I’ve never been to California, but every single wedding we get from the Golden State is perfect, and SO Californian (even I can see that!). From Wine country to Los Angeles to San Francisco, each wedding has a different feel, but they are all so – fabulous. And this Rancho Las Lomas wedding, captured by Harmony Loves, is the perfect example of the wonderful soiree that is a California wedding. With help from Kirsteen LaBrot Events, this beautiful bride was able to wed her handsome groom in a fabulous outdoor ceremony surrounded by friends, family, love, and of course, pretty little details. Check out the rest of them in the full image gallery!
Adam and I met at my front door. He had just moved to Los Angeles from Philadelphia looking to begin a new adventure. As he began looking for a place to call home, my roommate and I were looking to fill a vacancy in our third bedroom. Adam arrived at our front door one evening to see the apartment and meet us. After the interview, my roommate—and best friend clearly explained why he could not live with us. “ You like him! He can’t move in.” Sure enough, we choose a different roommate, which allowed me to ask Adam out on our first date.
Four years later, we had our own place in Culver City when he surprised me on a Friday afternoon with his proposal. He had said to come home quickly after work so that we could get some drinks and begin the weekend. When I arrived home he said he had two surprises. One…we weren’t going to get drinks, we were going to Ojai, California (one of our favorite get away spots) and the second surprise was in the bedroom. He presented me with champagne, flowers, and got down on one knee. I had never been so surprised in my life! He then quickly packed a bag for me while I sat in wonderful shock and we hit Friday afternoon traffic all the way to Ojai. It was the best 2 hours of traffic I ever experienced—-calling friends and family and just being out of our minds excited!
We wanted to have an outdoor ceremony at a venue that also had a beautiful space for our reception. We had many people coming from the east coast and we wanted to celebrate the beauty and diversity of Southern California. We also wanted to get out of town just a bit and that’s how we found Rancho Las Lomas in Mission Viejo, California. With its Portuguese tile, orange groves, outdoor lighting, and exotic animal preserve it was a gorgeous and completely private space. We loved the different levels of the property and distinct spaces for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and then reception. We got married under large sycamore trees with a simple décor including branches and leaves adorning the gazebo structure. The aisle was created with a simple border of white rose petals. The property had a fantastic bridal cottage for my bridesmaids and the mothers to get ready in. I LOVED that this was our own space for the entire day and every structure was made using a Portuguese inspired style.
I’ve always loved the combination of green and blue together. I had a scarf that mixed navy blue and chartreuse and always thought it was a classic combination. The ladies wore navy blue Ann Taylor dresses that complimented their green/white bouquets. We used some burlap accents throughout the venue. We had burlap table numbers on wine bottles, burlap wraps around the cocktail tables, and burlap pillows that I painted with a blue/green design that resembled the tile patterns on the property. I used Etsy to help design most of the elements to our wedding. From the flower in my hair, the invitations, favors, bridal party gifts etc I used elements from different Etsy vendors. It all came together to be very unique. Overall, this was a ranch wedding that was part garden, part rustic but didn’t lean too much into one theme.
Adam and I know that a marriage is also a joining of two families. We are lucky enough to both have parents who’ve been married for over 30 years. During the ceremony, our officiant acknowledged that we are each an extension of our families. We honored our mothers and Adam’s grandmother by presenting them with flowers during the ceremony. It was a surprise element and also one of the more emotional parts. So glad we did it!
Wedding Planner: Kristeen LaBrot Events / Florist: Modern Bouquet / Hair Accessory: Twigs and Honey / Venue: Rancho Las Lomas / Photographer: Harmony Loves / Dress: La Soie / Caterer: 24 Carrots / DJ: DJ Lux from Premiere Events / Hair and Makeup: Design Visage / Invitations: Julia’s Poppies Design / Calligraphy: Calligraphy Katrina