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Real Weddings:

Jessica and Luke’s Wedding in Santa Fe

San Fransisco couple, Jessica and Luke, celebrated their destination in Santa Fe at La Mesita Ranch Estate. While the venue has the traditional adobe style structures and southwest decor, the couple—with the help of planners Banks and Leaf  brought their own style to the property. Black and white elegance with pops of bright coral and raspberry gave a unique twist to the vibe at the ranch. Florals were by Renegade Floral with paper design by Funky Olive Design and gorgeous images captured byTara Bielecki Photography .

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What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We loved watching that surprise moment when she told her parents as she walked up. The bride works for a premiere wine and spirits distributor so the wedding from start to finish was stocked with some of the best wine selections and cocktails we’ve ever seen. Guests were also treated to a premium whisky and tequila tasting later in the evening and Frito pie, a popular dish served in Santa Fe. Each guest table was named after something significant to the bride and groom with a story for guests to read at each table explaining the significance.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The wedding had some nods to Santa Fe with a surprise Mariachi band that started playing at the ceremony when the bride and groom kissed. They then proceeded to parade the guests, shaking maracas, to cocktail hour straight to the tequila donkey, Rosita, waiting for them. That and their choreographed first dance that was full of fun moments and flair – perfect mix of sophistication and humor.

 

Planning & Design: Banks and Leaf // Photography: Tara Bielecki Photography // Florist: Renegade Floral // Paper: Funky Olive Design // Venue: La Mesita Ranch Estate // Tent: Sperry Tents Colorado // Lighting & Drape: Little Made Events // Catering: Walter Burke Catering // Band: Mannequin The Band // Rentals: C Party Rentals & A Beautiful Theme

 

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Real Weddings:

Jen and Kyle’s Fall Charleston Wedding

featuring Sophie Brendle

Jen and Kyle were both born and raised in Southern California, but having recently relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, the couple wanted to combine the romance and charm of the South with the laid back fun of their West Coast roots. With the help of Grey Collective member Ooh! Events, the couple personalized their autumnal celebration at Boone Hall with a pizza truck, corn hole, giant jenga, late-night biscuit bar and southern spread and jams. Beautiful, sentimental details honoring the bride’s parents who’ve passed away included a photo locket tie to her bouquet and a gorgeous floral wall of roses by florist Out of the Garden. You can see all the lovely, moody fall moments from this intimate wedding in these lovely images by Sophie Brendle.

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What were some touches added to make the wedding personal, special and unique?

When planning our day we wanted it to be as true to both of us as a couple as possible! We tried to let go of the idea of what you “have” to have at a wedding. Kyle and I are both born and raised in Southern California but relocated to Charleston, SC a year ago for him to attend Law School. We wanted to combine the romance and charm of the South with the laid back fun of our West Coast roots. We had First Name Basis Catering Pizza truck, corn hole, and giant jenga. We also had “late night bites” of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit bar with spreads and jams to give our west coast friends and family a taste of the South as their guest favors. Instead of a traditional guest book we had friends and family “sign a piece of our love story” that were framed maps of important places in our relationship. There was Irvine, California for where we met, South Africa for where we were engaged, and Charleston for where we were married.

We knew we had to have our two pugs, Leroy and Winston, be a part of our big day since they are family. We had our groomsmen and maid of honor walk them down the aisle so they could stand next to us while we were pronounced husband and wife. We even had our signature drinks named after them! The Leroy was a champagne grapefruit cocktail with fresh rosemary. The Winston was an Old Fashioned.

My parents both passed away when I was younger which made planning our big day bittersweet. I wanted to incorporate them whenever I could throughout our day. My little sister, Jess, who is 10 years younger than me walked me down the aisle which was one of my favorite parts of the day. We had a table with photos of my parents from their wedding day right next to our guestbook. My mom’s best friend, Chris, who has become a second mother to me surprised me with the most incredible wedding day gift. She had a locket made with pictures of my parents and me in them. I ended up tying the locket around my bridal bouquet. My mom and sister’s middle name is “Rose” and roses were always the flowers my dad would buy my mom. For that reason our florist was able to do an entire wall of a beautiful rose garden as a backdrop to our sweetheart table.

Another random fun moment from the day was at the moment we were pronounced husband and wife and shared our first kiss, a bald eagle flew across the water on the Cotton Dock directly behind us. We didn’t believe it when guests told us but the videographer was able to capture it in our wedding video!

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

I knew I wanted a more “boho” flowy gown and immediately fell in love with the designer Rue De Seine. While my childhood best friend and Maid of Honor, Corinne, was in town visiting me in Charleston, we made an appointment at Lovely Bride downtown. The Fox Gown by Rue De Seine was the second dress I tried on and I just knew it was the one. I immediately said “this is so me!” The dress had the most beautiful lace detailing which included roses– another sign from my parents that this was the dress I was meant to wear. I had the off-the-shoulder lace sleeves made detachable so I could wear them for the ceremony but then easily take them off so I could dance during the reception!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Hands down the most memorable part of the day for us both was walking into the ceremony and seeing our friends and family who had traveled all the way from California to be with us. We were nervous when we decided to get married in our new home of Charleston that we would miss out on having all of our loved ones with us on our day. We were so overwhelmed with the love we felt surrounded with throughout the night and are so grateful that they made the sacrifice to come out to Charleston.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Kyle and I met in January 2015 during a volunteer training program in Orange County, California called the “Trauma Intervention Program.” Kyle had gone to sign up for a volunteer firefighter meeting earlier that day but the program had already been filled. While he was there, they let him know about the Trauma Intervention Program that was happening that night that still needed volunteers. I am forever grateful the program he wanted to be in was full! We grew close throughout the training month and at the end of training, he asked me out on a date for grilled cheese and wine and immediately won me over. Kyle and I fell in love over our shared passion for volunteer work and travel. While on Safari in Kruger National Park South Africa, Kyle surprised me with asking to be his best friend and travel partner forever! Two pugs and three cities later, we have bought a home in

Charleston.

Jen and Kyle from Fig Jam Studio on Vimeo.

Design & Coordination: Ooh! Events // Photography: Sophie Brendle // Florist: Out of the Garden // Venue: Boone Hall // Videographer: Fig Jam Studio // Hair & makeup: Canary Rock Salon // Rentals: Ooh! Events // Catering: First Name Basis // Bar: Mix // Desserts: Sweet Lulu’s Bakery // Late Night: Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit // Entertainment: Darby Events

 

Real Weddings:

Alice and Duncan’s Wedding at The Orchard at Sunshine Hill

featuring Mist of Morning Photography

Alice and Duncan met in Seattle, just months after Alice moved to the U.S. from her native Ireland. The couple set out to create a wedding day that celebrated both the Pacific Northwest, as well as Irish wedding traditions. The Orchard at Sunshine Hill set the scene—”open, elegant and the ceremony site had a full view of Mt. Rainier – a Washington State staple, in the background.” And—get this—the groom’s mother planted ALL the florals the fall prior to the wedding, so when the big day arrived the following June they had an abundance of local blooms for Doghouse Flowers Heidal to create the stunning arrangements. We’re loving the bright orchard vibes for fall and lucky for us Mist of Morning Photography was on hand to capture it all in these sunny photographs.

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What made your wedding special & unique? Were there any touches that you added to make the day personal?

A: Duncan and I definitely had a vision for our day. We knew that we would have a lot of out of town guests there, and so we really wanted to give it a strong PNW feel. We wanted a barn wedding, but when we stumbled across ‘The Orchard at Sunshine Hill’ whilst looking at another venue in the area, we fell in love. It was open, elegant and the ceremony site had a full view of Mt. Rainier – a Washington State staple, in the background. Duncan’s Mom Stacy and her best friend Margaret (Doghouse Flowers Heidal) planted up all of the flowers the summer the year before, so that they were ready for us to use in June. And so all the flowers (and there were a lot of them!) were hand grown, just for us. I also made the mistake of thinking that sign making looked fun… I spent approximately 30 seconds on YouTube finding out how to stencil our own signs, and off I went! Duncan’s sister Lilli helped out, but in all we both must have spent about 50 hours making signs for anything that could possibly need instruction. The table signs, the seating chart, the bar menu, the unplugged ceremony. The list goes on and on!

D: Alice is from Ireland, and I am from Seattle, so it was very important that we included elements from both in our wedding: having an outdoor, American style “barn wedding”; choosing an Irish inspired tweed three-piece suit for the men; and including lots of beautiful PNW greenery in floral arrangements. We even transported everyone to the venue in a yellow school bus and had s’mores at the end of the night (which all of the Irish LOVED).

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

A: I am a huge thrift-store shopper. I love a bargain. I also didn’t have a clue what sort of a dress I wanted, so when I went in to a bridal gown shop with my parents to try them on, I was almost disappointed. We had an hour appointment, I tried on about 8 gowns, most of which I immediately knew were wrong, and they all cost a small fortune. Over a rosé-soaked lunch, I mentioned a store that I had heard of called ‘Brides for a Cause’. It was a store where all the proceeds went to charity, and people/stores donated their used/sample/excess dresses. My mother was hooked. We sent my father off sightseeing and we jumped in an Uber. It was a Thursday afternoon so we had the store basically to ourselves. Which was fantastic, because I stood half naked in the changing room whilst my Mother pulled dresses on and off of me. I must have tried on at least 40 dresses that day, but I loved it, because I was able to give every style a try, knowing that cost wouldn’t be a barrier – nothing that I tried on was more than about $800.

We put a few dresses on hold and came back the following morning to do it all again. When I put on my ceremony gown, we just knew. The chest area didn’t fit, but everything else hugged me perfectly. I wanted something that wouldn’t crumple when I walked – so the lace overlay was perfect. And I was surprised that I actually loved the flared skirt. It was my wedding day, and I wanted to feel like a princess. And at $2500 down to $450 for and unworn sample dress, we were SOLD. Funnily, the night before I had also tried on an incredible ‘party gown’, a backless number that Mum said wasn’t ‘suitable for a serious ceremony’. But once we found my dress, she said of course I had to have that one too – so that I could change in to it for the party! ($750 down to $150, again, a sample).

The alterations were interesting – unfortunately my ‘party gown’ took 11 fittings to get to fall correctly! But I wouldn’t change any of the decisions I made. I was so glad to be able to slip into something more breathable for the reception. Trish Jens from PA Jens Custom Sewing was my seamstress and I would recommend her in a heartbeat.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

A: The entire day was just magical and so I have a hard time picking out a memorable part. I tried hard to stand back and appreciate every part as it happened. From a prosecco-fueled morning getting ready with my girls, to the car down with my MOH Ruth and my parents, to the INCREDIBLY nerve wracking first look and excitedly greeting the bridal party as they arrived… I could go on and on. If I HAVE to choose though, one memory that feels as real today as it was then, was standing in the bridal cabin with the bridal party as the guests arrived and were seated. We had Sigur Ros playing as we walked down the aisle, and I got to watch as our bridal party headed out one at a time to the ceremony, leaving just my Mum and me alone. I couldn’t stop crying! But as my music started to play, Mum turned to me and said, ‘he’s the right man Alice, and I’m so, so happy for you both’. She was right – and that memory of walking down the aisle to my future husband, surrounded by all of my favorite people in the world will stay with me forever.

D: Right after the ceremony the entire wedding procession ended in the bridal suite. Everyone cleared out and Alice and I were alone. We were both a little too overwhelmed to do anything yet, so we spent a couple of minutes just holding each other. It was a beautiful way to start off our marriage; just her and me focusing on us first before getting distracted by anything else.

Tell us how you met & became engaged.

A: Duncan and I are both pretty active gym-goers, and so it figures as much that that is where we met. I had moved to Seattle from Ireland in September 2016 and wanted to find a social gym that would allow me to make friends in a city where I knew no one. I met Duncan within a few weeks (he was hard to miss – he was the beautiful, strong, shirtless man making lots of noise and throwing weights around) but since he worked out in the morning and I went in the afternoons, we rarely crossed paths. We got talking one day after I had been around for a few months and I found out that he was a. single and b. so much cooler than I thought… I started going to the gym in the morning and the rest is history!

We got engaged by the Ballard locks in Seattle. We’d discussed marriage a lot and so I knew that it was on the cards, but the actual proposal was a complete surprise. A passerby obviously realized what was happening before I did and stopped to take a picture of Duncan down on one knee. They came up to us afterwards and passed on the picture. It’s incredible to have a memento of it.

D: Our “Sunday Strolls” are probably my favorite part about the weekend. Most Sundays, after we have taken care of errands or social obligations on Saturday, Alice and I like to walk around different parts of Seattle, exploring neighborhoods, browsing shops, or discovering cool little cafes. So when it came time to propose, a Sunday Stroll was the obvious choice. That sunny, Spring afternoon watching the boats pass through the locks was the absolute perfect day – even though my heart was beating 200 bmp for about 90 minutes leading up to the proposal.

Photography: Mist of Morning Photography // Florist: Doghouse Flowers Heidal // Venue: The Orchard at Sunshine Hill // Ceremony Dress: Adriana Alier from Brides for a Cause // Hair & makeup: Bridal Beauty Agency // Reception dress: Brides for a Cause // Heels: ASOS // Jewelry: Anne Klein // Suit: Jennis & Warmann // Shoes: Cole Haan // Rings: Brilliant Earth // Catering: EZ Foods Olympia // Cupcakes: Truffles Cakery // DJ: Chris Blackburn

 

Real Weddings:

Carolyn and Charles’s Autumn Barn Wedding

featuring meg smith photography

Carolyn and Charles celebrated their love with a stunning autumn soiree designed by the one-and-only Kaella Lynn Events. Beautiful, gathered florals by Laura’s Floras take center stage. A sunset-inspired palette of deep yellows, bright corals, sherbets and dusty peach come to life in a spectacular ceremony arch and sprawling table arrangements. The mood is both delightful and elegant at the reception at The Barn at Green Valley (private estate) with long farm table seating and dusty blue linen accents. The Brightline Studio introduced the day with romantic calligraphy and the Pretty Please Bakeshop punctuated the event with a three-tiered cake adorned with climbing florals. The event is a vision of bold, fall colors and we could not be more entranced by all the lovely images captured by Meg Smith Photography.

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Photographer: Meg Smith Photography // Wedding Planning and Design: Kaella Lynn Events // Florist: Laura’s Floras // Paper goods: The Brightline Studio // Venue: The Barn at Green Valley (private estate) // Bridal Gown: Louvienne via Lovely Bride SF // Cake: Pretty Please Bakeshop // Bridesmaids dresses: Reformation // Grooms Suit: J Hilburn // Caterer: Paula Le Duc // Rentals: Standard Party Rentals // Lounge: One True Love Vintage Rentals // Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // Quartet: Synchronicity Strings Entire Productions // Band: Audio Via Elan Artists // Lighting: Got Light // Hair & Makeup: Skyla Arts Beauty

Real Weddings:

Kate and Danny’s wedding at Collins Ranch

featuring Sarah Ellefson Photography

Kate and Danny’s California wedding reception was celebrated at Collins Ranch, a private estate on the west side of Ojai. The venue had all the elements of Ojai that Kate grew up loving including “the weaving road through golden fields leading up to the barn and mountainside landscape with massive boulders mounted throughout.” The couple enlisted the brides sister Hilary to plan the event and Gallup & Stribling to create the vibrant autumn-hued florals. Kate had this to say about the reception “the barn opened up on every side so you felt like you were dining in nature but with the comfort of a nice seat and well dressed table!” It’s all beautiful and luck for us Sarah Ellefson Photography was on hand to capture it all.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

The whole day was so special and unbelievably stress free, which I have my generous family and sister Hilary to thank. Other than the fact that it was ‘our’ wedding (which made it the most special) what made it seem unique and different was our location we were lucky to find. We heard of Collins Ranch on the west side of Ojai through a friend who connected us with the owner. His property had all the elements of Ojai I have grown up loving. The weaving road through golden fields leading up to the barn and mountainside landscape with massive boulders mounted throughout. His barn type warehouse opened up on every side so you felt like you were dining in nature but with the comfort of a nice seat and well dressed table! The whole venue was something so familiar and dear to me but that I had never really seen as a wedding venue, so it felt unique and personal at the same time.

Danny’s family and many of our guests were flying in from out of state and a good number of them had never seen California before. From our ceremony at San Buenaventura Mission with the ocean breeze flowing through the tropical gardens, to the golden Chaparral mountain side of Collins Ranch, we could share what we love about California with all of them.

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

I had no idea what type of dress I wanted which it made it both fun and frustrating. Fun because I was open to any style, frustrating because there were too many styles! After trying on many gowns and visiting quite a few shops my mom and I finally went down to Pasadena to visit Lovely Bride, where I found my dress! There so many beautiful gowns that were in what i had narrowed down to be what I was looking for, long sleeve with bold lace. I found exactly that in the North Gown by Lovers Society. The design and texture of the lace was so unique from what I had seen, and I knew it was my dress! I also don’t think my mom would have let me leave without it, she bawled when I came out it in!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

I am from a family of gifted artists and I wanted them to be a have a hand in the decor.  One of my beautiful sisters, Monica, painted an abstract map view of the coast and mountain range that guests would be driving on from ceremony to reception. Guest loved it and I have it framed in my apartment now! My brother John sketched out a paint by numbers of the mission where the ceremony took place, and guests could pick up a paint brush and add to it while enjoying their cocktails. I am always in awe of their talent and was happy to show them off!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

It is hard to pick one moment that was most memorable because really the whole day felt like a dream. However, one that sticks out among others would have to be after the speeches took place, my brother, sister and I sang one of our favorite folk songs for our parents (and guests). We have always sang together with my brother on the guitar and since I would be moving to Virginia immediately after the wedding, I wanted to give my parents one last show of us singing together! I’ll always remember that moment.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met each other in college sophomore year 2014 at Franciscan University, in Steubenville Ohio. We shared a lot of the same friend groups and happened to always be in the same social setting, all the while having deeper interest in one another (but never showing it!). End of senior year, Danny finally asked me out for our first date, and it didn’t take long for us to realize we wanted to continue what we started. Soon after dating we graduated and moved to opposite ends of the country (VA and CA) and thus began our journey of FaceTime and expensive flights to spend short visits, sometimes not even a full 48 hours. Again, it didn’t take long for us discover that we wanted to be with one another for the rest our lives; some might call it falling in love! To make this happen Danny and my sister (thanks Hilary!) planned a surprise visit and flew across the country to get on one knee, however the surprise was ruined by me curiously checking his location to figure out why my messages weren’t being delivered during his four hour flight! When I saw he was at LAX, I knew what this meant! He met me at my favorite winery and put some sparkle on my left hand!

Photography: Sarah Ellefson Photography // Planning + Coordination: Hilary Loughman // Florals: Gallup & Stribling // Venue: Ventura Mission + Collins Ranch (Private Estate) Ojai CA // Dress: Lovers Society from Lovely Bride // HMU: Hey Beautiful // DJ: DJ Mike Bruel // Rentals: Spark Creative Events / Otis & Pearl // Catering: DJ’s California Catering