We look forward to Mondays around these parts, which may drive our friends a bit bonkers, but we have so much pretty stored up our sleeves we constantly have ants in our pants to share it all. Case and point – this Santa Barbara beauty captured by Josh Gruetzmacher Photography. It has been dancing in my dreams since I first set sight on it, and I’ve been counting down the minutes until I could finally share it with the wedding-loving masses. It had me at the lace boots, the gorgeous scenery, the high school romance – actually, the list goes on and on – and so does all the pretty in the full gallery!
From Josh Gruetzmacher Photography… Jamie and Shane got married at Orella Ranch, just south of Santa Barbara, California. It was a ranch wedding in a unique location that overlooks the California coast but is also hemmed in by the hills. I went to high school with this couple, and they have been dating since then, so this has been over 10 years in the making. Like a story out of a movie, Shane was the star quarterback, and Jamie was the captain of the cheer squad when they started dating. They are two of the nicest and most attractive people I know. All of their friends and family cheered endlessly at their wedding.
From the Bride… I loved our entire wedding. It was the best day ever. My husband and I dated for 10 years, and we always said that one day we’d get married on the top of a mountain. We also love the ocean. He is originally from California, and I’m originally from Kansas, so the combination of country and beach was perfect at Orella Ranch. We wanted the venue to feel timeless and like heaven for us. It did. Having our families and friends all together with us in that place for the day was such an amazing experience.
My mom and I spent some time brainstorming the overall design for the wedding. We were inspired by some vintage touches, rustic DIY and also incorporating local elements. We were able to use my mom’s antique ceramic water pitchers on top of lace doilies for the table centerpieces. We had an old window frame that we used for the seating chart by writing on the glass. For the DIY stuff, my mom and I painted the wedding signs on old pieces of wood. We also made the lavender sprig place cards, chalkboard ceremony program, chandelier and the netting over the cake table. For the local elements, we created the wedding favors for the guests using Santa Barbara wildflower honey. Our ceremony was on the bluffs overlooking the ocean, and our officiant included some native traditions into our ceremony. All of these came together beautifully for our special day.
We also had a lot of support from our friends and families. I worked on many details up until the actual day, and then on our wedding day, I let go of everything and just enjoyed it all! My advice to brides currently planning their weddings is to remember to give more time to nurturing our relationship than to just planning the event. Also, to trust yourself and make decisions based on that, as there are lots of decisions to make throughout the entire planning process. Have fun!
Wedding Photography: Josh Gruetzmacher Photography / Wedding Venue: Orella Ranch in Santa Barbara, California / Event Planning: The Bride + Her Mother / Floral Design: Grass Roots / Catering + Wedding Cake: Catering Connection / Music: Area 51 / Rentals: Discount Party Rentals / Wedding Dress: Watters / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Guess / Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse