Our hearts grow and our cheeks blush when brides tell us daily visits to Style Me Pretty were an integral part of their planning process. We’re lucky enough to spend the day in a world of pretty, but we only do what we do for you. So when this Lukas VanDyke Photography put this SMP-inspired fête on our radar, we were more than a little full of glee. The bride + groom, with the help of Orange Blossom Special Events, pulled together a gorgeous day with some serious style. Make sure to save lots of time for the full image gallery to become inspired yourself!
Our love story began when a girl from Chicago met a charming boy from Dallas in Los Angeles. We both loved the beach and loved to travel, which led us to taking a leap of faith and moving to Australia together. Little did we know that it was just the beginning of our adventure of a lifetime!
We eventually made our way back to LA, and were ready to start the next chapter in our lives. Kris proposed in Santa Monica on the beach at sunset, so it seemed fitting that we celebrate our wedding there, too. We knew we wanted something modern and casual, yet classy. The moment we walked into the Annenberg Community Beach House we just KNEW it was the place.
Our wedding style can best be described as “Vintage California meets Hollywood Glam.” Kris and I love mid-century design, the glamour of old Hollywood and the 1960’s California beach vibe. We also love a modern and funky look, which is why The Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica was also at the heart of my inspiration. (And it was the perfect pre-wedding photo spot!) So with all of this, I had a vision in my head but needed a lot of help to turn that into reality!
Like most brides, I got seriously hooked on SMP and from there, the inspiration started flowing. I wanted to play off the colors of the venue, so I chose yellow as the main color against the beautiful, clean white backdrop. Gray was the perfect neutral accent with sporadic pops of turquoise for fun.
A co-worker of mine joked that it seemed like I had a friend or relative for every wedding task! This wedding went beyond DIY and all came together because of the amazingly talented and generous people Kris and I have in our lives.
My brother-in-law, a graphic designer, created our save the dates and invites. My crafty mother-in-law was an integral part of designing the décor. She stitched up all those adorable lounge pillows and table runners. She also played the part of florist and interior designer as we did our own centerpieces to compliment to lovely florals done by Susan at Peony & Plum. My friend Heidi gave our gift bags that extra personal touch with her homemade Heidi’s Salsa.
My wedding day look was also a group effort. My sister, Ramona, is a make-up artist. She worked her magic and made me rock that red lipstick! My bridesmaid Jackie just happens to be a whiz at up-do’s and created my hairstyle. I am forever thankful to my friend (and personal stylist) Julia, who convinced me to get those killer yellow shoes.
The reception was a non-stop party thanks to the DJs, my friends Andrew and Adrian, who have day jobs but love to spin on the weekends. Fate was on our side the day we met our lighting guy, the amazing Jeremy. We met by chance the weekend before our wedding! I was in the midst of freaking out about venue lighting and he offered to help. Through mutual friends we met Brooke, our day of coordinator, who made sure everything went off without a hitch!
There were two additions that I think gave our wedding a fun twist. Kris found a vintage VW bus that couldn’t have been more perfect for the wedding ride! We used sunglasses as the escort cards, and let me just say that wearing sunglasses at night really does make people think they can dance like rock stars!
To top all this off, the wedding was made so perfect by having our family and friends there from literally all over the globe! The whole experience feels like a dream that we’ll treasure always through the gorgeous photos captured by the ever-so-talented Lukas Van Dyke.
Month of Coordination: Orange Blossom Special Events / Photography: Lukas VanDyke Photography / Venue: Annenberg Community Beach House / Makeup Artist: Makeup by Ramona / Hair Artist: Jackie D’Antuono / Cake: Sarah Lange / Florist: Peony & Plum / Entertainment: Andrew Williams & Adrian Govind / Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller / Groom’s Tux: Ralph Lauren / Car: “Rosie” the VW bus from VW Surfari / Lighting: Jeremy Roush / Church: St. Monica Catholic Church / Officiant: Monsignor Lloyd Torgerson / Hotel: Viceroy Santa Monica