No matter what group you see yourself in – vintage, modern, whimsical, traditional or maybe a mix of everything – I promise you that you will find something to fall head over heels in love with in this San Diego celebration by Ashleigh Taylor Photography. It features some stylishly unique details, a vibrant, contemporary palette, quirky retro elements and an elegantly romantic setting that I am absolutely gaga over. With all that pretty going on there is certainly a little something for everyone! Click here to see all the gorgeous details!
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From the Bride…AJ and I knew that we wanted a wedding that was truly “us,” something that our best friends and family would walk away from feeling like they had witnessed something unique. We wanted to be married at AJ’s family home– the home was custom built by AJ’s parents and it was their dream for their kids to be married there. It was important to us to have the event feel intimate and that both sides of our families could mingle and get to know each other. We wanted the day to feel casual and relaxed while still being pretty!
In keeping with our commitment to being California casual, we decided to forgo a traditional wedding ceremony, and instead chose to create our own ceremony using pieces that we liked from AJ’s Jewish tradition as well as our own interpretation from looking through wedding blogs (like Style Me Pretty!) and magazines. Instead of having our guests seated, we fit 150 people into an intimate circle garden on the side of the house, and created an organic winding aisle of white rose petals leading to AJ’s family chuppah. I chose to wear a short ivory Amsale dress accessorized with Kate Spade shoes and birdcage veil. AJ wore a suit. We decided not to have bridesmaids or groomsmen because it felt too formal to us. We wrote our own vows, and adapted the Jewish seven blessings to have members of our friends and family read during the ceremony. We were married by a California Assembly Member, a wonderful family friend who has known my husband since he was a child.
The reception was generously held in my in-law’s backyard, which we transformed into a vintage and Mediterranean inspired garden. We covered the pool to make a dance floor, and strung twinkle lights and flower poms throughout the backyard. For our florals, we chose a loose and textured look, with clusters of small vases together to make arrangements instead of large centerpieces. Some of the flowers used were ranunculus, roses, hydrangeas tulips and yellow billy balls. I loved how it turned out! Guests danced all night long, and drank our signature cocktail, the “SkyJ,” coined by my sister-in-law as our celebrity name when we first started dating.
There were a million beautiful details and I couldn’t begin to prioritize my favorite moment. Our inspiration for our ceremony and reception came from the desire to be true to who we are as a couple, and with the help of our fantastic wedding planner, talented photographer and amazing vendors, everything came together seamlessly. The wedding brought incredible joy to our families.
Wedding Photography: Ashleigh Taylor Photography / Caterer: Continental Catering / DJ + Lighting: EventAVision / Invitations: Stacey Himmel Stationery / Lounge Furniture: AFR / Pool Covering + Linens: White Wedding Day Events / Wedding Planning: Plan It San Diego / Florist: Adorations Botanical Artistry, LaVonne Crawford / Wedding Stationery + Signage (Sign-In Board, Table Art): Rifle Paper Co. / Wedding Dress: Amsale / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade