Wedding at Firestone Winery--A Toast to Love
The Couple
Every Santa Barbara wedding site says something unique about the couple. On August 6th Firestone Winery opened its doors for a wedding that made saying, “I love you” easy. I-Ming Chiou and Amanda Kwan were a couple long before they were “a couple.” In fact, it took I-Ming six years to realize that the girl who was always beside him was “the girl,” but once these two realized their love, there was no turning back.
The Wedding
As far as Santa Barbara wedding sites go, Firestone Winery as captured by Michael Costa shines. Its exemplar gardens and inviting fields beckon to guests with lore of a world past. The Chiou-Kwan wedding played up the winery’s rustic elegance. The intimate reception blended chic effervescence with quiet scenery.
I-Ming’s best man entertained guests with stories of the groom’s fear of snakes, which caused I-Ming to flee from a garden snake one day and hide himself behind the safety of his apartment door until his friend disposed of it. During the wedding I-Ming needed the support of his friend again; once he saw Amanda walk down the aisle, his eyes filled with tears of joy and pride.
This wedding was a family affair. Brother-in-law Brian Gee officiated the ceremony while Amanda’s sister, Jennifer Gee, made the wedding cake. The Matron of Honor lovingly supported the bride during this wedding, a fine culmination to the friendship that began years ago as roomies at USC. When Amanda took her walk down the aisle, another brother-in-law serenaded guests on his guitar. Having their family and friends participate in such meaningful ways transformed this Santa Barbara wedding site into an intimate gathering, dedicated to celebrating the love of I-Ming and Amanda.
This Couple’s Picks:
Catering: Events by Rincon
Florist: Anna Sanders of Crazy Daisy
Photographer: Michael Costa
