They Met at His Birthday Party — A Vineyard Wedding at Dorner Family Vineyard, Tehachapi
Kaitlyn and Jacob, the sweetest couple got engaged in Palos Verdes, California. Reuniting with the couple on their Wedding day had a sense of warmth that just felt different. I knew Kaitlyn’s big and full of life personality, her energy was radiating all day, and while Jacob had a sense of calmness in him, he is always lit up by Kaitlyn whenever they were together in the room.
What I didn’t know yet was the venue they’d chosen — a working vineyard in the mountains east of Los Angeles, set back from the road, surrounded by vines and open sky and the particular kind of wind that makes Tehachapi different from anywhere else in Southern California.
The family vineyard created a lot of magic on this particular day.
The Story
Kaitlyn and Jacob met at his birthday party in 2019. Maya, their officiant, who has known Jacob since second grade, a special kind of friendship that carried on towards their adulthood, was the one who introduced the two together.
It didn’t take long for the two find their paths together.
Kaitlyn is a pediatric nurse, she takes care of other people’s children for a living, and then she comes home and takes care of the people she loves. Maya, standing up as both bridesmaid and officiant at their ceremony, described her as someone who had a genuine and sincere presence in the friend group, and she is the kind of person who is generous in her way of caring for others.
Jacob is a hardworking and humble gentleman. He landed a job doing what he loves and has carried that same character through every chapter of his life. Maya said she still finds herself looking up to him, even though she’s older by age.
The Rehearsal Dinner
The night before the wedding was split between two places. The ceremony rehearsal happened first at Dorner Family Vineyard — we were there to learn the space, meet the families, watch the flow. The rehearsal dinner followed at Hummingbird Acres Flower Farm in Tehachapi, a flower farm venue that was everything a June evening in the mountains should be.
The speeches were warm and specific in the way speeches are when people have actually known each other for a long time. Maya told the story of meeting Jacob in second grade. Jesse’s best man speech carried the weight of decades of friendship. The whole room was already full before the wedding day even started.
Why Dorner Family Vineyard in Tehachapi
Dorner Family Vineyard sits at 18274 Old Ranch Rd in Tehachapi, CA 93561 — a working vineyard in the mountains of Kern County, approximately 40 miles east of Bakersfield and about two hours northeast of Los Angeles.
The venue includes a tasting room, outdoor ceremony and reception space set among the vineyard rows, and a bridal trailer on-site. Indie Bird Events (Rhodes, owner) handles wedding planning and coordination directly through Dorner.
What to know from this wedding:
The wind is real. Tehachapi is known for its wind, particularly in the summer months. Plan hair, florals, and any paper elements accordingly. The wind also means the temperature feels manageable even when it’s warm — June here is not the same as June in the valley.
The ceremony site is tucked behind the tasting room. This means you can keep the bride away from guests until the processional without it being logistically complicated. The separation of spaces is genuinely helpful.
Have the bridal trailer in your timeline. If the venue offers a trailer for final prep, use it. It gives the bride a private, calm space for the final moments before reveals, and it’s far enough from the ceremony site to maintain surprises.
The vineyard rows at sunset are worth the 10-minute away from reception. 7:50pm at Dorner in June is exactly when you want to be outside.
Getting Ready (10am-1pm)
Coverage note for brides: Getting ready coverage began at 10:00am across two separate Airbnb locations. Bride coverage ran approximately 75 minutes. Groom coverage ran 30 minutes. Both locations were close to the venue (approximately 10–12 minutes), which made the day’s flow manageable without rushing.
The girls got dressed at the bridal trailer at the Wedding venue site, giving hair and makeup artists to their final touch-ups before portraits time. Jacob’s getting ready was quick and easy in the way grooms’ mornings usually are.
The First Looks and Couples Portraits (1:30-3pm)
First her bridesmaids. 1:30pm, outside the trailer, dressed and ready. That moment when the girls turned around seeing her in her gown — the intake of breath, the immediate tears from at least two of them.
Then her dad. 1:45pm, a private ten minutes. Her mom by her side, observing the moment the parents have been longing for.
Jacob was last and had waited the longest, by 2pm, reading Kaitlyn’s letter while he waited.
The two had already decided to read their vows to each other at their First Look, before the ceremony. This was the true quiet and private moment for them, before seeing all of their guests.
I vow to laugh and cry with you throughout…
I vowed to never give up on us, even when it feels impossible…
The Ceremony (4pm)
Coverage note: Ceremony at 4:00pm ran approximately 20 minutes. Guests arrived between 3:30 and 3:45pm. Kaitlyn was tucked away by 3:15pm to avoid being seen before the processional. The ceremony site is tucked behind the Dorner tasting room, with the vineyard rows framing the backdrop. The afternoon light at Dorner at 4pm in late June is direct but manageable, and the giant oak tree shade directly covers every single rows of seats.
The beautiful ceremony lasted twenty minutes and held everything a ceremony could ask for – laughters, tears, and joy.
The Reception (4:30-8:30pm)
Coverage note: Post-ceremony family formals and bridal party portraits ran between 4:30–5:15pm concurrent with cocktail hour. Kaitlyn did an outfit change at 6:30pm before their First Dance. Sunset portraits with a clean end time at 8:30pm.
To switch things up a little bit, the couple decided to have the wedding party serve each table their own cake, with the couple coming around to cut the cake together followed by a group photo. This idea was such a fun and interactive way to share a moment with each and every table of their guests. At 7:30pm, the parent dances and first dance, the floor opening after.
Sunset was at 8:09pm. At 7:50pm we pulled the pair aside for some quick sunset and blue hour portraits — Tehachapi at 8pm in June has the kind of light that makes you stop moving for a second, perfect time to create our last set of magic together.
Vendors
📍 Wedding Venue @dornerfamily Dorner Family Vinyard, Tehachapi, CA
📍 Rehearsal Dinner Venue @hummingbirdacresflowers Hummingbird Acres Flower Farm and Events, Tehachapi, CA
🗒️ Planner Rodes at Indie Bird Events @indie_bird_events
📸 Photographer Stephanie @photography.stephanieip Stephanie Ip Photography
💋 Makeup by Ashley, local and independent artist @artbyashleya
🎀 Hair by Alyssa, local and independent artist @stylessbylyss
💐 Florist Jessica @joneztagram
👰🏻♀️ Wedding Dress by Bride to be Bridal @bridetobebridal
🤵🏼 Tux by Men’s Wearhouse @menswearhouse
👗 Bridesmaid Dress by Azazie @azazieofficial
🪩 DJ Chaun Events @harristyleent
🍖 Catering by P-Dubs @pdubs_tehachapi
🧁 Cake by GhilaDolci Bakery @ghiladolcibakery
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