Our focus for our wedding was to make it personal and really feel like our wedding and not just a wedding - that it was fun. We wanted the ceremony to be simple and meaningful and the reception to be an all out party. That’s why we chose Tres Hermanas. Nick and I met in college in Santa Barbara and went to Santa Ynez all the time. We felt like it was the area that fit us most for our wedding because of the small town vibe in an epically beautiful landscape. We knew we wanted the reception in a barn to give it that down home, non-stuffy, fun feel and we looked at a million barns that ranged from really nice ones to ones with no electricity or walls. The Tres Hermanas barn was a nice balance of rustic but comfortable for our guests. All in all the venue just felt like us – simple but fun.My inspiration for the décor came from looking at some other DIY weddings and then adding our personality. I wanted everything to have touches of us in them but to keep the simple, rustic, homemade feel. Nick and I bought all the bottles for the centerpieces at the flea market, as well as the old boxes and other small items. My now father-in-law cut the wood slabs for the centerpieces from wood in his yard. I made the lavender bags by buying simple burlap bags and hand stamping them all then filling them. I made the programs, table cards, and napkin inserts with a little photoshop help. We bought candies from our childhood to have near the dessert table (a huge hit with all our friends!).
I loved our first look. There’s so much anxiety as the bride on the wedding day that everything goes well. Because ours was such a DIY wedding, I really worried that the wedding vision was too much in my own head and maybe I hadn’t explained it well enough to anyone to execute on. The first look took all those worries and anxiety away. As soon as I saw Nick I didn’t care if everything went wrong. It really puts it all in perspective that that person is what the day is about and not whether or not the cake is in the right place. I think we ruined all of our up close first look shots because we were both smiling way too big.
I loved our first look. There’s so much anxiety as the bride on the wedding day that everything goes well. Because ours was such a DIY wedding, I really worried that the wedding vision was too much in my own head and maybe I hadn’t explained it well enough to anyone to execute on. The first look took all those worries and anxiety away. As soon as I saw Nick I didn’t care if everything went wrong. It really puts it all in perspective that that person is what the day is about and not whether or not the cake is in the right place. I think we ruined all of our up close first look shots because we were both smiling way too big.
My dad performed our ceremony and we wrote it together. Because I had read the ceremony a million times by the wedding day I didn’t think the ceremony would mean as much to me as it did but the ceremony was 100% my most memorable part of the day. Having my dad perform it was so meaningful and significant. As part of the ceremony we included a reading of “Oh! The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss, hearing this in my dad’s voice was just amazing. We also wrote our own vows so hearing Nick’s for the first time made the ceremony just perfect. Nick and I just locked eyes on each other and enjoyed every moment of the ceremony.
I loved that our wedding felt like us through and through. It was beautiful and heartfelt but also fun and goofy. And I really loved that Nick was floored by how great it came out and how much fun he had. I really kept the bigger vision in my head so I know he didn’t really know what to expect but trusted me. The day after the wedding he wouldn’t stop talking about how beautiful it was and how much fun he had and how he wished he could do it all over again. Nothing could have made me happier than that.
Venue: Tres Hermanas Winery & Vineyard / Wedding Dress: Modern Trousseau, from The White Dress / Hair and Makeup: Luna Bella Makeup and Hair / Shoes: Calvin Klein / Hairpiece: The White Dress / Groom Suit: Hugo Boss / Photography: Braedon Photography / Invitations & Paper Goods: DIY / Cupcakes: Enjoy Cupcakes / Band: Wayward Sons