This San Jose couple is smart, sassy and full of style! Instead of spending a massive chunk of their wedding budget on a reception venue they used it to remodel their backyard and threw one of the coolest DIY weddings at their own home! Inspired by the ultimate in modern and whimsical design – The Viceroy Hotel in Palm Springs – the bride and groom paired a black, white and yellow palette with their vibrant personalities for a party that was fun, memorable and meaningful. Encarnacion Photography captured all the delightful moments and details. Click here to see them all!
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From the Bride…Alex and I love riding our bicycles through Downtown San Jose on hot summer nights. There’s something nostalgic, romantic and spontaneous about riding a bicycle with the wind blowing through your hair and up your dress! What better way to celebrate a wedding than with a bicycle parade. Our “Tour de San Jose” hit all our favorite city landmarks.
This wedding was truly the definition of DIY starting with the reception site. When we bought our home, it was previously used as an office building so the backyard was literally a parking lot. Instead of spending our money on a fancy hotel or renting our dream venue, the San Jose Museum of Art, we decided to use the money to remodel the backyard. One year later, 2,000 square feet of removed concrete, 19 tons of gravel, 2 tons soil, 2 tons of mulch, over 100 plants, countless hours of shoveling, painting and pick axing, we finally had our french potager garden and some muscles! Instead of lawn, which gives you no food, the French potager or American equivalent, the “freedom garden,” focuses on planting edible ornamentals. In World War I and II, the American Government encouraged people to plant gardens to sustain themselves in times of crisis. They called them “freedom gardens.” We support the movement of organic and sustainable agriculture. On each corner of the square, we planted herbs: rosemary, sage, thyme, mint, basil, and parsley as a homage to the “freedom garden” and our love for cooking.
The colors, black white and yellow were inspired by a mother-daughter trip to the Palm Spring’s Viceroy hotel. The hotel exuded modern, crispness with yellow, bringing a touch of whimsy. I painted and re-upholstered garage sale finds and raided my mother’s garage. Chalkboard signs were hand painted and influenced by art deco and art nouveau designs.
The food paid tribute to our ethnic backgrounds. Empanadas reflected the groom’s Peruvian background, while Japanese snowcones, “kakigori”, scallop cups and ahi tuna reflected the bride’s Japanese background.
The best part of our wedding was having our family and friends help us remodel and paint. There was something very special about spending time with people you care about as you are collectively creating and building something together. Overall or wedding was everything we hoped it would be: fun, bright, whimsical and unpretentious. There’s nothing more humble than inviting people into your home.
Wedding Coordinator + Planning: The Bride / Ceremony Venue: San Jose Municipal Rose Garden / Reception Venue: Private Residence / DJ: Peng Yav / Wedding Cake: Ana’s Creative Bakery / Desserts: Beard Papa / Caterer: Catered Too! / Stationery: The Bride / Bride’s Gown: Melissa Sweet / Bride’s Shoes: Enzo Angolini + Chinese Laundry / Blue Handkerchief, Bow Veil + Rhinestone Brooch: Vintage / Pearl Necklace: Borrowed / Hair: Cory Nowicki / Make-up: Daisy Barrajas / Groom’s Suit: Brooks Brothers / Groom’s Socks: Joy of Socks / Groomsmen Bow Ties: Black Ruffle Brigade / Groom’s Bow Tie + Handkerchief: DivineDomestication / Floral Design: Flowers by Ivy / Hanging Jars + Magnetic Vase Favors: The Bride / Wedding Videography: George Nishikawa / Wedding Photographer: Encarnacion Photography