They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and I totally get that, but on any given day, I’ll settle for peonies and stripes. That’s really all it takes for this blogger to go from calm and collected to embarrassingly excited. Like squealing excited. And that’s precisely what happen with Gem Photo sent over this dazzler. Because if there is one style that just makes me giddy as can be – it’s classic with a twist, and when you combine that with peonies and stripes? I’m a goner. Want to see why? Just take one look at this pretty as can be gallery that would make Kate Spade proud!
From the Bride… Chris and I attended junior high and high school together, but we had always been just friends. We reconnected in San Francisco after college and have been inseparable for the last six-and-a-half years. From San Francisco, we moved to Boston for Chris’ work and were engaged on the coast in Ogunquit, Maine. We moved back to San Francisco shortly after, where we planned our budget-friendly wedding on the coast. We knew we wanted to incorporate our life in Boston, while staying true to our California roots. Bodega Bay offered us just that: the coast of California mixed with a New England vibe. By word of mouth on a trip up to Bodega, we discovered Compass Rose Gardens, a quaint garden on the bay. The minute we stepped foot in the garden, we knew it was magical and booked it right away. Once we booked our venue, our next step was to ensure we planned a day filled with love, as well as a really fun evening of dancing into the night with our closest friends and family.
As far as design goes, I happen to be a blogger, so I was inundated with wedding ideas, but at one point I decided to stop searching and go with what I truly loved and had always been inspired by. My style is classic with a twist, always incorporating bold colors and patterns, so eventually I decided on navy and white stripes with punches of coral. I designed everything, from our stationery down to the sticker that went on our to-go popcorn bags — and LOVED every minute of it. Chris was a total trooper and helped me with each new project that came up, including staying up long nights tying the perfect reef knot on each of our escort cards, then helping me emboss each guests name under the knot.
Our ceremony was very special to us as we wrote our own vows and our officiant happened to be a youth counselor we had known since high school. After our ceremony, we met our guests under the twinkle lights on the dance floor and didn’t leave that floor except to cut the cake! By the end of the night our friends and family had glowstick necklaces around their necks and were dancing the night away. It was difficult to leave the dance party, but once we did, we had an amazing exit running through sparklers to our car, which we drove to one of our favorite places, Bodega Bay Lodge. We both agree that it was the best day ever.
Wedding Photography: Gem Photo / Wedding Venue: Compass Rose Gardens in Bodega Bay, California / Event Design + Planning: The Bride + Enjoy Events Co. / Floral Design: Laura Miller Design / Wedding Cinematography: Erik Scanlon / Catering: Park Avenue Catering / Wedding Cake: SusieCakes / Wedding Invitations: Minted / DJ + Photo Booth: Perfect Day Events / Rentals: Encore Party Rentals / Wedding Dress: Pronovias via Novella Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Makeup: It’s A Date at the Powder Room