One thing you will quickly learn about me is that the redwoods hold a very special place in my heart, and in the heart of my entire family.

My grandma grew up amongst these beautiful trees. When she met my grandpa, they spent a lot of time exploring these ancient forests together. It was their happy place. And still is even after moving away from California 60 years ago. My grandma has always said that being in the redwoods helped put things in perspective and reminded her how small her problems really were. Ain’t that the truth!

I remember when I saw my first redwood tree — I was in awe. I had never seen something so majestic. I mean…a tree that tall, that wide, and that old? It was incredible!

To me, the redwoods embody everything that is magical about the world. First of all, they are indestructible – having bark that can withstand anything from lightning and forest fires to insect attacks and fungus. They also grow to amazing heights and amazing widths (often over 300m tall and 25m wide!) – so tall and strong, watching over the entire forest. And these trees are such old, wise souls. Most are over 600 years old and some are even 2000 years old. Can you even imagine everything these trees have seen and lived through?

While I love all of these things about redwood trees, what I love most is that even though these trees are so massive, their root systems are actually quite shallow. What allows them to stand up tall and strong with such shallow roots is their tight knit community. Redwoods cluster together, intertwine their roots just below the forest floor, and create a solid foundation for them all to stand on. How beautiful is that?!

When Andrew and I first moved out to California, we immediately took to the redwoods. And in the last four years, we have shared some of our happiest memories amongst these beauties. These ancient forests became our happy place too. They make us feel “at home.”

We knew that if we didn’t get married in the middle of a redwoods forest, we wanted to find a way to weave them into our special day. So we decided to have our “first look” in a redwoods grove. It was such a special moment to share with each other, and to share our connection with these magical trees with our loved ones. We felt so happy, so peaceful and so at home.

Ask Yourself: How are you being intentional about making yourself feel at home on your wedding day? Are you in a forest? A farm? Near the ocean? A special place where you grew up?