Vibrant Open Air Wedding in Santa Barbara
There is usually one specific detail that I completely fall for when working on a wedding post. And with this Santa Barbara beauty, it's all about those florals crafted by Anna Le Pley Taylor. Textured and vibrant, they so set the stage for an al fresco affair that blends casual with unabashed elegance planned by Alex Leigh Franklin and photographed by Diana Mcgregor. Head over to the gallery for so much more.
From The Bride...Andrew and I met at one of my best friend's weddings in Los Olivos, California. After strategically being placed at the same table, through a little bit of conversation we realized that we both had relatives back in Dallas, Texas. Over Christmas when we were visiting our families, we went on our fist date and we immediately knew there was something deeper there. I picked the coffee house we met at finding out later that this was a test to see if I would go major corporation or local business. I am glad he cares about these things and also glad that I had already gotten my coffee chain fix that morning!
We wanted our wedding to feel simple, relaxed, and elegant. I really tried to stay away from anything that was trendy. The first venue we signed with ended up canceling on us last minute. Despite the urge to have a complete nervous breakdown, we realized this was simply a second chance to plan our wedding. We now knew what was important and what wasnt and how to efficiently research venders. The Santa Barbara Historical Museum was even lovelier than our first venue and am so thankful it worked out the way it did. The mud and straw walls, spanish tiles, terraces, fountains, and beautiful landscaping made this a perfect setting for our wedding. All it needed was crazy beautiful flowers from the talented Anna Le Pley. I wanted to have succulents, peonies, lavender, coral snapdragons, bougainvillea and white stalk all in different brass containers. She created the most lovely arrangements I have ever seen. Our baker, Lori Stern, whipped together 20 different pies including strawberry-rhubarb, citrus, and chocolate pie along with some homemade whipped creams. They not only were delicious but so beautiful and interesting to look at.
Our favorite parts of the wedding were a few details that were very personal. One was the first time we saw one another before our ceremony. Our insanely talented musicians serenaded us with some of our favorite songs in the distance while our photographer, Diana McGregor, perfectly captured every moment. We also loved taking communion during our ceremony from a carved wooden cup Andrew's mom brought back from Israel, all while his sister sang Justin Timberlake's 'Mirrors.' On a creative note, I designed the cactus print for our wedding invitations and our handsome little ring bearer presented the rings on a pillow that I hand stitched for this day. As far as jewelry, I wore a tiny gold ring around my neck that my mother had given me when I was 10, my sister, the maid of honor, wore our matching 'sister earrings,' and Andrew wore his new gold tie clip that I had custom made for him. Last but not least, I carried with me down the isle a little blue and gold cameo pin on my bouquet that belongs to my granddad.
May 24 was absolutely perfect. They say that something always goes wrong, but I certainly did not notice anything but a covenant, loving friends and family, a very handsome groom, and pure beauty all around me.
We wanted our wedding to feel simple, relaxed, and elegant. I really tried to stay away from anything that was trendy. The first venue we signed with ended up canceling on us last minute. Despite the urge to have a complete nervous breakdown, we realized this was simply a second chance to plan our wedding. We now knew what was important and what wasnt and how to efficiently research venders. The Santa Barbara Historical Museum was even lovelier than our first venue and am so thankful it worked out the way it did. The mud and straw walls, spanish tiles, terraces, fountains, and beautiful landscaping made this a perfect setting for our wedding. All it needed was crazy beautiful flowers from the talented Anna Le Pley. I wanted to have succulents, peonies, lavender, coral snapdragons, bougainvillea and white stalk all in different brass containers. She created the most lovely arrangements I have ever seen. Our baker, Lori Stern, whipped together 20 different pies including strawberry-rhubarb, citrus, and chocolate pie along with some homemade whipped creams. They not only were delicious but so beautiful and interesting to look at.
Our favorite parts of the wedding were a few details that were very personal. One was the first time we saw one another before our ceremony. Our insanely talented musicians serenaded us with some of our favorite songs in the distance while our photographer, Diana McGregor, perfectly captured every moment. We also loved taking communion during our ceremony from a carved wooden cup Andrew's mom brought back from Israel, all while his sister sang Justin Timberlake's 'Mirrors.' On a creative note, I designed the cactus print for our wedding invitations and our handsome little ring bearer presented the rings on a pillow that I hand stitched for this day. As far as jewelry, I wore a tiny gold ring around my neck that my mother had given me when I was 10, my sister, the maid of honor, wore our matching 'sister earrings,' and Andrew wore his new gold tie clip that I had custom made for him. Last but not least, I carried with me down the isle a little blue and gold cameo pin on my bouquet that belongs to my granddad.
May 24 was absolutely perfect. They say that something always goes wrong, but I certainly did not notice anything but a covenant, loving friends and family, a very handsome groom, and pure beauty all around me.