A Whimsical, Butterfly-Themed Wedding in Carmel Valley, California

When wedding planner Leah Hwung got married to Justin Lee, she focused on what was most important to them: art, good food and music, nature, friends, family and love. They chose a butterfly motif to symbolize metamorphosis—or how life is a journey of struggle and triumph. Butterflies showed up everywhere throughout the wedding: on the envelope liner of the invitation suite, on acrylic ghost chairs at the ceremony and on each guest's place setting. Leah also carried a whimsical bouquet of paper butterflies and bunny tail grass. The ceremony was set under a giant oak tree, where a rainbow yarn art installation framed the couple. Guests sat in a U-shape around an altar decorated with rugs and grasses. Leah and Justin honored their Taiwanese culture with door games and a tea ceremony. For cocktail hour, guests visited stations to do bead painting, necklace making and canvas painting. Then they attended a reception with a teal, mustard yellow and light pink color palette. A peach-pink neon sign with the question “Why not?” hung over the sweetheart table, while origami decorations adorned all of the plates. Leah stunned in an A-line gown with appliqué details and wore her purple hair in a low romantic updo. Justin sported a teal suit with a porcelain bunny pin on the collar, a nod to his bride, who uses the nickname "Bunny."