Casino San Clemente Wedding by Chloe Murdoch Photography
Oh I could just eat this wedding by Chloe Murdoch Photography up with a spoon, it's absolutely delicious. A laid back soiree with that California chic vibe we just can't get enough of, where succulents and garden roses dance side by side and a sweet duo tying the knot who happen to be darling and dapper all at the same time. It's a recipe for wedding perfection, and you can see it all unfold in the full gallery of images!
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From the Bride... Chris and I started dating while we were in college in San Luis Obispo, California. After we were done with school, we decided to go to graduate school in Cleveland, Ohio. Planning the wedding from Ohio took a lot of luck and help from our families and friends in California. We wanted the wedding to reflect who we are as a couple in a fun and sentimental way. We also wanted to pick a place where guests would enjoy the laid-back, California coastal atmosphere. We chose the Casino San Clemente, right across from the beach I hung out growing up. We picked a soft palette of cabbage roses, dahlias, succulents, and scabiosa pods for our flowers. A lot of the wedding was handmade. Our parents, siblings, and friends helped us create a day that was better than we had ever hoped for. Chris's mom arranged wreaths and arrangements of succulents for the cocktail hour. She single-handedly created the cookie and candy tables with all of our favorite desserts. My uncle has catering experience and he volunteered to help out our caterer, which brought down the price of our food for the evening. My good friend Lesley Hallenbeck is a wedding planner and helped coordinate the day, made table number flags, and designed our programs. My mom and my husband's mom found vintage vases at second hand stores for the flower arrangements and a chandelier to hang in the patio for the cocktail hour. Having everything created by our friends and family was the biggest gift we could have been given and really put sentimental value to it all.
The best part of the day was when we said our vows. It was really important for Chris and me to make the ceremony personal and to tell our story. We decided to write our own vows and have our officiant tell about our relationship. It felt like the perfect time to speak about our love in front of our closest family and friends. I was so nervous to speak I could hardly keep my knees from shaking. After my vows were finished, I felt so accomplished. It was a moment that I will always remember and be proud of.
We were so lucky that the weather could not have been better at sunny and eighty degrees at the end of October. We tried to make speeches and eat as soon as cocktail hour was over so the dancing could begin. If the judgement of a good wedding is the amount of dancing, ours would be a five star event. Our guests took over the dance floor until the lights turned on and they were escorted out. Our DJ was awesome, playing everything we asked, even "Hang On Sloopy," Ohio's official song for our friends from Ohio. Some of our guests borrowed some of the props from the photo booth and danced in style. If I had any advice for couples that are planning a wedding, I think that the most important thing is to enjoy the ride of planning and the day itself. There are aspects of a wedding that can be very pricey and unnecessary. Only do the parts that you want to do, because all you will remember about the day is how you felt in the moment with your significant other.
Wedding Photography: Chloe Murdoch Photography / Wedding Venue: Casino San Clemente in San Clemente, California / Event Planning: Lesley Hallenbeck (A Friend of the Bride) / Floral Design: Flower Allie / Wedding Cinematography: Kroh Media / Catering: Kimberly Caters for You + The Bride's Uncle / Wedding Invitations: Minted / Photo Booth: CoolShotz Photo Booths / DJ: Todd of Essential Mobile Music / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm Blush / Hair + Makeup: Beauty and the Beach