A Mountain Mermaid Micro Wedding in Topanga Canyon

Family, Friends & the Two of Them

A mini cocktail hour followed on-site, charcuterie from Marvelous Creations, set out and run entirely by the two moms, Sandi and Debra, 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, even a shot of Chloe in that freestanding bathtub.

The Mountain Mermaid sits tucked into the canyon above Topanga, its garden dense and shaded, banana leaves pressing in at the edges, the pool catching the afternoon light below. The portrait session moved through the whole property: family groupings near the pool, the wedding party by the vintage trailer, the two of them alone in the round mirror and the garden. With the ceremony already done and the guests settled into the cocktail hour, these were the photographs taken 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. The couple made their grand entrance to Justin Bieber's "Yummy," straight into a first dance to Jorja Smith's "Greatest Gift." Chloe danced with her dad, Everett 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, after a quick change into matching tracksuits, performed a dance she'd rehearsed in secret for Everett. Toasts rolled from parents to sister to best man, the Butter Cake Shoppe cake was cut beside a dessert table Everett's mom baked herself, and the dance floor stayed full until nearly midnight.

DJ Alex Hayward kept the floor moving from dinner through the last song, and a photobooth ran through the middle of the night while the reception found its rhythm. Phoenix Transportation handled the logistics between both venues so the couple never had to think about who was getting where, which is exactly the point of a two-venue wedding when it works.