Romantic Wedding at Rancho Bernardo Inn
For two people who are so obviously soul mates (seriously - read their sweet story below), I can't think of a more fitting way to say "I do" than this stunning Rancho Bernardo Inn wedding. Because this is a wedding that mixes romance with breathtaking details at every turn, and happens to be the perfect way to celebrate "meant to be." See it all captured beautifully by We Heart Photography right here.
From the Bride... I would have to say that our love story in even less than a sentence is "meant to be." Keith and I were introduced by a mutual friend while I was visiting Northern California and, from that day on, we didn't go a single day without talking. We built our relationship through FaceTime chats, texts, looooong phone conversations, and short weekend visits, which I think has helped to shape the relationship we have today. When a position opened up in the San Diego office of the company Keith works for, he immediately applied, and got it! Exactly six months later, he proposed, and the rest is history. Everything from our immediate feelings for each other, to our love, to his job have fallen into place so seamlessly that "meant to be" is the perfect description of our love story.
Our inspiration for the wedding day was romance. Romance is something that every person in love wants to feel, and our special day was the epitome of just that. All of our colors were soft and inviting, there was a candlelight glow throughout the whole ballroom which not only made it feel romantic, but also warm and homey.
We knew there were a few personal touches we wanted to have at the wedding, one of which was a DIY project, and two of which came in human form. For our guestbook, Keith and I wanted to do something a little different. Rather than have the typical book of blank pages for people to write their advice and well wishes in, we wanted to have something that would allow us to see those pieces of knowledge on a daily basis. So we had a large wooden monogram of our new initials made, mounted it on some matting, and framed it. Our guests then were able to write all around the monogram, and it now hangs over our bed, a constant reminder of the advice we received from the people who mean the most to us!
Keith's uncle and his late wife of just under a year had an admirable, loving marriage that was an excellent example of how two people should treat each other, so when it came time to choose our officiant, we knew we would be honored to have Uncle Tom do it. We are also blessed with some incredibly musically talented friends, and were able to incorporate one of them into our ceremony. Jon, one of Keith's long-time friends sang and played our ceremony music, one song of which was his own original song! It really meant a lot to have both Tom and Jon as a part of our special day, and I think it gave our wedding a sweet, intimate feel, which was exactly what we were going for!
I actually have two favorite moments of the day. The first one was waiting outside the room that we got ready in with my Dad, waiting for it to be time to walk down the aisle. The moment that sticks out in my mind was the moment Jon stopped playing his song "When No One is Around" that the bridesmaids and groomsmen were walking down to, and transitioned into the song that I walked down the aisle to. I was flooded with emotion, and couldnt help cry some tears of joy! But the one that obviously shatters the rest was the moment that I reached the end of the aisle with my Dad and was standing in front of Keith. He was in awe looking at me, and I at him, and I will never forget him mouthing the words "You are so beautiful" to me, and I responded with "I love you" to him. That was such a special, intimate moment that was one of the highlights of the day for both of us.
My advice to other brides is not to sweat the small stuff. There are going to be little bumps in the road along the way, but they are nothing you can't handle, and if something isn't exactly how you originally thought it was going to be, it is still beautiful and NOBODY else will know! We need to force ourselves not to lose sight on what this day is actually about. It doesn't matter if you are getting married at the Ritz Carlton or in your neighbor's living room, this day is about making a lifetime commitment to the one person you love, which is WAY more important than any venue, cake, or flower arrangement.
Our inspiration for the wedding day was romance. Romance is something that every person in love wants to feel, and our special day was the epitome of just that. All of our colors were soft and inviting, there was a candlelight glow throughout the whole ballroom which not only made it feel romantic, but also warm and homey.
We knew there were a few personal touches we wanted to have at the wedding, one of which was a DIY project, and two of which came in human form. For our guestbook, Keith and I wanted to do something a little different. Rather than have the typical book of blank pages for people to write their advice and well wishes in, we wanted to have something that would allow us to see those pieces of knowledge on a daily basis. So we had a large wooden monogram of our new initials made, mounted it on some matting, and framed it. Our guests then were able to write all around the monogram, and it now hangs over our bed, a constant reminder of the advice we received from the people who mean the most to us!
Keith's uncle and his late wife of just under a year had an admirable, loving marriage that was an excellent example of how two people should treat each other, so when it came time to choose our officiant, we knew we would be honored to have Uncle Tom do it. We are also blessed with some incredibly musically talented friends, and were able to incorporate one of them into our ceremony. Jon, one of Keith's long-time friends sang and played our ceremony music, one song of which was his own original song! It really meant a lot to have both Tom and Jon as a part of our special day, and I think it gave our wedding a sweet, intimate feel, which was exactly what we were going for!
I actually have two favorite moments of the day. The first one was waiting outside the room that we got ready in with my Dad, waiting for it to be time to walk down the aisle. The moment that sticks out in my mind was the moment Jon stopped playing his song "When No One is Around" that the bridesmaids and groomsmen were walking down to, and transitioned into the song that I walked down the aisle to. I was flooded with emotion, and couldnt help cry some tears of joy! But the one that obviously shatters the rest was the moment that I reached the end of the aisle with my Dad and was standing in front of Keith. He was in awe looking at me, and I at him, and I will never forget him mouthing the words "You are so beautiful" to me, and I responded with "I love you" to him. That was such a special, intimate moment that was one of the highlights of the day for both of us.
My advice to other brides is not to sweat the small stuff. There are going to be little bumps in the road along the way, but they are nothing you can't handle, and if something isn't exactly how you originally thought it was going to be, it is still beautiful and NOBODY else will know! We need to force ourselves not to lose sight on what this day is actually about. It doesn't matter if you are getting married at the Ritz Carlton or in your neighbor's living room, this day is about making a lifetime commitment to the one person you love, which is WAY more important than any venue, cake, or flower arrangement.