Kat & Mike's Ethereal Gardens Wedding Photos

April 12, 2026 · Woodland Grotto at Ethereal Gardens, Escondido

An Ethereal Gardens Wedding in Escondido

Kat and Mike met in college through mutual friends in Greek life in the fall of 2014. Eleven years later they still spend their free time traveling, trying new foods, skiing and hiking, usually finishing the day with a boba run. They married on April 12, 2026 at Ethereal Gardens in Escondido, in a palette of pastel purple, blue, green and pink. They shared a first look and private vows, said I do beneath the hanging ferns of the Woodland Grotto and celebrated in the Open Air Pavilion until a bubble exit closed the night. Here are their Ethereal Gardens wedding photos, captured by One and Only Production.

Getting Ready at Ethereal Gardens

Kat got ready with her bridesmaids in matching lilac satin pajamas in the bridal suite, between the mustard velvet sofa and the canopy swing bed, and a pillow fight broke out before anyone was dressed. Mike and his groomsmen got ready in beige suits in the groom's lounge, finished with pastel boutonnieres from Blooms Design House. Their details carried the palette through the day: a floral invitation suite, a ring box tucked into a pink gerbera and daisies pinned in Kat's hair.

Wedding flat lay with a floral invitation suite, perfume and pastel flowers on blush linen

Wedding bands resting on Kat and Mike's floral wedding invitation

Engagement ring in a hexagon ring box nestled in a pink gerbera daisy

Groom's brown leather shoes and accessories with sprigs of greenery

Wedding gown hanging on an ornate mirror in the Ethereal Gardens bridal suite

Daisies and a pink bloom pinned in the bride's dark curled hair

Bride with her bridesmaids in matching lilac satin pajamas

Kat in a white robe on the canopy swing bed in the bridal suite

Bride and bridesmaids in lilac pajamas on a mustard velvet sofa

Bridesmaids in a pillow fight with the bride on the mustard sofa

Kat in her white robe seated on the curved mustard velvet sofa

Bridesmaid in lavender adjusting Kat's hair in the garden

Bridal portrait of Kat in a lace off the shoulder gown with daisies in her hair

Mike tying his brown dress shoes on a green velvet sofa

Groomsmen in beige suits relaxing in the groom's lounge at Ethereal Gardens

Groomsman straightening Mike's jacket under an ivy covered arch

Close up of the pastel boutonniere on Mike's double breasted beige suit

A Garden First Look and Private Vows

Mike waited on the garden path by the cottage while Kat walked up behind him, and her bridesmaids peeked out from the porch to watch. There were happy tears under the ivy arch, then the two of them went inside to read the vows they had written for each other. Sharing private vows before the ceremony gives a couple a quiet moment that is hard to find once the guests arrive.

Kat walking up behind Mike on the garden path for their first look at Ethereal Gardens

Kat and Mike smiling together in front of the ivy covered arch

Mike seeing Kat in her gown for the first time

Emotional first look moment on the garden path

Kat wiping away happy tears with her bouquet in hand

Bridesmaids in lavender peeking from the cottage porch during the first look

Kat and Mike walking toward each other on the garden path

Couple embracing under the ivy arch after their first look

Kat laughing with Mike beneath the ivy archway

Bride and groom holding hands on the garden path at Ethereal Gardens

Kat and Mike reading private vows to each other in the bridal suite

Kat smiling as Mike reads his private vows

Bride holding back tears during their private vow exchange

Wedding Party Portraits in the Garden

Kat's bridesmaids wore lavender and carried pastel bouquets, and Mike's groomsmen matched him in beige. We photographed them under the ivy covered arches, out on the open lawn framed by palm trees and beneath the hanging ferns of the Woodland Grotto, and the groomsmen made sure Mike left the ground at least once.

Kat with her bridesmaids in lavender gowns under an ivy arch

Pastel bouquets held against lavender bridesmaid dresses

Bridesmaids holding Kat's cathedral veil by the wrought iron gates

Mike with his groomsmen in beige suits in front of an ivy hedge

Groomsman hugging Mike and planting a kiss on his cheek

Groomsmen lined up laughing with Mike in the garden

Groomsmen lifting Mike into the air in the garden at Ethereal Gardens

Full wedding party on the lawn with palm trees behind them

Kat swishing her gown on the lawn with the wedding party

Wedding party celebrating beneath the hanging ferns of the Woodland Grotto

Wedding party posing under the fern canopy of the grotto

Portraits Around Ethereal Gardens

Ethereal Gardens has a photo spot around every corner. We took Kat and Mike through the wrought iron gates, let her cathedral veil catch the breeze along the garden path, and finished with a few playful frames with the cat face cutouts that came back out at the reception.

Kat's pastel bouquet of dahlias, daisies and roses with her engagement ring

Bride framed by the open wrought iron gates at Ethereal Gardens

Kat's cathedral veil trailing across the garden path

Veil billowing in the breeze as Kat and Mike stand by the iron gates

Kat and Mike kissing in front of the open garden gates

Couple sharing a kiss beneath the bride's veil

Kat and Mike close together under the veil in the garden

Kat and Mike making a heart with their hands

Couple kissing while holding cat face cutouts

Mike holding a cat face cutout over his head as Kat laughs, photographed by One and Only Production

Wedding Ceremony in the Woodland Grotto

The ceremony was held in the Woodland Grotto, where hanging ferns cover the aisle like a green canopy and a hexagon arch dressed in pastel florals by Blooms Design House framed the couple. Kat walked in with her parents, who hugged Mike before handing her off. Their friend Pookie officiated, Mike read his vows with a few laughs along the way, and after the first kiss Mike dipped Kat in the middle of the aisle on their way back up.

Woodland Grotto ceremony aisle beneath hanging ferns at Ethereal Gardens

Hexagon ceremony arch with pastel florals in the grotto

Pastel floral column of roses and dahlias at the ceremony arch

Canopy of hanging ferns over the Woodland Grotto ceremony site

Close up of peach dahlias and pastel ceremony flowers

Mike waiting at the altar as Kat comes down the aisle

Kat walking down the fern covered aisle with her parents

Kat's parents hugging Mike as they give her away

Guests seated under the ferns in the Woodland Grotto

Kat and Mike at the hexagon arch as their friend officiates

Officiant laughing with the couple during the ceremony

Kat and Mike holding hands under the floral arch

First kiss under the hexagon arch with the wedding party cheering

Newlyweds celebrating at the altar in the Woodland Grotto

Kat and Mike walking back up the aisle as husband and wife

Mike dipping Kat for a kiss in the middle of the grotto aisle

Cocktail Hour in the Barn

Guests headed to the rustic barn for cocktail hour, where the wedding party raised a toast under the chandeliers. Signature drinks waited at the bar, along with a grazing table, a window pane seating chart, a framed photo guest book and an acrylic welcome sign wrapped in pastel florals.

Wedding party raising drinks under chandeliers in the barn at Ethereal Gardens

Bridesmaids and groomsmen cheering with drinks in the barn

Signature cocktails lined up on the wooden barn bar

Window pane seating chart framed with greenery

Grazing table with fresh fruit, cheese and charcuterie

Acrylic Mike and Kat welcome sign with pastel florals

Guest book table with framed couple photos and markers

Kat and Mike with guests on the lawn during cocktail hour

A Rainbow at Golden Hour

Dark clouds rolled over Escondido in the late afternoon, and then a full rainbow appeared over the lawn and the palm trees. We brought Kat and Mike out right away, and the sun broke through soon after for a few glowing portraits before dinner.

Kat and Mike under a full rainbow on the lawn at Ethereal Gardens

Rainbow arching over the couple and the palm trees in Escondido

Couple embracing in the warm sunset glow

Bride and groom sharing a kiss on the lawn at dusk, photographed by One and Only Production

Reception in the Open Air Pavilion

Dinner was in the Open Air Pavilion, a peaked white tent on the lawn filled with long wooden farm tables, sage napkins, gerbera daisies under glass cloches and string lights overhead. The sweetheart table sat beneath a hexagon arch of pastel florals. The wedding party danced in with bubble guns for the grand entrance, and Kat and Mike followed with their cat cutouts held high. After toasts from their friends they cut a two tier cake, with berry tarts from Mili's Sweets on the side, and light-up flower crowns came out as the night got going.

Peaked white reception tent on the lawn at Ethereal Gardens

Inside the Open Air Pavilion with long farm tables and string lights

Place setting with a sage napkin on a wooden farm table

Pink gerbera daisy under a glass cloche beside a table number

Long farm tables set with sage napkins in the reception tent

Sweetheart table beneath a hexagon arch with pastel florals

Light-up flower crowns and glowing favors on a reception table

Kat and Mike laughing at the sweetheart table with their cat face cutouts

Bridesmaid dancing into the reception for the grand entrance

Groomsmen lining up for their grand entrance

Groomsmen dancing into the Open Air Pavilion

Wedding party dancing as Kat and Mike make their entrance

Kat and Mike holding cat face cutouts high during their grand entrance

Groomsman giving a toast at the reception

Guests raising their glasses in a toast under string lights

Two tier wedding cake with pastel florals and a custom topper

Newlyweds in light-up flower crowns smiling beside their cake

First Dance and a Packed Dance Floor

Their first dance pulled everyone in, and Second Song kept the floor full for the rest of the night. Guests waved light-up foam sticks, Mike's friends lifted him onto their shoulders, and Kat and Mike stayed right in the middle of it.

Kat and Mike sharing their first dance in the Open Air Pavilion

Mike lifting Kat during their first dance

Mike dipping Kat at the end of their first dance

Guest waving a light-up foam stick on the dance floor

Friends dancing with glow sticks in the air

Mike lifted onto his friends' shoulders on the dance floor

Groomsman singing into a light-up foam stick

Kat and Mike hugging friends on the dance floor

Bride and groom dancing with their arms in the air

Mike dipping Kat on a crowded dance floor at Ethereal Gardens

A Bubble Exit to End the Night

Guests lined up outside the tent with bubbles for the send off, and Mike stopped for one more dip on the way out. We finished with a photo of everyone who celebrated with them.

Bubble exit at night with guests cheering for Kat and Mike

Couple laughing through a cloud of bubbles

Mike dipping Kat for a kiss during the bubble exit

Group photo of all the wedding guests at the end of the night, photographed by One and Only Production

Planning an Ethereal Gardens Wedding?

Ethereal Gardens gives couples a lot to work with in one place: garden paths and iron gates for portraits, the Woodland Grotto for the ceremony and an open lawn that catches the last light of the day. One and Only Production is a wedding photographer and videographer team based in West Covina, serving Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. If you are planning an Ethereal Gardens wedding, we would love to hear your story. You can also see more of our work in our wedding portfolio.

Wedding Vendors

Venue: @etherealgardensvenue
Coordination: @trademarkvenues
Photo + Video: @oneandonlyproduction
Florals: @bloomsdesignhouse
Makeup: @sharonypark
Gown: @chicbohemianbride
Suit: Suit Supply
DJ: @secondsong_official
Desserts: @milis_sweets