September in the Santa Cruz mountains is a magical time. I could drive the roads all day, watching beams of sunlight pour through tall redwoods, and finding little enchanted trails into dense bits of forest. Once in awhile, you'll break out of the woods and see a vista--sometimes foggy, sometimes sunny, sometimes opening to a long view of the ocean over the tops of towering trees.

Chrissy and Alex chose a gorgeous piece of family property for their wedding, tucked up into the hills, with a redwood grove just big enough for a ceremony. I'd fallen head-over-heels for the property when I visited in April for a quick walk-through that turned into one of the most fun mornings of my life--an 8-year-old took me on her ATV through the farm fields and down to the ceremony grove, following the bride and groom in another ATV. While there were no ATVs on the wedding day, they shuttled the guests down in vans to the beautifully-decorated grove.

I loved watching all the family and friends from Mexico walk in with their sharp suits, sweeping dresses and gorgeous shoes. Both Chrissy and Alex had a posse of beautiful/handsome bridesmaids and groomsmen--so many that they barely fit for photos in the redwood grove (I discovered as I kept encouraging them to snuggle closer, as I kept backing up the chair I was standing on). They all made for the perfect, crazy, fantastic dance party later on, too.

A huge congratulations to C&A for an unforgettable day and a lifetime of adventures ahead!