Camarillo Wedding from Marianne Wilson Photography

Stephanie Weers
October 14, 2013
Categories: Casual, Real Weddings, The Blog

With the exception of a large vanilla latte, nothing makes my afternoon better like a California wedding. And this Camarillo beaut? Off. the. charts. Made pretty by My Bride Story and Kristine Shin Designs, this al fresco stunner is what modern garden I Dos are all about. See every sunshiny capture from Marianne Wilson Photography right here and make certain not to miss the film from Studio 205.

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While undergraduates, Bobby and I first met at the UCLA Police Department. No…not as jail cellmates, but rather as fellow student employees. And although we knew early on in our relationship that we knew this was it and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, because of graduate school (law school for him; nursing and anesthesia school for me), it wasn’t until after nine years of dating that we officially tied the knot!

Early on in the planning process, we decided the most important thing to both of us was that our family and friends enjoyed delicious food and drinks. Which made choosing Maravilla Gardens (an incredibly beautiful and hidden gem of a venue) and their exclusive caterer, Command Performance Catering, an easy decision. At the suggestion of our amazing wedding planner, Esther Kim of My Bride Story, we also had Carmela Ice Cream during the cocktail hour (which we were initially hesitant about having before the reception, but was actually a huge hit as our wedding day was on the warm side; even our venue staff decided this needed to become a staple for future weddings!). As an avid brewery visitor and beer drinker, my husband took complete control of the drinks menu and handpicked the beers, wine, and liquors. We saved a ton of money by purchasing them on sale at various markets during the months leading up to the wedding, as well as at purchasing at a membership-only club store.

Not only are we a food-loving couple, but a playful one at that, which led us to center our unity ceremony not around candle or sand, but…pizza!! We not only love pizza, but pizza was our first meal together after we got engaged, and it was also our first dinner together on our first full day as a married couple. We hid the pizza box in a small dresser, and DJ Chris Mortarillo of Elegant Event Entertainment, perfectly timed Dean Martin’s “That’s Amore” with us revealing the pizza box, which was followed with immediate laughter from our guests. Bobby wrote an incredible speech for our officiant to read; it described how a pizza is related to a successful marriage e.g. like the crust of a pizza, every marriage must be built upon a solid foundation of hard work, growth, and flour (or flowers)

After having gone through the planning process, my biggest tip for brides is to be true to you and your husband. If the two of you are silly people, don’t be afraid to let it show during the wedding somehow because it’s a day to celebrate you as a couple! Also, don’t be afraid to ask your family and friends for help, and to be specific in what tasks they can help with. They love you and want to help you!