June is officially upon us which means SUMMER is here my friends. Yay! While we are dancing a little happy jig, lets wet our appetites with a soiree that perfectly embodies summer and all of those pretty sherbet hues surrounding this sunny time of year. This lovely wedding photographed by Jen Rodriguez is all about them. Set among the rolling vineyards of Paso Robles, the bride added so many fun personal touches that made this day so very sweet and she happens to be rocking the most fabulous heels this season had to offer. Head over to the gallery if you are in need of more summery inspiration.
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From the moment we started wedding planning, I knew I wanted something thoroughly “us” for our wedding. We could have gone for a Tuscan theme since we were engaged in Italy, or even a décor of lots of grapes and corks since our wedding was at a winery, but neither seemed to capture who we are as a couple. Instead, I started with our favorite colors – mine is pink, Dave’s is orange – and spent months pouring over Style Me Pretty and friends’ old wedding magazines for ideas. This “dreaming” stage was one of my favorites of the planning process. I ended up with a 14-page powerpoint presentation of coral and peach images that evoked a feeling that was all at once soft, a bit vintage, a bit rustic and (hopefully) like walking into an Anthropolgie store. I turned to this electronic quilt of ideas literally hundreds of times while we were planning to make sure each of our choices fell within this overall vision.
Although we live in Santa Monica, which is a beautiful wedding location, we knew we wanted a mini-destination wedding so we could soak up an entire weekend with our guests.
Planning a wedding three hours away from home was tricky, but we used our individual strengths – Dave’s in making terrific gut decisions, and mine in tireless researching – to find incredible vendors from afar. Indeed, we selected almost all of our vendors (even our photographer, coordinators and caterers) based solely on telephone calls. Even without meeting us in person, our vendors each managed to take our ideas and make them into something extraordinary. Jen Rodriguez is not just a photographer, but more importantly an artist with incredible instincts. She was able to capture gorgeous sunset shots, our 91 year-old grandpa dancing up a storm, and everything in between. I was instantly overcome when I saw my bouquet, since our florist Lawren managed to bring to life all of the colors that had been floating through my head for months. Our coordinators, Niki and Jonnell from Events Redefined, stepped right into my shoes before the wedding, which made it possible for me to enjoy every minute of being a bride. Dave and I are huge farmers’ market fans, so we knew we had something special when we found Two Cooks Catering. They only use fresh ingredients they gather from local farmers around the Central Coast. We have received countless compliments on their family-style dinner.
Our families and friends were a huge help in making our dreams a reality. My parents were absolutely invaluable. My dad, who is a fantastic carpenter, handmade all of our wooden signs from boards that used to be part of his backyard. He also used the stumps from some beautiful birch trees he trimmed in his backyard to make our table numbers. My mom helped me with all of the lovely fabrics we used around the winery. My sister searched the Rose Bowl flea market with me for vintage décor, including the “Indiana Jones” suitcase we used on the jam favor table. My aunt and uncle spent two days helping us make 140 jars of sweet crabapple and spicy jalapeno jam, on top of the hours they spent juicing hundreds of tiny crabapples from their backyard. Our friend song wrote us a song that he performed during the ceremony, then again during an encore at the reception! My bridesmaids were the most efficient work force imaginable, putting together flip flop baskets and assembling paper lanterns on the day of the wedding and even repairing my dress during the reception after a groom-induced snag! And, last but not least, our friend Andy not only spent the night videotaping our wedding free of charge, but then produced the most beautiful wedding video in record time.
Photographer: Jen Rodriguez / Coordinator: Events Redefined / Music: AMS Entertainment / Flowers: Manzanita Designs / Makeup and Hair: LunaBella Makeup and Hair / Wedding Gown: Jenny Lee / Bridesmaids Dresses: J Crew / Caterer: Two Cooks Catering in San Luis Obispo / Invites and Papergoods: Cheer Up Cherup on Etsy / Cupcakes: Clementine Cupcakes / Floral Hairpins: Percy Handmade on Etsy / Bridal jewelry: Poesi Jewelry / Veil: Crowning Glory Designs