A Mountain Mermaid Micro Wedding in Topanga Canyon

The Mountain Mermaid Ceremony, Topanga Canyon

In the garden near the pool, Everett walked in with his parents. Then Chloe came down the horseshoe path with her mom and dad on either arm, to Kacey Musgraves' "Can't Help Falling in Love" — the processional song she'd kept secret until it played. Thirty-two chairs faced the couple, the towering antique doors stood behind them, and laughter broke out right in the middle of the vows.

They jumped the broom and signed their marriage license there in the garden, the canyon greenery close on every side.

“Thirty-two chairs, laughter in the middle of the vows in front of the towering antique doors.”

A Canyon Cocktail Hour, Then Portraits

A mini cocktail hour followed on-site. The two moms, Sandi and Debra, ran the charcuterie from Marvelous Creations entirely themselves while family photos happened by the pool. Then Chloe and Everett slipped off for portraits around the property — the gardens, the vintage trailer, the round mirror, and Chloe back in that freestanding bathtub.

The Mountain Mermaid sits tucked into the canyon above Topanga, its garden dense and shaded, banana leaves and big blue agave pressing in at the edges, the pool catching the afternoon light below. The two of them wandered the whole property for their portraits, unhurried, while the guests settled into the cocktail hour behind them — a couple taking photos at their own pace in a place they'd chosen because it looked like something.

The Preserve LA. Grand Entrance to Midnight

Everyone drove across town to The Preserve LA for the evening. Chloe and Everett made their grand entrance to Justin Bieber's "Yummy," then went straight into a first dance to Jorja Smith's "Greatest Gift." Chloe danced with her dad, Everett danced with his mom, and the two of them gave the thank-you speech themselves before dinner.

Midway through the night came the surprise. Chloe and her girls changed into matching tracksuits, and then she performed a dance she'd rehearsed in secret for Everett. The toasts rolled from parents to sister to best man. They cut the Butter Cake Shoppe cake beside a dessert table Everett's mom had baked herself, and the dance floor stayed full until nearly midnight. DJ Alex Hayward kept the floor moving from dinner through the last song, a photobooth ran through the middle of the night, and Phoenix Transportation handled the logistics between both venues — which is exactly the point of a two-venue wedding when it works.