Rachel and Roy’s Wedding at Rancho Valencia by Amorology

You guys. Whenever we get the chance to feature a wedding designed by Amorology, it’s pretty much the best day ever. Their work is so darn gorgeous and crazy town creative, that we can’t get enough! Rachel and Roy’s wedding, shot by John Newsome, is no exception! With Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa in San Diego as the backdrop for the day, and incredible gorgeous florals by L&S Design Co. covering the entire space, we really can’t imagine a more beautiful wedding! Seriously.

What made the wedding special and unique?

One of the best things we did was actually before the wedding. We spent four magical days and nights at a resort spa called Cal-a-Vie before the wedding, which was ideal because it allowed us to get away alone together, to primp head to toe, workout, eat healthily for the week, and to relax and prepare for our big day. I highly recommend taking a “pre-honeymoon”! Then, all of our family and friends, from all over the world and every stage of our lives, arrived at the same place. Having everyone in one place allowed all of our diverse friends to meet one another and become friends, which combined to make our wedding night both a great party and a magical, almost dreamlike evening that neither of us will ever forget.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I found the dress very early on when shopping at Ever After in Miami with my Mom. But, I wasn’t quite ready to be done dress shopping– I was having too much fun! However, I kept thinking about my Reem Acra Juliet dress, and, a few months later, I went back and got the dress. The Juliet dress was perfect for our garden, California wedding: unfussy, elegant, and more of an evening dress than a wedding dress, which I had wanted. However, I still felt that something didn’t quite look perfect about the dress on me. I asked the seamstress to add a little bit of volume to the skirt, but they only had an enormous underskirt available at the shop. We tried it, just to get sense of what it might look like, and the look of the dress instantly changed completely– and we got a shape that was perfect. We all knew that this was it. It was classic, but also unique, and I got to add something to the design of the dress. In the end, I embraced the poofy wedding dress!

What were some touches added to make it personal? 

My mom and I spent months collecting rose petals from the gardens of family and friends to toss as we exited the ceremony. It was piece of our home that we could bring to the ceremony and share with our guests. We also had some live plants included in the decor so that we could plant them after the wedding to remember our wedding day as they grew. We personalized our ceremony by having close family perform readings that were meaningful to us. Roy speaks English, Spanish, and Hebrew, and had family visiting from Israel and Mexico. We chose a reading in each of the three languages to honor the long distances from which our guests had traveled.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Roy and I had never learned a choreographed dance before. But, we took on the challenge for our first dance. After 10 intense dance lessons with Eugenia Spotar from Dance Luv in Miami, we had learned the steps that she had choreographed to our favorite song, Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show. I was much more nervous about the dance than any other part of the wedding; I was so nervous just before, in fact, that I almost refused to go through with it. But, my husband encouraged me, and I’m so glad that he did, because we had a blast. It was the highlight of the evening for both of us. Everyone was so surprised when we started the dance and broke into line dancing, and were quickly up on their feet clapping with us and singing along. It got the night off to a fun and lighthearted start.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met playing softball in Miami. My husband was asked to join the league because he had played baseball in college; but I, on the other hand, was invited, despite being not having played since 4th grade PE class, because the team needed three female players and had only been able to sign up two. I hit a single, but, upon arriving at first base, I stopped directly on the bag without running through it. My husband, who was coaching first, informed me that I, in fact, did not have to stop directly on the bag, and should feel free to run through it. Unfortunately, my husband was not sufficiently specific with his advice. On the next pitch, the batter hit the ball into left field, at which point I ran as fast as I could towards, and then past, second base and into left field, where I was promptly tagged out—to everyone’s amusement. Seeing his chance, my husband ran over to me and delivered the line he had been waiting to land: “Don’t you have a boyfriend who can teach you how to play softball?” And the rest, as they say, is history….

We got engaged on a trip to Vieques Island in Puerto Rico. In the morning, we went horse back riding on the beach, then had a picnic on a secluded beach, where Roy presented me with the ring. We snorkeled and swam most of the day, and then, when night fell, we went kayaking on a bioluminescent bay.

Highlight reel from Kavin Lindgren on Vimeo.

Vendors: Photography: John Newsome // Design + Planning: Amorology // Florals: L&S Design Co. // Videography: Kavin Lindgren // Location: Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa // Stationery: Peanut Press Creative // Cake: Michele Coulon Dessertier // Vintage Rentals: Folklore Vintage Rentals // Rentals: Classic Party Rentals // Linens: La Tavola // Rentals: Abbey Party Rentals // DJ: Hit It Music // Ceremony + Cocktail Music: The Get Down Boys // Transportation: SD Charter //