I never was aware of my complete and total adoration for all things orange until this wedding sashayed into my life. A collaboration between classic details by LVL Weddings & Events, holy-cow gorgeous bouquets and the like by Inviting Occasion and photography. Photography so lovely, that it makes cumquats look like art. Troy Grover knows how to work a camera and you can see all of his lovely images right here in the full gallery.
Click here to see the entire gallery of images!
From the Bride… Fate brought Justin and I together one summer night in New York City in August 2009. We were both living in the city and found ourselves at the same bar, on the same night at the same time. After only one and a half years of dating Justin proposed in March 2011 on top of Vail Mountain in beautiful Colorado. We both have very special memories of the Colorado ski resorts, as individuals and as a couple, so it was only fitting we became engaged on a snowy hill in Vail. We tossed around the idea of getting married in Brooklyn and Vail, but decided spring 2012 in my hometown of sunny Southern California would be the best fit!
Justin and I have very different planning styles. As an Event Planner I am very detail orientated and poured my heart into our wedding planning process. Justin, my ever so sweet and easygoing husband took the planning seriously, but with a slightly more relaxed approach. Although we may have different viewpoints of what constitutes “planning,” we shared a vision. We wanted our wedding day to reflect not only our style, but our relationship – unique, natural, and organic. We wanted our guests to really feel our presence in every last detail.
The ceremony and reception took place at Bella Collina Towne & Golf in San Clemente. We enhanced the natural beauty of the setting with a custom-made wedding canopy made of kumquats and a variety of lush, organic florals and moss. To complement the surroundings, and our personal taste, we decided orange would be our main color as it is bright, happy, and uplifting. Eggplant would be our accent color as it is bold, warm, and romantic. Everything after that was icing on the beautiful cake! The succulent covered L and J letters, the old wedding photos of our parents surrounding our guest book, my dad’s friend’s band playing “Here Comes the Sun” for the recessional (the song my parents walked down the aisle to), a live jazz singer setting the mood in the cocktail reception, custom menus listing the three wines my dad handpicked for the reception, our breathtaking tablescapes (thank you Inviting Occasions!), and finally the amber uplighting were just a few of our favorite details. Instead of numbers, we seated our guests at tables named about Vail ski runs. The head table was Riva Ridge – the name of the ski run where Justin proposed. My favorite moment of the entire day was during our ceremony when Justin and I exchanged our vows. We decided in addition to saying the traditional vows, we would also write our own. It was an incredible feeling to be able to verbalize our feelings aloud to each other in front of our family and friends. From that moment forward our wedding just floated on a cloud of hugs and gestures of congratulations from family and friends coupled with pictures, food, cocktails, speeches, music, and of course dancing.
We wouldn’t have been able to make any of this happen without the help and expertise of our fabulous and talented vendors (and my wonderful mother!). I personally owe a very special thanks to each of them (you know who you are!) for listening to all my thoughts and ideas, taking it to heart, and for helping me create the most perfect day of our lives. It was everything we could have imagined, and so much more!
Wedding Photography: Troy Grover Photographers / Wedding Coordination: LVL Weddings & Events / Event Lighting: The Event Company / Wedding Venue: Bella Collina Towne & Golf Club in San Clemente, CA / Floral Design: Inviting Occasion / Wedding Cake & Catering: Jay’s Catering / DJ: Daisy O’Dell / Wedding Cinematography: Kroh Media / Wedding Invitations: Made With Heart / Wedding Dress: Oscar de la Renta / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Hair & Makeup: 10.11. Makeup