Santa Barbara Wedding by Elizabeth Messina + Duet Weddings, III

Elizabeth Messina is the voice behind some of the most beautiful photographs a girl has ever seen. She has this incredibly romantic approach to photography…a perspective that not only makes you want to grab your hubby and plant a big one on him, but one that inspires you to seek out the joy in all of those little things that make life lovely. A photography perspective that simply can’t be replicated no matter how talented the lens holder is. And the moment that I laid eyes on Elizabeth’s latest masterpiece, I knew that I HAD to share the love with you wedding gurus out there…the only people that I knew could appreciate the insane beauty of this day as much as I do. And the best part? There is SO much more in the gallery.

From Rebeccca at Duet Weddings the AAAAAMAZING designer behind the day…

The reception was held at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara. The beautiful Spanish courtyard made for an incredible backdrop to raw wood dinner tables adorned with overflowing urns and distressed terra cotta pots. Loose, overgrown florals combined with fruits, vegetables and succulents created an organic feel to the table tops. In keeping with the organic feel, we used natural materials to create menus and table names. We affixed beautifully calligraphed menus to old, salvaged wood pieces, and hand drew the table signs on old, distressed wood pieces as well. Tables names were words inspired by love in Italian. Guest found their names on tiny manila tags, tucked sweetly under small succulent pots at place settings. Vintage seam binding danced on the breeze as flowy streamers and bistro string bulbs glowed magically.

Instead of a traditional guest book, Giovanna and Schuyler wanted something special that they would cherish and enjoy and be reminded of their wedding, their friends, their family with always. A potted olive tree (which now lives outside of Gio & Sky’s home) sat in the courtyard for guests to hang their wishes upon. The tree will continue to grow with the wishes and be a part of Gio & Sky’s lives.

*A HUGE thank you to Rebecca Stone at Duet Weddings and to Elizabeth Messina for sharing this incredibly gorgeous wedding with us. Make sure to check out Elizabeth’s blog, Kiss The Groom, for even more inspiration. And sign up for her new twitter account!*

Photographer: Elizabeth Messina / Caterer: Village Modern / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / DJ: Red Shoe LA / Cake: Christine Dahl / Calligrapher: Little Miss Press / Hair/Makeup: The Studio Agency (Cathryn Van Breene & Sheila Stone) / Dove release: SB Doves / Antique plates/flatware/napkin/rings (for picnic) – Small Masterpiece / Flowers: Modern Day Design / Lighting: Bella Vista Designs / Planning and Design: Duet Weddings / Bridesmaid Dresses: LulaKate