Santa Barbara Wedding from Raya Carlisle Photography

Erin Lepperd
March 8, 2013
Categories: The Blog
Tags: Candles, family style dining, Lavender, natural decor, Rustic Elegance, Succulents

The end all be all of tablescapes can be found folded into this affair. The table I speak of stretches as far as the eye can see, is loaded with elegant details by Toast and comes complete with a canopy of twinkling candles over head. In one word: amazing. But this wedding is so much more than that perfect tablescape. It’s a collection of gorgeous images by Raya Carlisle that set the scene for a sunny, Santa Barbara affair and you can see it all right here.

Colors

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Spring Weddings Summer Weddings

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Museum Outdoor Weddings

Styles

Classic Weddings Rustic

From the bride…Matthew and I met in New York and live in Austin, but we chose to hold our wedding in a particularly special place: in my hometown, Santa Barbara, at the same spot where my parents were married many years ago, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. We wanted a relaxed ceremony and dinner, followed by an energy-filled dance party with all the people who are most important to us. All the hours of planning paid off: we still can’t stop talking about how amazing the day was and how much fun we had!

While planning, we really focused on a few details that were especially important to us – incorporating our families, great music and delicious, Santa Barbara-inspired food and wine (and, of course, margaritas – a nod to Austin) were some of our top priorities. We kept things simple – no dessert bar, just one (delectable) cake, for example – and it really allowed us to put a lot of thought into the elements we did include. In terms of design, we didn’t want our decor to compete with such a naturally beautiful setting, and we were aiming for a soft, organic feel that meshed with the museum landscape. The central elements were olive foliage, lavender and neutral shades of cream and white, with accents of succulents and herbs. I loved the long feasting tables under the arbor – Toast set up hanging candles for soft light and they cast a gorgeous glow throughout the evening. My mom collected the bottles for the floral arrangements from thrift stores, grocery stores and everywhere in between – lots of Strauss creamery bottles! At the center table, where Matthew and our families sat, were vintage bottles and vases my grandmother had gathered over the years.

I can’t possibly pick a favorite moment, but I’ll never forget: the Irish wedding blessing at the end of our ceremony (“you are the crown of my company”), the two of us getting extremely excited when we made our entrance to dinner accompanied by Junior Boys “You’ll Improve Me” and at the end of the night, looking around at the dance floor and seeing so many people I love all having as much fun as I was!

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