Rustic Glam Camarillo Ranch Wedding
Now here's an idea that I can most definitely get on board with: rustic meets glam at Camarillo Ranch. Or, as this darling bride and groom are calling it, Texas meets California in a drop-dead gorgeous affair captured by Shane and Lauren Photography and planned to perfection by Taryn Leach Events. Think lawn games, chandeliers and a whole lot of happy happening at every moment. It's perfection, lovelies. See it all here.
From the Bride... I should have met Brandon on June 20, 2007. It was my birthday and I had only been living in California for 10 days when my roommate organized a birthday dinner that included my dear friend Vince. Vince had existing dinner plans with Brandon that same night, so he asked Brandon to come to the party to meet this girl from Texas. When Brandon never showed up that night, Vince and I felt light-heartedly jilted, and called to give him a hard time. Apparently he didn't appreciate my spiciness, since I was a complete stranger, though it left him quite intrigued.
We actually met a few weeks later when Vince brought me to a Fourth of July party at Brandon's house. I was greeted with, "So you're the girl from Texas?" After that night I knew we'd be great friends, and didn't anticipate anything more. The timing wasn't right for either of us. Out of our control, and over the next few months, our friendship grew into a deep connection, and ultimately a committed relationship that I knew would be everlasting.
I had never planned to stay when I initially moved to California, but when Brandon entered the picture, I knew this was it and I'd be staying. Always true to my roots, I will forever consider myself a Texan, and I never let anyone forget that! With that mentality, our wedding theme was naturally TX + CA, the inspiration and root of it all!
The morning of the wedding, I woke up with nothing but excitement and joy in my heart. There was no anxiety, just peace because I've known Brandon was the one for so long. Surrounded by my best friends, I was completely at ease as we got our hair and makeup done. Just before putting on my dress my grandma gave me a hand-stitched handkerchief with blue flowers to tuck into my bustier - the same handkerchief she gave to my mom on her wedding day. After a first look with my dad, we headed to the church. The highlight of the car ride was being serenaded with Going to the Chapel once the church's steeple came into view!
Personal and meaningful touches were interwoven throughout the ceremony, which took place at Padre Serra Catholic Church in Camarillo, California. Brandon and I are lucky to each have one remaining grandma, both whom lit our unity candle at the start of our processional. We stood next to custom built and branded flower boxes built by Brandon's brother and father as we said held hands on the altar. We chose to write and share our own vows, as well as state the traditional vows that have been said by so many in love. Our priest, Father JP, whom Brandon had remained close with since graduating UCSD, was the natural choice to marry us. He surprised everyone, including us, with his own thoughtful touches: from singing the homily, to matching his garments to the bridesfriends' dresses (I hate the word bridesmaid!). He even gave us a thumbs-up after the kiss!
Our cocktail hour and reception followed at Camarillo Ranch. The Camarillo Ranch garden setting and rustic red barn fit our theme to a T; it was a little California, and a little Texas! Our cocktail hour was meant to serve as a backyard BBQ, something we both grew up doing with our friends and families. The east lawn was devoted to a game station complete with a vintage bocce ball set and a corn-hole toss with monogrammed bean bags and custom toss boards with the shape of California and Texas stenciled on them. We listened to country music and indie rock, while guests mingled atop gorgeous vintage furniture and sipped homemade sweet tea under twinkling market lights. Our favorite staple at the cocktail hour were the family legacy photos we displayed in the garden, serving as a reminder and inspiration of the lasting marriages in both of our families, both from our parents and grandparents.
And finally, the reception: It was, in a word, stunning! Our intimate guest list of 125 included our closest friends and family many of them traveling thousands of miles to celebrate with us. We waited until our grand entrance to see the barn for the first timeit was breathtaking! Our goal was rustic glam, and that's exactly what it was! The chandeliers sparkled, while the strung market lights gave the ideal glow and provided balance to the elegance in the barn. The vintage miss-matched blue bottles sprinkled throughout were purchased at our favorite antique store that we visit every year on our anniversary. The natural wood tables brought a feeling of warmth to the space and reminded us of home. The lace from the table runners and crochet-knitted decorative backdrop on the barn wall coordinated with my lace dress. Every element represented us and made our big day even more special. We took it all in as we walked into Zac Brown Band's "Chicken Fried", a song that has special meaning to us, known by our closest friends. The highlight of the night was the poem my father wrote for his speech, that he forgot at the hotel! Two of our great friends drove back to the hotel for it, and everyone cheered on my dad when he was finally able to read it.
The night was filled with so much love, laughter, dancing, and unforgettable joy. Our getaway was a 1952 Chevy truck that Brandon had purchased a year prior to work on with his dad. She is fondly called Bluebell. She took a lot of work to be ready for the wedding, but was able to make her grand debut, as we made our grand exit.
Our wedding was perfect down to every last detail it was all about us - The Stuarts!
We actually met a few weeks later when Vince brought me to a Fourth of July party at Brandon's house. I was greeted with, "So you're the girl from Texas?" After that night I knew we'd be great friends, and didn't anticipate anything more. The timing wasn't right for either of us. Out of our control, and over the next few months, our friendship grew into a deep connection, and ultimately a committed relationship that I knew would be everlasting.
I had never planned to stay when I initially moved to California, but when Brandon entered the picture, I knew this was it and I'd be staying. Always true to my roots, I will forever consider myself a Texan, and I never let anyone forget that! With that mentality, our wedding theme was naturally TX + CA, the inspiration and root of it all!
The morning of the wedding, I woke up with nothing but excitement and joy in my heart. There was no anxiety, just peace because I've known Brandon was the one for so long. Surrounded by my best friends, I was completely at ease as we got our hair and makeup done. Just before putting on my dress my grandma gave me a hand-stitched handkerchief with blue flowers to tuck into my bustier - the same handkerchief she gave to my mom on her wedding day. After a first look with my dad, we headed to the church. The highlight of the car ride was being serenaded with Going to the Chapel once the church's steeple came into view!
Personal and meaningful touches were interwoven throughout the ceremony, which took place at Padre Serra Catholic Church in Camarillo, California. Brandon and I are lucky to each have one remaining grandma, both whom lit our unity candle at the start of our processional. We stood next to custom built and branded flower boxes built by Brandon's brother and father as we said held hands on the altar. We chose to write and share our own vows, as well as state the traditional vows that have been said by so many in love. Our priest, Father JP, whom Brandon had remained close with since graduating UCSD, was the natural choice to marry us. He surprised everyone, including us, with his own thoughtful touches: from singing the homily, to matching his garments to the bridesfriends' dresses (I hate the word bridesmaid!). He even gave us a thumbs-up after the kiss!
Our cocktail hour and reception followed at Camarillo Ranch. The Camarillo Ranch garden setting and rustic red barn fit our theme to a T; it was a little California, and a little Texas! Our cocktail hour was meant to serve as a backyard BBQ, something we both grew up doing with our friends and families. The east lawn was devoted to a game station complete with a vintage bocce ball set and a corn-hole toss with monogrammed bean bags and custom toss boards with the shape of California and Texas stenciled on them. We listened to country music and indie rock, while guests mingled atop gorgeous vintage furniture and sipped homemade sweet tea under twinkling market lights. Our favorite staple at the cocktail hour were the family legacy photos we displayed in the garden, serving as a reminder and inspiration of the lasting marriages in both of our families, both from our parents and grandparents.
And finally, the reception: It was, in a word, stunning! Our intimate guest list of 125 included our closest friends and family many of them traveling thousands of miles to celebrate with us. We waited until our grand entrance to see the barn for the first timeit was breathtaking! Our goal was rustic glam, and that's exactly what it was! The chandeliers sparkled, while the strung market lights gave the ideal glow and provided balance to the elegance in the barn. The vintage miss-matched blue bottles sprinkled throughout were purchased at our favorite antique store that we visit every year on our anniversary. The natural wood tables brought a feeling of warmth to the space and reminded us of home. The lace from the table runners and crochet-knitted decorative backdrop on the barn wall coordinated with my lace dress. Every element represented us and made our big day even more special. We took it all in as we walked into Zac Brown Band's "Chicken Fried", a song that has special meaning to us, known by our closest friends. The highlight of the night was the poem my father wrote for his speech, that he forgot at the hotel! Two of our great friends drove back to the hotel for it, and everyone cheered on my dad when he was finally able to read it.
The night was filled with so much love, laughter, dancing, and unforgettable joy. Our getaway was a 1952 Chevy truck that Brandon had purchased a year prior to work on with his dad. She is fondly called Bluebell. She took a lot of work to be ready for the wedding, but was able to make her grand debut, as we made our grand exit.
Our wedding was perfect down to every last detail it was all about us - The Stuarts!