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Real Weddings:

Anika and Jonathan’s Garden Wedding in Santa Cruz

featuring onelove photography

Anika and Jonathan’s Santa Cruz wedding was a friend and family affair. Held on the property of close family friends, the day was filled with gorgeous garden party details and florals all designed by the couple’s friend and florist Joann Moritz. Anika’s father built the ceremony arch that was decked out in stunning florals, friends decorated the pool area with floating candles that stunned after dusk, and the ceremony music was also performed by a couple dear to the bride and groom. Anika had this piece of advice “…allow the people who love you to help you.” The help of all the couple’s talented friends and family, as well as their love for eachother is all captured beautifully in these images by onelove photography.

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We wanted our wedding to be relaxed, and not too scheduled. Part of what made it feel so special was that it was put on with our friends and family. All the event and floral design were done by our wonderful family friend Joann, and the venue was actually the home of our close family friends–somewhere that we really grew up together. We went to elementary school and high school together and now work for the same company, so the wedding felt like a coming together of our community in Santa Cruz. So many of our friends came early to help set out decorations and tables–we couldn’t have done it without everyone!

My college roommate and her husband played and sang for our ceremony music. I was in her wedding 6 weeks before ours–having somebody to go through the planning process with was amazing.

The arch was built by my father, with a lot of help from friends and neighbors. He’s a physicist and can’t help over-engineering everything he does–he built several prototypes before settling on the final form of 3 nested arches made of willow branches cut from our friend’s farm. Some of my parents’ neighbors came to help him execute, and our event designer filled it all in with the most beautiful floral.

We focused on creating different spaces with the lighting–the cafe lights over the main dancing area and another set over the dinner tables tied everything together and made it feel more intimate.

One of my bridesmaids took charge of decorating the pool area–she figured out a way to put floating candles in the pool, and it was so magical when it got dark! We even had little candles floating in hurricanes along the pathways.

Our stationery was a collaborative effort–Joann drew the main house at the venue, my Bridesmaid Maggie designed the invitations, and we put a little of our own handwriting on.

A fantastic piece of advice I received far too late in the process was to allow the people who love you to help you. Not necessarily because of the burden it removes from you, but because they want to be a part of bringing the day together. I was so afraid of asking too much of people, but they were so happy when I gave them a way to contribute and bring the day together (and it helped with my stress too!)

We had pizza delivered at 9pm–this was a lifesaver. We were luckily able to find ONE pizza place in Santa Cruz that would deliver to the venue. Not the fanciest late night snack but at that point nobody really minds.

None of the groomsmen knew how to tie a bowtie. I should have suspected, but they were pretty much stuck! Luckily, the 21-year-old son of our friends who own the venue knew how, and he tied 6 bowties in quick succession and saved the day!

Photography: onelove photography // Day of Coordination: Sonia Gosline, E Events Co. // Event Designer: Joann Moritz // Florals: Joann Moritz, Juliet’s Garden // Stationery Design: Maggie Bignell and Joann Moritz // Stationery Printing: Sentinel Printers // Venue: Private Residence, Santa Cruz CA // Dress Designer: Willoby by Watters for BHLDN // Makeup: Jillian Wilkey // Hair: Tara Murphy, Salon on the Square // Dessert Bar: Kelly’s Bakery // Caterer: Jorden Richardson, Savory Events // Videography: Per Jerner // DJ: Joe Williams, Santa Cruz DJ // Groom’s Attire: Theory // Lighting: Woodworm // Rentals: Alexis Party Rental

 

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Real Weddings:

Annie and Jake’s Cincinnati Wedding

featuring Folchi​ ​Photography​

San Francisco couple Annie and Jake were married just six short post-proposal, two-thousand miles away in the city where they first met—Cincinnati. The couple dubbed their wedding theme “relaxed romantic” and enlisted the help of very talented friends to implement their vision at Carnegie​ ​Center​ ​of​ ​Columbia​ ​Tusculum​. Literally, from the photographer, to the band—and every vendor in between—was a personal friend of the couple. Depp, moody florals are by Katie’s​ ​Blooms​, and the bride wore BHLDN​ gown and shoes while her best friend Folchi​ ​Photography​ captured all her joy on her big day.

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From the bride: Jake​ ​and​ ​I​ ​got​ ​married​ ​in​ ​May,​ ​just​ ​six​ ​months​ ​after​ ​he​ ​proposed.​ ​We​ ​simply​ ​couldn’t​ ​wait​ ​to​ ​to​ ​start our​ ​life​ ​together!​ ​Because​ ​of​ ​our​ ​short​ ​engagement,​ ​I​ ​think​ ​our​ ​wedding​ ​ended​ ​up​ ​really​ ​reflecting​ ​the two​ ​of​ ​us.​ ​We​ ​didn’t​ ​have​ ​the​ ​time​ ​or​ ​funds​ ​to​ ​go​ ​too​ ​crazy.​ ​Ha!

If​ ​there​ ​was​ ​a​ ​theme,​ ​I’d​ ​call​ ​it​ ​”relaxed​ ​romantic.”​ ​We​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​things​ ​as​ ​simple​ ​and​ ​fun​ ​as possible​ ​for​ ​our​ ​guests​ ​–​ ​that’s​ ​where​ ​things​ ​like​ ​the​ ​food​ ​stations,​ ​cocktail​ ​tables​ ​and​ ​sparse​ ​seating, open​ ​bar​ ​featuring​ ​our​ ​favorite​ ​drinks,​ ​lawn​ ​games,​ ​and​ ​donut​ ​bar​ ​came​ ​into​ ​play​ ​–​ ​while​ ​still​ ​feeling beautiful​ ​and​ ​meaningful​ ​to​ ​us.

Jake​ ​and​ ​I​ ​are​ ​extremely​ ​lucky​ ​to​ ​be​ ​surrounded​ ​by​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​talented​ ​people​ ​in​ ​our​ ​life.​ ​They​ ​all contributed​ ​their​ ​talents​ ​to​ ​our​ ​special​ ​day.​ ​My​ ​little​ ​sister​ ​did​ ​all​ ​of​ ​our​ ​stationery,​ ​my​ ​best​ ​friend​ ​took our​ ​photos,​ ​another​ ​best​ ​friend​ ​made​ ​our​ ​video,​ ​our​ ​band​ ​are​ ​actually​ ​close​ ​college​ ​friends​ ​of​ ​my husband’s,​ ​my​ ​cousin​ ​cantored,​ ​my​ ​sisters​ ​and​ ​soon-to-be​ ​sisters​ ​decorated​ ​the​ ​reception​ ​space​ ​(with the​ ​blooms​ ​by​ ​the​ ​box​ ​flowers!)​ ​and​ ​made​ ​our​ ​boutonnieres,​ ​the​ ​cake​ ​was​ ​a​ ​creation​ ​of​ ​a​ ​local​ ​baker who​ ​I​ ​met​ ​years​ ​ago,​ ​when​ ​she​ ​was​ ​just​ ​getting​ ​started.​ ​Countless​ numbers ​of​ ​our​ ​friends​ ​had​ ​”jobs”​ ​and “responsibilities”​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​our​ ​day​ ​moving​ ​along;​ ​even​ ​our​ ​priest​ ​was​ ​the​ ​man​ ​who​ ​baptized​ ​me​ ​26​ ​years ago​ ​(and​ ​was​ ​also​ ​my​ ​dad’s​ ​former​ ​principal​ ​40​ ​years​ ​ago)!
I​ ​was​ ​a​ ​little​ ​worried​ ​about​ ​planning​ ​the​ ​wedding​ ​from​ ​2000​ ​miles​ ​away​ ​(we​ ​live​ ​in​ ​San​ ​Francisco,​ ​and got​ ​married​ ​in​ ​the​ ​neighborhood​ ​where​ ​we​ ​met​ ​in​ ​Cincinnati),​ ​but​ ​having​ ​so​ ​many​ ​amazing​ ​friends​ ​and family​ ​made​ ​it​ ​easy.

I​ ​think​ ​it​ ​was​ ​the​ ​personal​ ​relationships​ ​that​ ​made​ ​our​ ​day​ ​even​ ​more​ ​unforgettable.​ ​In​ ​fact,​ ​when​ ​the doors​ ​to​ ​the​ ​church​ ​opened,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​started​ ​walking​ ​down​ ​the​ ​aisle​ ​with​ ​my​ ​dad,​ ​I​ ​spotted​ ​all​ ​the​ ​most important​ ​people​ ​of​ ​our​ ​life,​ ​gathered​ ​together​ ​to​ ​support​ ​Jake​ ​and​ ​me​ ​in​ ​the​ ​pews​ ​–​ ​and​ ​I​ ​just​ ​started crying. They​ ​were​ ​the​ ​happiest​ ​of​ ​tears.

Other​ ​interesting​ ​things​ ​about​ ​our​ ​wedding:
Lavender​ ​has​ ​always​ ​helped​ ​relax​ ​me,​ ​that’s​ ​why​ ​we​ ​incorporated​ ​it​ ​in​ ​all​ ​the​ ​decor. Our​ ​band​ ​learned​ ​”Blue​ ​Moon”​ ​for​ ​our​ ​first​ ​dance,​ ​because​ ​it’s​ ​only​ ​once​ ​in​ ​a​ ​blue​ ​moon​ ​that people​ ​get​ ​so​ ​lucky​ ​as​ ​we​ ​did​. My​ ​dad​ ​and​ ​I​ ​danced​ ​to​ ​”The​ ​Way​ ​you​ ​Look​ ​Tonight”​ ​by​ ​Frank​ ​Sinatra; we’ve​ ​been​ ​planning that​ ​dance​ ​since​ ​I​ ​was​ ​in​ ​high​ ​school. I​ ​had​ ​five​ ​bridesmaids,​ ​my​ ​three​ ​sisters​ ​and​ ​two​ ​sister-in-laws.​ ​Jake​ ​asked​ ​my​ ​brother​ ​and​ ​his brother​ ​to​ ​be​ ​groomsman,​ ​so​ ​all​ ​of​ ​our​ ​siblings​ ​were​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​wedding​ ​party​ ​which​ ​was really​ ​special. It​ ​was​ ​so​ ​HOT​ ​the​ ​day​ ​we​ ​got​ ​married!​ ​After​ ​all​ ​the​ ​photos​ ​and​ ​before​ ​the​ ​ceremony,​ ​our wedding​ ​party​ ​had​ ​to​ ​stop​ ​by​ ​the​ ​local​ ​bar​ ​to​ ​cool​ ​off​ ​with​ ​a​ ​beer​! The​ ​wedding,​ ​photos​ ​and​ ​reception​ ​were​ ​all​ ​in​ ​the​ ​neighborhood​ ​of​ ​Columbia​ ​Tusculum, where​ ​I​ ​lived​ ​for​ ​two​ ​years​ ​after​ ​college,​ ​and​ ​Jake​ ​and​ ​I​ ​met​ ​four​ ​years​ ​before​ ​our​ ​big​ ​day.

Photographer: Folchi​ ​Photography​ // Floral​ ​Styling: Katie’s​ ​Blooms​ // Flowers: Blooms By The Box​ ​​// Paper​ ​Products: MOO​ ​​// Ceremony​ ​Venue: St.​ ​Stephen’s​ ​Catholic​ ​Church​ // Reception​ ​Venue: Carnegie​ ​Center​ ​of​ ​Columbia​ ​Tusculum​ // Bridal​ ​Shoot​ ​Venue: Queen​ ​City​ ​Vignette​ // Wedding​ ​Dress​ ​+​ ​Shoes Designer:​ ​BHLDN​ // Bridesmaid​ ​Attire: Azazie​ ​// Graphic​ ​Design: Colleen​ ​Butler​ ​Design​ // Cake​ ​Topper Hickory​ ​Twine // Hair: Hannah​ ​Quirk // Makeup: Chelsea​ ​Skurow // Food​ ​+​ ​Beverage: Jeff​ ​Thomas​ ​Catering // Bakery: Canteen​ ​Bakery​ // Videographer: Shane​ ​Harrison​ ​and​ ​Jenna​ ​Heaton // Ceremony​ ​Entertainment: DJ​ ​CEO // Reception​ ​Entertainment: Suede​ ​Jackets​ ​(band) // Grooms​ ​Suit Designer:​ ​Tommy​ ​Hilfiger​ // Tent: The​ ​Alleen​ ​Co​ ​​ ​​

Real Weddings:

Nesa and Michael’s wedding in Venice

featuring Sandy and Odysseas Photography

Nesa and Michael’s Venice destination wedding in the city that hundreds of writers, poets and artists have celebrated through the ages, was held in the open terrace of the gorgeous The Westin Europa & Regina. Planned by Ema Giangreco, their reception was all about lavish details that brought forth the crisp elegance of the timeless city. As with all European weddings, the backdrop is absolutely breathtaking and makes for the best portraits and lucky for us Sandy and Odysseas Photography was on hand to capture them.

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from the bride: We chose Venice because we thought it was a beautiful and magical place, like no other. Mike had been there before (he went with his family shortly after we met) and I had lived in Italy for 6 months after college, and just fell in love with it (I studied the language in school).  While I was there, I never did make it to Venice though, so the wedding was my first time there. Also, Michael is half Italian and I took an Italian last name, so what better place to kick that new beginning off as Mrs. Neglia?

The best moment was seeing each other for the first time (first look) and then also just being on the Grand Terrace after saying our vows, and looking out at the view with family and friends by our side. It was an amazing setting that I had pictured in my mind from the beginning, but truly came to be by the BEST team of Ema, Sandy and Odysseas, the florist, the Westin Europa & Regina, etc.  We were so lucky to have our dream come true with the help of these amazing people and team!

 

Photographer: Sandy and Odysseas Photography // Stylist / Planner / Floral design: Ema Giangreco // Stationery: Atelier Invitations // Venue: The Westin Europa & Regina // Dress Designer: Jovani // Hair & Make-up Artist: Lisa Semenzato // Bridal Shoes: Christian Louboutin // Earrings: Stephen Dweck // Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss // Groom’s Shoes: Magnanni // Film Lab: Carmencita

 

Real Weddings:

Melissa and Jess’ wedding at McCormick Home Ranch

featuring Anna Delores Photography

Melissa and Jess poured themselves into the personalized details of their wedding day at McCormick Home Ranch. The garden filled venue set the spring-y tone with it’s chic rustic vibe and the couple dreamt up the rest. Melissa has a huge sweet-tooth and knew she wanted more than just a cake so their guest got enjoy an adorable donut bar by MJB Cakes complete with just-out-of-the-oven donuts in every form. Florals were by RTTO Events, coordination and rentals by My Lovely Events and the bride’s lace appliqué gown by Essence of Australia and the entire bright and sunny event is captured beautifully by Rhianna of Anna Delores Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

What’s special about our wedding is that every single aspect of our wedding was completely designed by ourselves. From the custom culinary menu for the day, to handpicking each song on our playlist, to our special sign in book, to the vision that ultimately became our scrumptious donut bar, to participating in an ancient centuries old traditional Chinese ceremony, we had a say in every little detail of our wedding. That is why when some of our family and friends came up to us after the wedding to let us know that was “the best wedding we’ve ever been to, so real and full of love” we can’t help but burst with pride because it truly was a representation of us as our most authentic selves.

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

I found my dream wedding dress in an unassuming little bridal boutique shop in Los Angeles. I knew from the start I wanted a long sleeve laced dress with a slight bohemian feel to it. I was surprisingly having a hard time finding any long sleeve laced dresses until I went to this boutique shop which was my 5th store. I made an assumption there wouldn’t be much selection in this shop since I went to large bridal stores and didn’t have much luck. Little did I know, this shop was a goldmine! Not only did they have a wide variety of long sleeve laced dresses, they had the gown that I ultimately went with. It was about the 6th or 7th dress I tried on that day and I instantly knew this would be MY dress when I looked in the mirror. I was immediately giddy and my best friend who was in the shop with me said she wasn’t surprised that I chose that dress; it was very much my style and me.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Culturally, I am Chinese and it was important to me to have an ancient tea ceremony tradition and uphold cultural traditions out of respect to my parents. Jess was all on board and was very invested in getting the details accurate. We had our normal ceremony and during cocktail hour, I quickly switched out of my wedding dress into my red Chinese dress (qipao) and we had our tea ceremony in the garden. We had many interested guests standing by watching. It was such a beautiful blend of two cultures coming together for our union.

I have a huge sweet tooth so I knew our wedding had to have way more sweets than a cake! I had dreamed of a donut bar for a while and had a vision of copper piping blended into the donut bar to add a rustic touch. The donut bar ended up better than we could have imagined and the smell of freshly baked donuts lured all our family and friends to indulge in our evening sweets!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Our first look was quite memorable for me. The anticipation and excitement culminated all at once for me. By the time we did our first look, I was quite ready to see my soon to be husband and eager to be near him as he always brings a wave of calmness around me. We met in a quiet, secluded clearing behind the house and I was surprised at how nervous I was walking up to him, with his back facing me. I tapped him on the shoulder and when he turned around, he immediately became emotional which sparked instant waterworks from me! I completely forgot what my makeup artist told me about dabbing the tears back to not stain my airbrushed makeup and we just hugged each other. It was a sweet and tender moment that I’ll always cherish.

For Jess it was our vows. It was nerve wracking yet significant because this was the moment we stood up in front of all our family and friends and declared the reasons why it’s us together for the rest of time.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

I went to Las Vegas for one of my closest friend’s (and bridesmaid) wedding during Thanksgiving weekend in 2012. After their wedding reception, a bunch of us were still full of energy from the festivities and decided to go to the Strip to continue the celebration.  That same night, I met Jess. Turns out he was a Vegas local, which go figure, everyone I usually meet is from California. We embarked on a long distance relationship for a year before he moved to Los Angeles. All of our friends like to joke that “we found love in a hopeless place” so it was only appropriate that the ending song to our wedding was Rhianna’s “We Found Love”.

Jess took me to Joshua Tree the weekend of my birthday. We left Los Angeles on a Thursday evening and didn’t make it to Joshua Tree until another two and a half hours later due to traffic. We dropped off our stuff in our AirBnb and even though we were super tired, I really wanted to go outside just to see the stars because I had heard that the stars shine brighter in Joshua Tree and it’s a sight that can’t be missed. We walk out into the backyard and continue to walk down a trail until we stop. We peer up at the sky together and Jess turns to me and starts telling me how much he loves me and before I know it, he gets down on bended knee and asks me to marry him. One thing about me is that when I get nervous or really excited, I laugh or giggle profusely. I could not stop giggling like a little school girl and it must have felt like years to Jess before I screamed out “YES!” It was very intimate and in every way, perfect. We got to keep the news to ourselves for one day before sharing it with the everyone else.

Photographer: Rhianna of Anna Delores Photography  // Coordinator & Rentals: My Lovely Events // Florals: RTTO Events // Invitations: Minted // Venue: McCormick Home Ranch // Bridal Dress: Essence of Australia // Makeup & Hair: Blushing Beauty // Cake & Desserts:  MJB Cakes // Bridesmaids: Revelry // Catering: Conejo Valley Catering // Music: All The Above Events // Officiant: Dr. Kimber Lee Wilkes // Groom Attire: Ted Baker // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Real Weddings:

Laura and Scott’s wedding at Carmel Valley Ranch

featuring Amanda Wei Photography

Laura and Scott’s wedding had us at unruly-purple-wildflower-centerpieces. And that’s just a sliver of the floral-gorgeousness that Fionna Floral brought to the Carmel Valley Ranch wedding planned by Amazae Events. Look for the delicate greenery climbing up the simple wood arbor, huge overflowing white arrangements flanking the ceremony isle, a soft and textured bouquet and stately potted herbs on the escort table. No detail was left un-flowered and we’re loving the way it tied into the vibe of the ranch. The event was completed with invitations by Rachel Brandzel Creative, a dessert bar by Monterey Donuts and Laura’s beautiful tailored lace Lela Rose gown. Lucky for us, Amanda Wei Photography was on hand to capture all the details in these lovely images of the day.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

From the very beginning my goal for the wedding was to be a fun, beautiful, and relaxed party, and a great weekend getaway for my family and friends. I wanted the ceremony and reception to be seem personal and intimate. The location, Carmel Valley Ranch, was perfect for these goals! My whole extended family and many friends were able to stay at the Ranch. It was so fun to run into people at the pool, restaurant, and spa before the wedding! The venue for the ceremony and the reception had beautiful views of the valley and the weather was perfect! The activities and relaxed vibe of the venue added to the great weekend getaway. I thought that Amazea did a great job of bringing the aesthetics of the Ranch and Carmel Valley into the decor of the wedding.

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

I found my gown at Jin Wang in San Francisco. My cousins, aunts, sister, mother, and I all traveled from Seattle to San Francisco for a girls weekend and some dress shopping. Jin Wang was our last stop and the whole experience there was perfect. The dress was a gorgeous Lela Rose, that Jin custom tailored.  It had straps and she made it strapless. Also, she took in the bottom layer to make it more of a sheath fit and left the lace overlay A-line. The dress was light weight and fit perfectly. The lace had this wonderful silver threading that added just the right amount of shimmer.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

My husband’s best friend did the ceremony. I thought it reflected our personalities and our relationship. We had signature drinks, Moscow Mules (my favorite) in copper cups, which tied in to the decor.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

This is always the hardest question to answer because everything was memorable! I loved the dancing! I also loved right after the ceremony being with just Scott and then being joined by the bridal party and our immediate families to celebrate for just a few minutes on our own. We had some champagne and toasted the occasion!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Scott and I met through mutual friends when we were living in Manhattan. The first long trip we took was a ski trip to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where we decided we needed to get out of Manhattan and be closer to family, nature, and skiing (for my husband). Shortly after we moved across the country to Seattle (where I am from). We took a trip to Alaska to ski. On a beautiful drive from the city up to the mountains Scott pulled over so we could take pictures. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was very surprised because I didn’t expect he would propose on the side of the road. We also honeymooned in the mountains in Japan!

Photography: Amanda Wei Photography // Coordination: Amazae Events // Florals: Fionna Floral // Invitations: Rachel Brandzel Creative // Wedding Stationery: The Quill // Venue & Catering: Carmel Valley Ranch // Hair & Makeup: Melissa Hoffmann // Linens: WildFlower Linen // Rentals: Chic Event Rentals / Williams Party Rentals // Dessert Bar: Monterey Donuts // Entertainment: The Lucky Devils Band