With Sweet Emilia Jane and The Little Branch at the helm of this next wedding snapped up by Captured By Aimee - you know you are about to see some serious prettiness. Detail after gorgeous detail is to be expected when you spot a wedding by this talented team of vendors, and trust me when I say this wedding does not disappoint. But beyond all the prettiness, what really stands out to me is the obvious love between the two families becoming one. And that's the prettiest detail of all. See it all here!
Malibu Wedding from Captured by Aimee
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From the Bride... Our wedding was a long time coming. We are both baby boomers, (I am 60!), and this is a second marriage for both of us. Our families were a huge part of our wedding. My children were thrilled to see their mom so happy, and you can see that from the big smiles on their faces in the photos! My daughter and daughters–in–law were my bridesmaids, along with my 28-year-old sister and my best friend, Rose. My boys were Richard’s groomsmen. The most important thing for us in our wedding was the love we feel for each other and the love we feel from our family and friends. The Sunset Restaurant on Westward Beach in Malibu was where we had our first date, and we knew immediately that we would get married there. We could not have picked a more perfect place for us. Our wedding day was glorious and crystal clear, and the venue expressed our love of the Pacific Ocean.
I had a ton of ideas and a lot of enthusiasm, but not very much time, as I am a psychologist with a busy practice. So I scoured the internet and found the most perfect person for us: Emilia McCool of Sweet Emilia Jane. She is truly one of the most creative people I have ever met. It’s not so easy to combine creativity and great organizational skills in one person, but she is definitely it! The challenge was to have a beach wedding that maintained the integrity of the location, but also included our vintage, rustic style. To accomplish this, I decided to use ocean colors: faded French blue, sand and raspberry coral. I thought of rustic doors leading to the ceremony arch, which were both decorated with birch, twigs and florals, to symbolize our entry into a new life together. Emilia brought that theme inside for the reception, creating a birch structure around the bride and groom chairs with a chandelier from Etsy above it. Right after the ceremony, our guests walked over to the cocktail area and were given bottles of cold lemonade with escort cards.
Richard and I collect Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys books and we put them on the tables. Plus my great grandparents were both composers, so I laminated the sheet music they wrote and Emilia put table numbers on them! We made a larger copy of one piece of music, “Your’re Never Too Old To Love”, by my great-grandfather, William Jerome. That became a theme of the wedding! It still brings tears to my eyes thinking of the altar my daughter created to honor our mothers and our two brothers that passed away. To make the desserts more special, I had all the bridesmaids over the day before the wedding and we baked most of the yummy desserts, amidst much champagne, coffee and laughter.
As beautiful as everything was, the highlights of the wedding were Richard’s grandson and my dad. Little 3-year-old Cruz walked down the aisle as a ring bearer in his adorable gray suit, and later he stole the show on the dance floor, with everyone circled around him. My 89-year-old dad used to be a professional singer, and I surprised him by finding a recording of him singing "Fools Rush In" from 1949, and used it as the father-daughter dance. As we danced, he broke into song and sang along with his recording for the rest of the dance, as he held me. There was not a dry eye in the house. Those are the things everyone remembers — the family and the love, so relax and stay in your heart for your beautiful day!
Wedding Photography: Captured By Aimee / Ceremony: Westward Beach in Malibu, California / Reception: The Sunset Restaurant in Malibu, California / Event Design + Planning: Sweet Emilia Jane / Floral Design: The Little Branch / Wedding Cinematography: Walter Pawluk Wedding Videography / Desserts: SusieCakes, Brentwood + Bridesmaids / Wedding Invitations: Minted / DJ: Bryan Thrane of Pacific Entertainment / Event Rentals: Elegant Designs / Vintage Rentals: Pow Wow / Photo Booth: Vintage Vault / Wedding Dress: Legends by Romona Keveza / Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Makeup: Ana Martinez / Jewelry: Vintage by Eisenberg + Weiss / Groom's Suit: J.Crew