It might be absolutely frigid in most parts of the country, but this adorable DIY Sacramento celebration is sure to give you the warm and fuzzies. It was a complete family affair, so you know I immediately became sappy and heavy on the oohs and ahhs. For example, the table numbers were from the shingles of the grandmother of the groom’s house! All together now, ahhhhh….And don’t get me started on the gorgeous floral design by Botanica Floral Designs – a girl can only gush so much! For more images by Heidi Huber Photography worthy of oohs and ahhs be sure to visit the gallery.
click here for the full wedding gallery!
The last thing Justin and I wanted was a pretentious, stuffy wedding. We truly wanted our guests to get a real feeling of the life we have built for ourselves. Thus, it was very important for us to infuse parts of ourselves and our families into our wedding. We chose our venue, Scribner Bend Vineyards, because it was along the Sacramento River where we got engaged. Not only were the grounds beautiful and intimate they were bespoke to the Delta location we desired.
Our families assisted in every detail along the way. My mother-in-law made all of the mis-matched fabric napkins (which served as favors). Apparently the napkins were a hit because we could only salvage 12 for me and Justin to take home! Our table numbers were made by Justin’s sister, Kera, and were shingles from the roof of his grandmother’s home. The ivory lace overlays were made by Justin’s mother. My brother made all of the “Handmade with Love” tags that were tied to the napkins and desserts. My mother made the ampersand that that was tied to the bride and grooms chairs. My father passed away 2 years ago, and before he died, he made a compilation of songs to remember him by. “In my Life,” was the first song on this compilation and I always knew it would be the song he would walk down the aisle (I had a photo of him in a locket that was attached to my bouquet). My father was also a fan of sweets – most notably, my Aunt Lisa’s homemade fudge and rice crispy treats. Two days prior to the wedding I, along with my aunt, mother, mother-in-law and dear family friend made fudge and rice cripsy treats and sealed them in a “doggy bag” that featured a picture of our dear dog, Lola.
I also wanted to have some surprises for my bicycle obsessed husband. I arranged for one of his bicycles to be decorated with flowers and a welcome sign to greet our guests upon their arrival. I also got him bicycle cuff links that were delivered to his hotel room the afternoon of the wedding. Being that Justin is from Arizona, we had a lot of out of state guests. Justin and I didn’t want a traditional guest book and I asked him to pick out a nice photography book of his liking. As we have decided to build our lives in California, Justin chose an Ansel Adams photography book simply called “California” for guests to sign. I loved it because people chose a picture from a place that meant something to them and left us a personalized message. Its one of the things I treasure most from that day.
All in all, we wanted a wonderful party to celebrate our love commitment to each other. I truly believe all of the personal details allowed guests to get a full understanding of where we came from and where we are going. From the second our guests arrived and saw Justin’s bicycle to when they left and grabbed a “doggy bag” featuring a picture of our dog and filled with desserts that would have put a smile on my father’s face – it was all us!
Photography: Heidi Huber Photography / Flowers: Botanica Floral Designs / Event Planning: Mindy Shock / Ceremony Location: Scribner Bend Vineyards / Reception Location: Scribner Bend Vineyards / Dress: Liancarlo from Destiny’s Bridal / DJ: Mr. DJ / Catering: Mulvaneys B&L / Make-up: Reanna Saddoris / Hair: Salon Cuvee / Band: Golden Cadillacs