This gorgeous wedding proves once again that you don’t need to overdo it with tons and tons of DIY projects to give your special day that unique and personal feel that every bride dreams of. Instead, do what this bride did and choose a few key elements that you want to highlight like the desserts and the seating chart that your guests are sure to remember. Oh, and it helps if you hire a killer photographer like Ahlin Photography to capture all the pretty details. See even more here.
Click here to see the entire gallery of images!
From the Bride…Once I saw the venue the Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Ranch, with the eucalyptus trees swaying in the background and the blanket of walnut trees, I knew that it was the prefect place for our wedding. Tierra Rejada Ranch had exactly the look I wanted; rustic, elegant and enchanting.
I definitely had trouble making decisions because there are so many amazing things out there to inspire you. I wanted sparklers, goodie bags, etc but then reality set in and things started to add up quickly. We decided to take a minimal approach mostly because we didn’t have the time for the DIY ideas we loved so much. Or the budget to order whatever inspired us! There were a few things that we really wanted to seem special, so for those I went onto Etsy and had things made. One was the cupcake toppers, they were a must for me because I knew the cupcakes we were going to order were plain chocolate. I also saw the cutest hand done seating chart on a wedding blog that I had to borrow. I went to an art supply store and bought an antique frame as well as very colorful paper for the name tags. Their table numbers were on the back and my mother-in-law hand wrote the cards the day of the wedding. I was so happy with the result!
I also borrowed the idea of the bride and groom chair signs from a co-worker that was married just before us. We were only planning on flowers for the centerpieces and the bridal party. We wanted a little something to decorate our chairs. I loved the idea of flowers on the Bride and Groom’s chairs, but had a limited budget. We also decided against decorating the aisle and the chairs for the ceremony because there was so much great scenery, we felt it would be perfect the way it was. We knew our ceremony would be very short and didn’t want to spend the time or money on something elaborate. Although, trust me, I saw many beautiful ideas that almost had me hanging fabric from trees! The bottom line for us was to enjoy the time before the wedding with friends and family and that meant keeping things simple for us. Our flower girl provided the rose petals down the aisle, although, she was so nervous she forgot to throw them! And I didn’t even notice!
Overall, everyone said our wedding was a blast and that it felt like we were out on a vineyard. The twinkling lights over the tables and dace floor along with the beautiful venue really set the tone for the evening. There was a lot of dancing, drinking and eating, exactly what we had in mind when we were planning our wedding. It went so fast, I still can’t believe how quickly the weekend flew by. I am thankful we didn’t stress too much by taking on too many DIY projects because the day of we had so much to do just getting ready!
Wedding Photography: Ahlin Photography / Ceremony + Reception Location: Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Ranch / Catering: Command Performance / Wedding Dress: Rented via One Night Affair / Bride’s Headband: Banana Republic / Hair: Hair by Monique / Make-up: Maid of Honor / Eyelashes: Kiyomi Rosenzwig of You Doll You / Wedding Bands: Robin’s Brothers / Groom’s Attire: Banana Republic / Junior Bridesmaid Dresses: Lula Kate via Bella Bridesmaid / Flower Girl Dress: Flower Girl Dress for Less / Best Men Attire: Men’s Warehouse + Macy’s / Ring Bearer Outfit: Calvin Klein / Invitation Suite, Save-The-Dates: Designer Mike Valle / Stamps: Zazzle / Invitations: Designer Danny Parker / Flowers (Table + Bridal Party): Urban Florist / Flowers (Bar + Seating Chart): Mother of the Bride + Aunt of the Bride / Frames: Mother of the Groom / DJ: Scott Wilson / Cupcakes: Portos Bakery