This bride is stunning. Like stop-you-in-your-tracks, take your breath away stunning… a complete vision rockin’ a glorious Manuel Moto gown and gorgeous hair (the “two-hour bun”) and makeup from the always fabulous TEAM Hair and Makeup. She’s beyond lovely. And her wedding? Just as amazing with beautiful blooms from TOAST Santa Barbara, a mesmerizing Sunstone Winery backdrop and one mesmerizing moment after another captured by Shannon Jayne Miller. Oh, and the groom? He’s pretty amazing, too. Click here for more.
From the Bride… Matt and I officially met during my senior year in high school when he had come back from college during Thanksgiving break. Little did he know (or thanks to my older sister’s friends he might have had an inkling) that I had had a huge crush on him all through high school. We both ended up going to UC Santa Barbara and living and working there for eight years before moving back to be closer to our family in Redondo Beach, CA. Matt proposed to me on a gorgeous August day at a friend’s house in Toro Canyon overlooking all of Santa Barbara. With our friends and a surprise visit from my parents and sisters, the day was pretty perfect.
We had never dreamt of a big, lavish wedding so when we started planning ours, we knew we wanted something outdoors with a relaxed, rustic vibe… that was going to give us amazing pictures! We immediately decided on Sunstone Winery for the venue since Matt had worked there for years after graduation, and we’ve always loved the property. We knew with a setting as gorgeous as this, we wouldn’t need to do much to enhance the aesthetic. The rest of the details fell into place almost as easily due to the fact that I’ve worked at DIANI, a Santa Barbara boutique, for six years and already knew my favorite vendors from events we’d had. Since having amazing photos was a goal, we went with Shannon of Shannon Jayne Photography whom I’ve known and worked with for years on the DIANI website. She knew we wanted more candid and artistic photos then the usual posed shots and was able to give us that and more. Working with TOAST for the flowers was a no-brainer because Kim does beautiful work and was able to bring life to my vision (hydrangeas, hydrangeas, hydrangeas!) while keeping it within a modest budget. The girls at Omni Catering were so accommodating and easy to work with and the food was super yummy. Music from beginning to end was really important to us, so it was great being able to get really specific with our likes/dislikes on the Gavin Roy website, which DJ Zeke executed perfectly.
We wanted our ceremony very relaxed and personal, so we didn’t use any traditional wedding music. Matt walked in with his parents to “Fools Rush In” by Ingrid Michaelson, the bridal party came down to “The Girl” by City and Colour, and I walked down the aisle to “Heaven” by Brandi Carlile. Having this personal touch combined with writing our own vows made the whole wedding even more special.
I’ve never gravitated towards traditional wedding dresses, so I thought dress shopping was going to be a hellish process but, like everything else with the planning, it happened surprisingly easily. I walked into Bella Wedding in Los Angeles to look at bridesmaid dresses and walked out with my Manuel Moto dream in 30 minutes. I never thought I would have a moment like that but putting it on, I knew instantly it was “the one.” Rachel from TEAM Hair and Makeup was able to complete my vision perfectly with a messy updo dubbed the “two hour bun”… thank goodness for trial appointments! All in all, the day was perfect (with the exception of two knucklehead friends collapsing the photo booth) and I wouldn’t have changed anything. And even though the planning process was relatively stress-free, I couldn’t have done it without my three best friends: SMP, Pinterest and Etsy. Who can plan a wedding without them?!
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Photography: Shannon Jayne Miller | Venue: Sunstone Winery | Floral Design: TOAST Santa Barbara | Catering: Omni Catering | Bakery: CrushCakes | DJ + Lighting: Gavin Roy Presents | Photo Booth: Thoughtbox | Engraved Flower Boxes: Bragging Bags | M & W Signs: Route 17 West Weddings | Cork Place Holders: Krystles Weddings | Wedding Sign: Craft Mart Texas | Invitations + Escort Cards: Bride | Hair +Makeup: TEAM Hair and Makeup |Wedding Dress: Manuel Moto | Ceremony Shoes: Dolce Vita | Reception Shoes: Valentino | Bridal Jewelry: Nola Singer | Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew | Bridesmaid Bracelets: Julie Nolan Jewelry | Bridesmaid Shirts: Monogrammed at The Monogram Shoppe | Men’s Suits: J. Crew | Men’s Ties: Bows n’ Ties