The Cravens Estate is one of the most beautiful venues I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. The grand, historic house captures an elegant, old world charm that you just don't find at many other spaces in Southern California. Any wedding would look spectacular with the estate as its backdrop but this romantic celebration, captured by Kevin Wynn Photography, with its classic beauty and touch of shabby chic, is just divine! There are so many little details that this stunning bride incorporated into her day with the help of some amazing vendors so make sure you check each one out in the full gallery!
Pasadena Wedding at The Cravens Estate by Kevin Wynn Photography
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From the Bride & Groom... Michael and I are high school sweethearts and dated nearly 11 years before he popped the question. We had been to countless weddings together, so we had tons of ideas and wanted ours to stand out. We looked at numerous venues before stumbling upon the perfect venue in our own hometown. Although we had never heard of it, The Cravens Estate was exactly what we were looking for. The French-style estate was built in the 1920s in what was known as Millionaires' Row in Pasadena, California. It was donated to the American Red Cross in 1962 and is frequently used as a venue for weddings and movies. We loved its uniqueness and old world charm. I don't consider myself to be creative, but I had a vivid picture of what I desired. I wanted our wedding to be elegant with a touch of shabby chic and envisioned a rosy-peach and gray scheme. I loved the idea of lace, which I was able to incorporate in our invites and cake. Michael and I made our escort cards from trinkets we found at a local flea market, and we were able to find several items fitting specific guests. My grandmother made our ring pillow from lace and burlap, and my father made our table numbers from our engagement photos.
As our guests arrived, they were offered pre-ceremony champagne and enjoyed a string trio that played classical music. Michael and I wrote our vows together to make our wedding ceremony a bit different. This allowed us to personalize our ceremony by saying exactly what we wanted to promise one another, without the associated fear of having your significant other hear your vows for the first time at the altar. Michael’s childhood pastor married us, and we had each of our grandmothers read a meaningful Bible passage. After our ceremony, our guests had their choice of cocktails and were free to explore the estate and appreciate all it had to offer. We also had a caricaturist during cocktail hour and gift bags for the kids. After eating, drinking, and dancing, we ended the night with a sparkler send off in a get-away car built by Michael's dad. After the wedding, Michael and I honeymooned in France and Italy for three weeks, and we were able to visit the chateau after which the estate was modeled. Our wedding went off without a hitch and was more beautiful than I had ever had imagined.
Wedding Photography: Kevin Wynn Photography / Wedding Venue: The Cravens Estate in Pasadena, California (626-799-0841) / Event Planning: Theresa Shlimanoff of Hustle & Bustle / Floral Design: City of Commerce Flowers / Wedding Cinematography: Cloudbreak Films / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm / Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka