Boy, oh boy, have we got a special wedding day for you today! Savannah and Tim are so very near and dear to our hearts. And, they happened to get married this August and we got to be there. This two are two of the sweetest, most caring and compassionate people that we’ve met. And they’re loads of fun. We knew their wedding day was going to be so crazy-beautiful, and very romantic. Sticking to certain traditions like not doing a first look, but still talking to each other first just made their day. And, can we tell you how glad we are we got to sneak away for sunset with them?

We have SO MANY favorites from their wedding day, but here are just a few of ours (and theirs). And, Savannah and Tim were gracious enough to chime in with some planning advice and favorite moments from their wedding day as well. Enjoy, friends!

Belvoir Winery Romantic Summer Wedding

Getting Ready

Any words of wisdom for those still planning? “Have fun and enjoy every moment of it. Whether you plan on being engaged for a year or a few months, time flies by. Don’t argue over things that you both don’t have too much control over. Be sure to be specific when planning because if the two of you aren’t on the same page, then no one else will be! Having an itinerary is amazing. It gives you the opportunity to be flexible with a lot of things and you don’t necessarily need to pay for a planner if you’re willing to put in the work. While you are deciding on different things such as, photographers, caterers, etc., be sure you chose the company you truly love and enjoy. You’d be surprised on how helpful they can be as well ;)”

What do you wish you knew before you started planning? “Honestly, nothing really. Everything came together (even better than expected).”

Pre-Wedding Photos

Best advice for a bride? “Have an open mind. Yes, this is an amazing day and something you’ve dreamed about forever but if you let go a little (not be a HUGE perfectionist) your day will flow together whether you’ve 100% planned it that way or if it just happens! Once your day comes, if there are things you’ve forgotten…just let it go. That just goes to show it really wasn’t meant to be. Simply enjoy it and let people HELP you. If you have supportive girls (or guys) by your side on your big day, let them help you. Demand (nicely) for things to get done and they will!”

Best advice for a groom? “Have fun, bur realize what you’re doing. You are marrying your soulmate/partner for life and when that is shown and felt your day will be amazing. Downplay the seriousness, meaning, if you’re having a good time and love what you’re doing, the pictures and feelings will come naturally and look stunning.”

Wedding Ceremony

What were your favorite moments from your wedding day?

Savannah: “As if I could only choose on or a few! I am extremely happy I didn’t do a ‘first look’ with my soon-to-be husband on my wedding day. Even though we didn’t do a ‘first look’ we did do a ‘no-look-first-look’ and that was amazing. UNFORGETTABLE! My now husband is a musician and incredibly talented on the piano and surprised me with playing my favorite song while I walked down the hall (without seeing him, of course)! Another favorite moment was our first dance. We decided to be a little fancy and waltz for our first dance (without lessons, just YouTube) to Beauty and the Beat by John Legend and Ariana Grande (huge Disney fans!). With Tim wanting to outdo himself (like always) he surprised me again with a flash-mob with his groomsmen! Another UNFORGETTABLE moment! “

Tim: “Our first dance. Savannah’s father/daughter/family dance. MOH and BM speeches. Ceremony in general, but more specifically our vows and cross ceremony.”

Wedding Party Pictures

Favorite splurge? “Our photographers FOR SURE 😉 but also the last minute videographers!”

Wedding Reception

What’s next for you two? “We have already lived together before marriage, so on to living together as a married couple. We are planning on taking a honeymoon, but not until October. WE’RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD! We are such big kids and obsessed with Disney, so we thought that would be the perfect place to celebrate our marriage.”

Anything else you would like to share with us/planning brides and grooms?

“Kyle & Melissa – you guys are SIMPLY AMAZING. You both have not only captured our day FLAWLESSLY, but you also MADE IT PERFECT. I wish we could have you guys around 24/7 because you guys are THAT amazing. You both will probably have to get used to the phrase ‘thank you’ because we will NEVER stop saying it! We love you both oh so much. “

“Planning brides & grooms – LISTEN TO YOUR PHOTOGRAPHERS! They KNOW what they’re doing and will make things a thousand times LESS stressful. Perfect example: Tim and I (Savannah) are the most awkward and uncoordinated (mainly Savannah) people, but they made us look like models who have been modeling for years!”

Savannah and Tim – CONGRATULATIONS friends!!! You two warm our hearts completely, and we couldn’t be more grateful for your friendship. And that you let us make your wedding day photos. We love you both to the moon and back, and can’t wait to see where life takes you next!

You can check out Savannah & Tim’s full wedding gallery here. Or, feel free to head over to check out their crazy-fall engagement session.

Savannah & Tim’s Wedding Vendor Team:

Ceremony & Reception Venue| Belvoir Winery

Wedding Planner| Aloha Amelia Weddings – Jayla Awa

Savannah’s Wedding Gown | David’s Bridal

Tim’s Tux | Men’s Wearhouse

Florist | Ecoflower

Catering | Brancato’s

DJ | Tom Bard

Invitations & Paper | Ash Ohana

Book us for your Wedding:

To book Rivas Photography for your upcoming engagement session or wedding, please visit our contact page to send us a message. Or, feel free to check out our calendar to find our next available meeting time.