I think the combination of sequins and beach nuptials might just be the prettiest thing ever. Ever. Which is making this glittering seaside wedding shot by Amy Jo Royall a new favorite. It’s beautiful in its simplicity, sparkling in its fashion, gorgeous in its layer of blooms by Aubrey Laidlaw and all around, such a sweet rendition of a toes-in-the-sand affair. Have a look in the full gallery for even more.
From the Bride… In high school and College my friends looked at wedding blogs and planned their colors, and cake, and dreamed about the decor and ambiance of their future dream weddings. Not me. I was too busy playing soccer and snowboarding, or traveling and hiking than to be concerned with, in my mind, such a silly topic. I was the funny, athletic, adventurous girl– not the get dolled up, dream of weddings girly girl. When one of my friends asked me what I wanted for my wedding- I said I didn’t want one. Not that I didn’t want to get married- I just didn’t want to have a wedding. I was actually terrified to have one. I was nervous to have an entire day be about me. I didn’t want to have people look at me, I didn’t want to inconvenience people, I didn’t want to have to try and look like a beautiful bride, get dolled up and pose for pictures. It all seemed entirely too much for me. In fact, when this friend asked me what I wanted for my future Wedding, as i thought about it, I began to cry at how terrifying it all sounded. That was when I was 26. 3 years later I became engaged to the man of my dreams, still having the same feelings and thoughts towards having a wedding. I just wanted to elope and send a photo to our family and friends with “surprise, I’m married” written on it. And to be honest, my family would not have been surprised if that is exactly what we did. But, alas, I faced my fear of having a wedding when I thought about how important our families are, and how much I wanted them to be with us on this special celebration of our love. I still had secret hopes of eloping but when it came down to it, I wanted those that I love the most and that had been there for me through the years, our friends and family, that loved me through my vagabond, nomadic lifestyle, I needed them there with me. Aside from saying yes to my husband, choosing not to elope is the best decision I have ever made.
Our day was perfect.
I had a friend that worked at BHLDN, a wedding dress line, who sent me a photo of a dress she thought would be perfect for me. When I looked at the dress I laughed and asked if she was joking. It was not anything I would pick out. However, I did have a dress appointment at her store and decided to try it on just to make her happy. When I looked in the mirror I was stunned. The dress was magical- and what was even more magical— I even felt beautiful. I found my dress!
I grew up in Colorado and have always been a mountain girl. But after living near the beach I became a beach girl as well. I wanted to combine these two loves of mine. We found a venue that was intimate and full of trees and was green with lush. It was perfect. We were able to create a woodsy feel. And we took our wedding party to the beach to get pictures together right on the sand, barefoot, near the ocean.
Our photographer is one of my best friends. We met during flight attendant training. We traveled the world together. In fact, it is because of her that I met my husband. I was visiting her in Chicago when I met him. We even had our first kiss at her apartment. We decided to take a girls trip before I got married which also served as destination bridals. We went to Savannah, Georgia and the pictures turned out dreamy.
My husband wanted me to have complete control with this wedding so it would be exactly what i wanted. He is part Mexican and I wanted to incorporate his heritage into our wedding. The solution was easy, my favorite food is tacos, so we served a taco bar. I also wanted my husband to choose our song. His favorite band is Pearl Jam. Our song is off of their new album and is called Future Days. As a surprise wedding gift I got him tickets to see Pearl Jam since he had never seen them in concert before. As cliche as it is- my wedding day, was the happiest day of my life. I am so happy I had a wedding.
Photography: Amy Jo Royall | Floral Design: Aubrey Laidlaw | Wedding Gown: BHLDN | Ceremony Venue: LDS Newport Beach Temple | Backyard: Family Home | Cookies: Kelsea Kakadelas | Location: Crystal Cove State Park