Carly and Ely first met in Australia, but planned a “destination” wedding here in California so they could easily include all their local family and friends in the big day. We’re obsessed with all those gorgeous flowers, and their farm inspired details, like the escort card table! Very special thanks to Aaron Young for sharing his beautiful images with us! Read Carly’s telling of the big day, along with the ultra-inspiring photos!
Tell us about what made the day unique:
I think the most unique part of our entire wedding was our venue, Rancho Las Lomas. It’s like the Disneyland of wedding venues. Ely and I had only visited one one venue prior to RLL and the moment we stepped out of the car we started giggling like two little school children. We instantly knew this was “the one” and in our mind, there was no way we could top this amazing location! In the beginning, we knew we wanted an outdoor wedding that offered our guests something unique and exciting and this venue couldn’t deliver that more if it tried! I mean, it has tigers for heaven’s sake!! Everywhere you turn it’s just a dream.
Tell us about your gown:
I found my wedding gown at The Dresser in Fullerton, CA. Funnily enough it was the first dress I tried on! Even after trying on about 15 more dresses we knew that was the winner. My mom loved it because she said it made me look like a little fairy with all the light, airy layers. As light as it looked it was still extremely heavy for me to move around in and more importantly dance in so for the reception I found this amazing bohemian style dress from an Australian dress company called Grace Loves Lace. Their gowns are the perfect blend of feminine and bohemian and I highly recommend them to any future bride looking for a truly unique gown. Both of my gowns were from Aussie dress makers which was a nice personal touch seeing as my husband is an Aussie.
How did you meet and become engaged?
Ely and I first met at our workplace in Melbourne, Australia. I was traveling there for a year on a working-holiday visa with my close friends at the time when I was offered a job at a restaurant and cocktail bar in the city. It was a typical hospitality love story in the making, he was a chef and I was a waitress. When I started, Ely was away traveling in South America but all of his work mates kept telling me how I was going to fall in love with their so called “ladies’ man” when he returned from his trip. At first I was less than impressed with everyone pushing him on to me but sure enough once we met we were completely hooked! When we got engaged in 2012 we knew we wanted to have our wedding back in Orange County, especially since we only get to visit my friends and family once a year as we now live permanently in Melbourne. One of my best memories from our wedding day was looking around and seeing Ely’s parents and his 6 best mates blending right in with my family and friends during the day. Having every single person we love and care about from two places on opposite sides of the world come together and celebrate our day with us was more than we could have ever asked for!
Vendors: Photography: Aaron Young Photography // Wedding Coordinator: LVL Weddings & Events // Venue: Rancho Las Lomas, Silverado, CA // Catering: 24 Carrots Catering & Events // Band: Jordan Entertainment // Bakery: Simply Sweet Cakery // Florals: The Bloom of Time // Officiant: Don Johnson // Valet: Special Parking Service Inc. // Hair & Makeup: Gaby // After Party DJ: Elevated Pulse Productions