When I met Zara to chat about her wedding, we swapped life stories and were surprised by how much we have in common. We're both only children, and we both lost our moms when we were young to lung cancer. We talked over coffee about how the experience shaped us, and she shared about her connection with her two horses - Eva and Nutcracker. She and her mom chose each of them (24 and 17 years ago) to join their family, and Zara was literally raised with them. After losing her mom (and her dad living in another country), she shared about how much she relied on these beautiful creatures to be her family. Zara + Clayton chose to have their wedding at the place they spend most of their free time - the ranch where Eva and Nutcracker live. Zara walked down the aisle to Clayton by herself, flanked by her two horses. Venue :: @willowcreekranchvc Planner :: @wheatandhoneyevents Flowers :: @yamaguchisn Cake :: @awkwardpastrychef DJ :: @bruce_barrios Transportation :: @jumpontheschoolbus Hair & MU :: @blissbeautybridal @_manebeauty Caterer :: @djscaliforniacatering . #ojaiwedding #santabarbarawedding #venturawedding