A Filipino-American Micro Wedding in the Sequoias

A 6-Guest Mountain Ceremony Under the Tall Trees

The ceremony happened outdoors under the sequoias, with the six guests gathered close on either side. Iona walked in to meet Joseph at the front, and the two of them said their vows with the giant trees standing over the whole thing. The small ceremony had the feel of a Filipino-American family gathering, everyone who came knew exactly what the day meant, and the two families stood close enough to touch.

Everyone there was right there for it. Six people in that circle, and not one of them a stranger to the couple.

“Six people gathered under the tall trees, near enough to reach out and touch.”

Portraits Among the Sequoias

Afterward came portraits and family photos among the trees. The giant sequoias here are among the largest and oldest living things on Earth, rooted high in the Sierra Nevada at six to seven thousand feet, a setting that does most of the work on its own.

Iona and Joseph moved through the groupings with both families, then slipped off for a few portraits of just the two of them before the light changed.

Dinner in the Sequoias After the Filipino-American Ceremony

As the evening set in, the small group sat down to dinner together in the mountain air. With six guests, the reception had the feel of a family meal, everyone at one table, the two families finally in the same place after the drive up. The food came out and the conversation didn't stop, the way it goes when the whole room is people who've known each other a long time.

They cut into the cake, from The Pie Hole, to close out the night, and the day stayed as small and close as it had started.