This absolutely stunning Holman Ranch wedding by Flory Photo was planned in …..wait for it…..eleven weeks! Believe it. Lucky for the couple, the stars aligned and they were able to team up with some fabulous vendors to make their day look effortlessly breathtaking. And don’t even get me started over the floral design by Laughin’ Gal Floral (who by the way grows everything she uses on her farm), it was utterly perfect for the day. There is no doubt in my mind that you’ll want to see more of this wedding planned in record time, and there is a full gallery of images that will allow you to do just that.
Ryan and I both grew up in California and knew we wanted to get married outdoors. We spend a lot of time camping, hiking, snowboarding and all around exploring and the thought of being indoors just wasn’t our style. We wanted a casual, laid back wedding that felt more like a vacation where we “happened” to get married. So for over a year while Ryan finished a masters degree I poured through blogs and scoured locations from Santa Barbara to Trinity County but there was always something that wasn’t quite right. Then we came across Holman Ranch and immediately fell in love all over again. It was the beginning of spring and everything was starting to grow, birds were literally singing. But they had no availability until 2011 and wait listed we were. A few days later they called with an opening (oh happy day). The catch…. the opening was in 11 weeks. It took about a minute to decide. So I spent one afternoon in sheer panic about how we were actually going to pull this off and then the clouds parted and everything just seemed to fall into place. A save the date email went out within days, the gown and bridesmaid dresses were picked and ordered that Saturday, the invitations were hot off the press by the following Wednesday and found the most fantastic vendors that all just happened to be available on our date.
I know it sounds cheesy but we loved every minute of our wedding day because it went so smoothly. The weather was perfect, the food was amazing, the champagne never stopped flowing, and all our friends and family had smiles on their faces. Right before sunset Ryan and I trudged up a hill and Joel took some amazing photos in the field with a giant oak tree. He has his wife Cara were so much fun to work with and captured all the happenings we were not always aware of. Food was extremely important and we wanted our caterer to focus on seasonal and locally sourced sustainable and organic food. Tammy and the team at Grapes of Wrath came through big time. Neither Ryan nor I are big fans of cake so we went with a dessert bar filled with things we love. Sharing root beer floats under twinkle lights was the perfect end to our day and now neither of us can have one without getting nostalgic.
Venue: Holman Ranch / Catering: Grapes of Wrath / Floral:Laughing Gal Floral / Photos: Flory Photo / Brides Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Brides Shoes: Mia / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anna Elyse collection through Bella Bridesmaid in Los Gatos / Jewelry: Nordstorms / Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Men’s Wearhouse / Invitations: DIY courtesy of Wedding Paper Divas