This wedding is not just perfect. It’s perfect for today. For a day when Fall feels like it’s slipping away and we (read: I) are clinging to the sweetness of pretty wraps, bottles of wine and a gorgeous al fresco celebration. So guess what you get when you layer on beautiful, utterly romantic photography by Frame 36, a bride who literally can’t contain her gorgeousness and a groom who is entirely adorable? Well, you get me. A very, very happy blogger. Click here to see so much more.
From the Bride… My favorite place in the whole world is a plant nursery in Western Pennsylvania, where I lived for two years. Danny and I both grew up in Southern California, but I lived there for work and completely fell in love with the place. Danny ended up proposing in the actual greenhouse at the nursery with my grandmother’s ring. He put up twinkle lights where the hanging baskets go, and hung the love letters I wrote him throughout the years from clothespins. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my whole life. The greenhouse was truly my inspiration for our wedding in Southern California. As a couple, we wanted people to feel completely loved when they were with us, just like we feel when we are at the nursery! We didn’t have a huge budget, but knew we wanted soulful, romantic and down-to-earth. We wanted very little pretense, but at the same time wanted to convey the elegance and importance of the day and life we were entering into together.
Both coming from very large families (Danny is one of nine and I am one of eight!) we relied a lot on our family and close friends to help with many of the details, and to save money where we could. My mom made my veil (which was one of my very favorite pieces) and sewed all of the burlap table runners, Danny’s sister-in-law made our cake, my dear friend did the flowers at the reception, and my little brothers and sisters planted all of the succulents that were on the tables. We also placed several long tables together to make it look like everyone was sitting at one table. It looked absolutely beautiful, and everyone felt like they were part of one big family. As a nod to our Pennsylvania engagement roots, we had a bluegrass band play during the cocktail hour (but a DJ for fun dancing at night). A few fun details that we DIY-ed were the favors and the seating cards. I found an old iron rod stand from an olive oil company that was looking to downsize and hung shipping tags that I tea-stained and hand-wrote each person’s name on with their table number. For the favors, I stamped muslin bags with our wedding logo and then filled them with daffodil bulbs (Danny’s favorite flower). I placed them in an antique cart with a sign that said, “Think of us next spring as you plant these daffodil bulbs!”
One of the most memorable moments of the reception for me was when my uncle, brothers and cousins surprised me by serenading me with a song they had written. They asked me to stand in front of them while they sang to me, and so I got to watch each one of their faces — so sincere and loving while they gave me that gift. I’ll truly never forget it. The wedding day, from start to finish, really was filled with love. I think it’s easy to get caught up and think of a wedding as a great big party (which is a part of it!), but it’s just so much more than that. For us it truly was an incredibly spiritual experience, a promise to make each other so much better than we could be on our own, and there’s not much that’s better than that. We are eternally grateful to everyone in our lives that made the day so truly perfect.
Wedding Photography: Frame 36 Photography / Ceremony: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Montecito, California / Reception: Wiggy Ranch in Ventura, California / Ceremony Floral Design: Sweet Peas Flowers and Gifts / Catering: Dearmore’s BBQ Catering / Wedding Invitation Design: Annie Clark / Wedding Map + Logo Illustration: Carolyn Kelly / Calligraphy: Ann Patton (acpatton25@yahoo.com) / Program Stitching: Lisa Bowman / Rentals: Ventura Party Rental Center / Lighting: Bella Vista Designs, Inc. / Ring Bearer Bowl: Paloma’s Nest / Muslin Favor Bags: Muslin Bag / Wedding Dress: Pronovias / Bride’s Veil: Handmade by the Bride’s Mother / Hair + Makeup: LunaBella Makeup and Hair / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew / Getting Ready Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar / Flower Girl’s Dress: J.Crew / Invitations: Carolyn Kelly / Groomsmen’s Tuxedos: Calvin Klein via Men’s Wearhouse