Backyard California Wedding by Jen Lauren Grant

This affair captured by Jen Lauren Grant could very well be my wedding soul mate. It’s a bountiful mix of bright flowers by Honey and Poppies, fun yet undeniably chic design by In the Now Weddings and Events and one rockin pair of heels. For me, all that equalled head over slippers at first glance. Also included in this Love-fest? A freaking fabulous Photo Tent. A Photo Tent! I don’t think it gets much better than that. See it all right here!

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From Jen of Jen Lauren Grant… Brooke and Tom got married in the backyard at Brooke’s mom and step-dad’s house. Her step dad built a bridge over their swimming pool, and that’s where they exchanged vows. He also built a small wooden dance floor and carved their names into it. The decorations were simple and comfortable and mostly consisted of gorgeous flower arrangements by Honey & Poppies. The huge hanging vines of flowers decorating the bridge were my favorite. The wedding was coordinated by Sharon at In The Now weddings and I think she really succeeded in taking “the backyard wedding” to a whole other level. I loved that the escort cards were drinking glasses with everyone’s name and table number printed on them. Brooke’s colors were blue and orange, and the little orange pieces on top of the blue glasses really made them pop! I think it’s a great idea to be able to keep track of your drink at any event, big or small. I also loved that the photo booth was a big tent and they had it set up so people could take photos with an iPhone and automatically print them. The house and yard were completely renovated for the wedding. So long as you’re spending money on a venue, why not make it an investment also? ;) Every last inch of the house was gorgeous, and In the Now and Honey and Poppies did such a fantastic job that to simply call it a “backyard wedding” doesn’t begin to do it justice.

From the bride… When Tom and I started planning our wedding, we knew right away that we wanted a close intimate and relaxed atmosphere, but mostly a big party. We were inspired by a backyard BBQ with a romantic twist, and when my mother Tracy and stepfather Kevin offered their home in Fullerton, California, we thought it would be perfect, and everything evolved from there. The planning process was definitely a collaboration between my mother, who created the invites by hand, my stepfather, who built the bridge over the pool where we had the ceremony and my husband Tom, who built the dance floor. My aunt and mother created a “Beer Garden” on the deck with furniture from Found and photos of Tom and I throughout our lives. They also built and created the photo booth. We worked with “In The Now” wedding planning to help facilitate vendors and bring our ideas to life. They stumbled upon these blue glasses found at Ikea and had them customized with the guests names and topped off with orange slices and orange straws for place settings and take home gifts.  They also found our amazing vendors. 24 Carrots created an amazing menu of comfort foods including the blue cheese sliders and milk shakes served as a midnight snack. Honey and Poppies created our wild flower bouquets, center pieces and hops boutonnieres and hops garland for the bridge.  Jen Lauren Grant was such a pleasure and made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera.



Wedding Photography: Jen Lauren Grant / Wedding Flowers: Honey and Poppies / Event Design + Planning: In the Now Weddings and Events / Wedding Venue: The Bride’s Family Home in Fullerton, California / Bride’s Shoes: Michael Shannon / Furniture: Found Vintage Rentals / Catering: 24 Carrots / Desserts: My Sweet and Saucy / Wedding Dress: Galina Signature for David’s Bridal / Groomsmen’s Attire: J.Crew / Bridesmaids’ Dresses + Jewelry: J.Crew / Bride’s Necklace: J.Crew / Bride’s Earrings: Antique Pearls from Her Grandmother / Hair + Makeup: Nicolette Cabral + Breeanne Moore (The Bride’s Sister) of Nab Beauty / Blue Glasses: Ikea / Beer Garden, Photo Booth: The Bride’s Mother + Aunt / Wedding Invitations: The Bride’s Mother / Ceremony Bridge: The Bride’s Stepfather / Dance Floor: The Groom