Ojai Wedding from Jenna Marie Photography
Nothing makes a wedding more swoon-worthy in my book than infusing it with details and tradition personal to the bride + groom, and this Ojai stunner from Jenna Marie Photography takes meaningful touches to a whole new level! From the bride's bouquet charm representing her late father to the cigar box centerpieces made by the mother-of-the-bride, each element was thoughtfully crafted and beautifully designed. Click here to see the rest!
From the Bride... Ryan proposed at a waterfall in a redwood forest where my family has a cabin. With such a beautiful setting for an engagement we knew that the location for our wedding would have to be equally as perfect. After what felt like searching forever, our family friends offered their estate in my hometown of Ojai, California. Two of the oak trees on their property have actually grown together, one growing through the other, and we decided that getting married under the “joining trees” couldn’t be beat.
Ryan and I had a fairly small budget, so we had to be creative with a lot of details. Our wedding had a pub theme (we both love craft beer), and we wanted our reception to feel like our guests were hanging out at an outdoor pub. With the sweeping lawn and giant oak trees, we felt like we were at the best biergarten ever! My mom collected cigar boxes for the centerpieces for almost a year, and she and her friends spent days putting them together with the succulents for our centerpieces. My aunt made all the signs herself; the McSolow’s Pub sign is actually on the back of an antique pub sign. The name McSolow is a cross between our two last names and we started using it as a joke, but we loved it and ended up using it as our logo for everything. Ryan’s dad is an incredibly talented woodworker, and he made coasters with our McSolow logo as favors. Instead of a guest book, we had guests decorate blank coasters for us.
The other thing that was really important to both of us was that our ceremony be meaningful and represent who we both are. I’m Jewish and Ryan is Irish, and our officiant helped us design a ceremony that was the perfect blend of our two cultures. We had our siblings and two good friends hold my tallit as a chuppah to say our vows under, and when Ryan stomped on the glass, we wrapped it in an Irish shawl on top of a board saying “Mazel Tov!” My dad passed away when I was a teenager, and I wanted to include his memory in the ceremony. I found an adorable bird locket on Etsy (my family’s last name means “little nightingale” in Russian, so birds are very meaningful for me) and filled it with his ashes. Our florist incorporated it into my bouquet so my dad could walk me down the aisle too. Our wedding was truly the perfect symbol of who we are as a couple. At one point, Ryan and I were able to stand on the deck and look at all of our family and friends enjoying the party from a distance — it was the best view I’ve ever seen.
Wedding Photography: Jenna Marie Photography / Wedding Venue: The Home of Family Friends in Ojai, California / Event Planning: Percy Sales Events / Bride's Bouquet: Your Image Floral Design / Catering: Earthen Catering / Rentals: Ventura Rental Party Center / Wedding Dress: Lazaro / Bride's Shoes: Benjamin Adams / Hair + Makeup: Fairytale Hair and Makeup / Bridesmaids' Dresses: BHLDN
Ryan and I had a fairly small budget, so we had to be creative with a lot of details. Our wedding had a pub theme (we both love craft beer), and we wanted our reception to feel like our guests were hanging out at an outdoor pub. With the sweeping lawn and giant oak trees, we felt like we were at the best biergarten ever! My mom collected cigar boxes for the centerpieces for almost a year, and she and her friends spent days putting them together with the succulents for our centerpieces. My aunt made all the signs herself; the McSolow’s Pub sign is actually on the back of an antique pub sign. The name McSolow is a cross between our two last names and we started using it as a joke, but we loved it and ended up using it as our logo for everything. Ryan’s dad is an incredibly talented woodworker, and he made coasters with our McSolow logo as favors. Instead of a guest book, we had guests decorate blank coasters for us.
The other thing that was really important to both of us was that our ceremony be meaningful and represent who we both are. I’m Jewish and Ryan is Irish, and our officiant helped us design a ceremony that was the perfect blend of our two cultures. We had our siblings and two good friends hold my tallit as a chuppah to say our vows under, and when Ryan stomped on the glass, we wrapped it in an Irish shawl on top of a board saying “Mazel Tov!” My dad passed away when I was a teenager, and I wanted to include his memory in the ceremony. I found an adorable bird locket on Etsy (my family’s last name means “little nightingale” in Russian, so birds are very meaningful for me) and filled it with his ashes. Our florist incorporated it into my bouquet so my dad could walk me down the aisle too. Our wedding was truly the perfect symbol of who we are as a couple. At one point, Ryan and I were able to stand on the deck and look at all of our family and friends enjoying the party from a distance — it was the best view I’ve ever seen.
Wedding Photography: Jenna Marie Photography / Wedding Venue: The Home of Family Friends in Ojai, California / Event Planning: Percy Sales Events / Bride's Bouquet: Your Image Floral Design / Catering: Earthen Catering / Rentals: Ventura Rental Party Center / Wedding Dress: Lazaro / Bride's Shoes: Benjamin Adams / Hair + Makeup: Fairytale Hair and Makeup / Bridesmaids' Dresses: BHLDN