An Epic Mountain View Accompanied This Summer Wedding at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California

Catherine and Dan may have tied the knot in the groom's home state of California, but their inspiration was purely Tuscan. Inspired by the natural beauty and breathtaking rolling hills at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California, the couple planned an Italian-inspired wedding with a soft color palette of white, blush, light gray and gold with ample greenery layered in. 


The day began with a wedding ceremony held atop a hill with panoramic vineyard views. Catherine recalls the couple's vow exchange as her favorite moment from the wedding day. "I asked Dan to go first—hoping I could hold it together until it was my turn to speak. I held it together until the last sentence of my vows when I referenced that wherever we are in the world, being together will always be 'home.' My voice cracked at that last word and the waterworks came soon after!" Following the vow exchange, guests enjoyed a cocktail hour with champagne and cucumber-infused water before enjoying dinner alfresco under an open air tent. Draping, vines and sparkling chandeliers filled the reception space with romance while guests ate dinner with sweeping mountain views. The couple even "incorporated some personal touches to the tablescape with custom watercolor table names of cities Dan and I have traveled to together," Catherine says. To add even more personalization to their wedding at Saddlerock Ranch, the couple "designed the name tags, custom glasses by Tossware and wine topper favors with a custom monogram."

Beyond planning a stunning event, Catherine and Dan dreamt up a wedding that was a true reflection of the two of them as a couple. "We wanted to incorporate our Asian heritage into the night so we hired Pine and Crane to deliver cold sesame noodles after working up a sweat on the dance floor, a dish we would usually enjoy after a late night out in Taiwan. Our favorite part of the wedding were the speeches, the best man went above and beyond to personalize his speech by printing out poster-sized photos of the groom to show his progression in life. The maid of honor’s speech framed our love in financial terms in such a creative and hilarious way and to tie in our finance backgrounds. It was both overwhelmingly funny and emotional," the couple recalls. 

Looking back on their California wedding day, the couple had this advice to share with couple currently in the middle of wedding planning: "My best marriage advice is always strive to grow and be better together – and have fun in the process! I am so grateful knowing Dan is my #1 fan who encourages me to continuously do better and be better. It really comes down to knowing that no matter what, he has my back and I have his. That’s what I call unconditional love!" says Catherine. Dan, meanwhile, suggests that "whatever you think a reasonable budget for your wedding is, multiply that by 1.5x and that's how much you'll end up spending so plan accordingly!"