my first official night in my new apartment, my roommates had a weekly small group. James was a part of that group and ended up inviting me to coffee the next day to talk about a job. He basically hired me on the spot the next day and we became really close friends and months later we began dating. On February 13th 2015 James basically tricked me into planning my entire engagement day (unbeknownst to me). He surprised me at Griffith Observatory while my best friends and I were taking pictures overlooking the city. He got down on one knee and I blacked out. HA!

Photography: Ali Mae Photo // Design + Florals: Kaleb Norman James Design // Videography: Revel Weddings // Dress: Monique Lhuillier // Venue: Highland Springs Resort

James + Lori | Highland Springs Resort, San Bernardino CA from Revel Weddings on Vimeo.