Santa Barbara. The place where weddings are always magical. Where the sun sets at just the right time, where rustic chic is taken to an entirely new level of lovely. Where brides and grooms glow with gorgeousness and first dances and last kisses seem even more romantic than ever. And this wedding by Joy de Vivre Events with photography by Josh Elliott is Santa Barbara goodness at it’s absolute best. Click here to see so many more gorgeous details and don’t forget to watch the clip by Curtis Nemetz Productions to bring the whole day full circle.
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From the Bride… Although we met in Orange County, Brook is from Santa Barbara, where I attended college at UCSB. Soon after we met, Brook took me up to SB to stay at his mom’s house there for the weekend. We bonded over our love of Santa Barbara, and before we were even engaged, we daydreamed of getting married in our favorite city. After getting engaged last May, Brook and I started planning our wedding right away. We agreed on pretty much every aspect of the wedding — we basically just wanted to be married to each other and then have a fun night for all of our people! My good friend Brittanny’s family owns Rancho Dos Pueblos, where we were married, and it is one of our favorite places in the world. It is so incredibly beautiful on its own that we knew we didn’t need much to make it our dream wedding, and it was. We kept it pretty simple: beautiful flowers done by my friend Brynne; our incredible photographer Josh Elliott; Joy de Vivre — the best wedding coordinators ever; the yummiest BBQ food by our Live Oak Catering; alcohol with help from our friend Tyler; some twinkle lights from Ambient Event; and amazing friends and family. It was a perfect night. My Uncle Tony married us, which made the ceremony feel so personal and special. He did such a great job making it feel like us. I found this great watercolorist on Etsy who did our save-the-dates, invites, escort cards, programs — she was so great.
I was so thankful for Brook during the process, he was so involved and helpful. We stayed traditional and chose not to see each other until the ceremony. My favorite part of the day was seeing his face at the end of the aisle. Our photographer, Josh, captured some great photos of the moment. I tear up every time I see them.
My advice to any future brides and grooms is to, simply put, do what you want! We didn’t do the bouquet toss or garter toss because it just didn’t feel like “us.” We nixed the cake cutting at the last minute because, honestly, we didn’t want to interrupt the party! I was so dead-set on not asking anyone for help, but then I realized I needed it! My mom did so much for us, and our friends and other family members helped SO much as well. A few of my best friends did the rehearsal dinner florals and decor, and our friend Teddy made us the coolest cake stand made out of a big tree stump with succulents. As long as you marry the right person, all you need is a cool place and great people around you.
From the Groom… After the ceremony and some time into our wedding day we finally took it all in. We have been to Dos Pueblos Ranch many times to visit friends, but when the sun started to set and the lights in the barn began to twinkle, we realized the barn had never looked more amazing. During my speech I looked around and noticed all of the lights, flowers and my sweet wife in her beautiful white dress, and I couldn’t have been more proud of what we accomplished. It truly was a beautiful evening and the best way to start the rest of our lives together!
Wedding Photography: Josh Elliott Photography / Wedding Venue: Dos Pueblos Ranch in Santa Barbara, California / Wedding Coordination: Joy de Vivre Event Design Boutique / Floral Design: BB Blossom / Wedding Cinematography: Filmed by Ed Rhee of Curtis Nemetz Productions / Catering: Live Oak Catering / Rentals: Ventura Rental / Lighting: Ambient Event Design / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet for Priscilla of Boston (Now Closed) / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Ivy & Aster via The Gown Shop