Intimate Fall Wedding in the Mountains | Diana + Drew

Diana and Drew’s intimate fall wedding in Northern California has to be one of the most special events I’ve ever had the pleasure of capturing. Not only will I forever be obsessed with fall weddings, but the special touches they incorporate throughout their wedding day were unlike anything I had ever seen. By keeping their guest list just to their closest friends and family, this couple had the most relaxing and laid back day. From start to finish, every moment felt so meaningful and you could tell every single guest had the best time. In this blog, I’ll be sharing why an intimate fall wedding is a great option for your big day, give fall wedding design inspiration and cover all those special moments I mentioned from Diana and Drew’s wedding in the Northern California mountains.

Why I Love Intimate Fall Weddings

There’s something so cozy about fall in Northern California that sets the perfect tone for an intimate wedding. The mountains start to get snow-capped peaks again, the air is cool and crisp, and the landscape turns a stunning golden hue. If warm and welcoming is the vibe you want to achieve on your wedding day, an intimate fall wedding is the way to go. Your venue choice can also help set the tone. For their October wedding, Diana and Drew chose a cozy lodge near Mount Shasta. The lodge made a perfect backdrop for getting ready photos and allowed them to stay on-site with their family and friends. They had their ceremony outside with views of the mountains framing the background. For their reception, they hosted their guests in a heated tent that was ideal for the chilly weather. The entire day was so cozy and you could feel the warmth and love surrounding this couple from start to finish. AKA, it was absolutely perfect.

Fall Wedding Design Inspiration

There are so many options when it comes to intimate fall wedding decor and design. The best part about this season is you can keep things really simple and let the beauty of the changing leaves and cozy weather shine. But you can also play up these features with a jewel tone color palette or luxe design details. For their mountain wedding, Diana and Drew kept their decor rustic and natural to match the beauty of the surrounding landscape. For their ceremony backdrop, they chose a wooden frame that resembled the mountains in the distance and adorned it with boho style flowers. They kept the decor in their reception tent minimal with more rustic and wooden accents for their centerpieces and food displays. With a location as stunning as Mount Shasta, you really don’t need much to bring your space to life!

Drew + Diana’s Wedding Day

This wedding was special for so many reasons, but celebrating their marriage along with their excitement about welcoming their little one had to be the best part. That’s right…I not only was able to capture wedding photos for Diana and Drew, but we got some maternity photos throughout the day as well! It truly made this already magical day even more memorable. And the personalized details that were sprinkled throughout the day only added to that atmosphere. For example, during the reception they had an entire table filled with old photos of their loved ones that had passed on as well as wedding photos of the important couples in their lives. Each table had bottles of wine with custom labels created for their wedding. During the ceremony, they welcomed a few special people to come up and place a ribbon around their hands for a traditional Celtic handfasting ceremony to represent their union. Their reception was an absolute blast complete with shot skis, a dessert bar with cakes and pies and of course, plenty of dancing. Love was in the air and you could tell every guest had an amazing time! 

If you’re planning an intimate fall wedding full of special details, you want to make sure you have the right photographer to capture every moment. If you’re looking for venue recommendations, have questions about wedding photography styles or just want to connect, I’d love to hear from you! You can find real wedding inspiration on my blog or check out my portfolio, and when you’re ready, reach out to me on my contact page here. I can’t wait to meet you!