We are absolutely bonkers about Australian weddings. Just as much as we are about California weddings. Well, with this San Juan Capistrano beauty we get everything we love wrapped up in a pretty little package of photos by the amazing Heidi Ryder. With a stellar eye for detail and a lot of careful planning this Aussie bride created a classic destination wedding with a touch of vintage and tons of romance. Click here to see even more!
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From the Bride… I have never had a dream wedding. I quite often dreamed of being married, having children, and spending my life with that special someone but the wedding part was always just the necessity that came before everything else I always wanted. After Daniel and I got engaged I had hoped to elope. However, Daniel wanted a proper wedding. So, I begrudgingly made an appointment at the local wedding dress shop (literally the one I walk by every day on my way to the dog park). That was when I fell in love with my dress and set about planning a wedding that would do it justice.
The dress was made from Nottingham lace and had a very classy and vintage feel. We chose to get married in Southern California and wanted a location filled with history (and lots of great places to take pictures). San Juan Capistrano fit the bill perfectly. I then did a ridiculous amount of online research as I was planning a California wedding from Australia. I looked through countless blogs and wedding websites and saved photos of all the bits that I liked. I found Momental Designs when I googled “wedding invitations with a tree” and fell in love. Working over the phone and via e-mail with Kristy Rice of Momental Designs we chose a color palette for the invitations and subsequently the wedding. Pale pinks, creams, and browns filtered through all the elements of the day. We wanted an intimate ceremony and reception that included family and close friends. Many wedding venues seemed to cater to larger groups so we went with local venues that did not typically house weddings. The Los Rios area provided us with a small town feel. Some people passing by stopped and watched the whole ceremony and even cried which really gave the day a sense of community.
I spent months focusing on the small details of the day. The vintage car, hand-painted wedding sign, Polaroid seating chart and countless other details made the whole day come together perfectly and feel very much ours. After the wedding a good friend told me it was the loveliest wedding she had ever been to. She said it was classy and fun and very much reflected Daniel and I. I was touched as that was exactly what I was aiming for. In the end, it turns out I got exactly what I didn’t think I wanted, my dream wedding.
Wedding Photography: Heidi Ryder Photography / Flowers: Fuji Wholesale Flowers / Wedding Ceremony Location: Hummingbird House Cafe / Wedding Reception Location: The Vintage Steak House / Wedding Invitations: Momental Designs / Wedding Dress: Bertossi Brides (Couture Collection) / Hair & Makeup: Charmed Beauty / Flowergirl Dresses: Fox’n Lily / Entertainment: Those Guys Band / Cakes: My Sweet & Saucy / Lace Birds: Vintage Green Limited / Jewelry: Lola M Designs