Tented Beauty in Paso Robles
This wedding, from the Anna half of Michael & Anna Costa Photography, is such a beaut. It's sun-drenched and whole heartedly glamorous in that blush pink, classic tent overlooking a beautiful view sort of way with pretty, pastel blooms by Camilla Svensson Burns, design and coordination by Percy Sales Events and a gallery overflowing with pretty. See even more right here.
From the Bride... Looking back, I’m a little embarrassed that I didn’t dress up more. It was my close friend’s Super Bowl party, so what was the need? Little did I know my life would change forever after that Sunday. When I arrived I was greeted by many familiar faces. I settled in to watch the game, but mostly chat with my girlfriends. I noticed the unfamiliar face walk in immediately. I was introduced to Tom by an old friend telling me Tom was his newly single roommate. He smiled and casually introduced himself to the group. He was cute, really cute. But as quickly as he said hello, he quietly slipped out of the circle. “Well, so much for talking to the cute guy,” I thought. For the rest of the game, our only interactions were when we shimmied past each other in the hallway or chatting with the group. However, at some point, and sadly I can’t remember exactly how, what was a group of five or six telling stories about their weekend, Tom and I were left alone talking and laughing. I was shocked. I wasn’t shocked that we were speaking directly to each other; I was shocked at how comfortable I was talking to him. I went from hanging out with five of my lifelong friends to speaking to someone I’d only know a few minutes and yet somehow I felt like I had known him my whole life. We did the predictable background Q&A and quickly discovered that we grew up less than 15 minutes from each other, had countless friends in common and shared numerous interests. Sadly, as great as the conversation was going, my ride was leaving so I said it was nice to meet him and gave him a moment to ask for my number. He promptly filled the moment with, “It was nice to meet you too. Hope you get home safe.” With that, Tom walked away. Needless to say I was disappointed and immediately blamed my casual Super Bowl attire. Like any party, leaving isn’t fast. My thoughts of disappointment were erased with an, “Umm, hey,” from behind. I turned to see Tom standing there. In a cute, but nervous voice he said “Umm, so do you want to hang out sometime?” I played it cool, “Sure”. Tom let out a great big smile but in a sarcastic tone, which I would grow to love, replied with, “Well, how about I give you my number, that way when you change your mind you don’t have to deal a weird stalker?”
Over the next week Tom and I exchanged text messages and set up a time for our first date the following Monday. We met at a bar in West Los Angeles at 6pm for a few drinks, because we both had work the next day. Before I knew it, my stomach was sore from laughing and the bar was closing. Our first date flew by in an instant much like the next four years of our lives. We spent holidays together, took vacations together, and eventually moved to San Francisco together. As is true for most adults in their late 20s, life is hectic. Our one spot to slow down was Tom’s family’s ranch in Paso Robles, Spring Ranch. Tom grew up spending weekends and summers on the ranch and showed me his deep love of it. Growing up a country fan, this was a match made in heaven and I quickly shared his deep seeded love for the ranch. It was on the ranch where Tom proposed to me, and on the ranch where we held our wedding reception.
With over a year to plan, Tom and I wanted to be meticulous with every step we took. It was a no-brainer choosing Spring Ranch as our venue for the reception, as it was such a special place for us and Tom’s family had hosted numerous weddings and events there. However, beyond that we were unsure. After doing extensive research and meeting with multiple wedding coordinators we were ecstatic when Percy Sales agreed to be our coordinator. The foundation of his vision was the same as ours, yet he brought so much experience and creativity that he was able to create something far more incredible than we could have dreamt. Everything Percy organized met our wish of an elegant country wedding. From the food, flowers and music to the table settings, lighting and countless other details; it was an absolute dream.
With the day upon us, guests boarded shuttles in Paso Robles for a short ride through wine country to a small and stunning chapel located on the neighboring ranch. The chapel was perched on top of a hill overlooking fields of wheat and grape vines. The ceremony featured a small string quartet and was held early in the evening as temperatures in May can be quite high. After the ceremony our guests boarded the waiting shuttles for a quick ten minute drive up the canyon to Spring Ranch.
Upon arrival to the reception location, our guests were greeted by the ranch’s horses grazing next to the shuttle drop-off. We wanted our cocktail hour to have a strong country theme. We were fortunate enough to book the SLOPokes, a great, local bluegrass band to perform for our guests. As the sun was setting our guests proceeded to our tented and beautifully lit dining area followed by our entrance. After an amazing meal featuring local fare, the real party began. Urged on by the amazing band, The Wonder Bread 5, we all danced long into the evening. Besides the incredible country views one of the great things Spring Ranch offers is no curfew. With dinner not starting until 8:30 the band didn’t take the stage until 10:00 and played for two hours. After the band stopped a DJ continued as the first shuttle departed. We danced and drank until our last bus departed at 1am. For late night snacks we featured mini sliders, French fries and grass-fed Spring Ranch beef jerky. Throughout this amazing evening our incredible photographer, Anna Costa, subtly managed to be in the right place at the right time to capture every special moment. Her work was priceless as the evening was so incredible that it flew bye in a flash.
Since our May 2013 wedding, Tom and I have moved back down to the Pasadena area, adopted a dog, purchased a house and began new jobs. No matter how much things have changed since we first met four years ago, we still often find ourselves at 2am with aching smiles and asking what happened to the last 8 hours? Our dog thinks we’re crazy.
Over the next week Tom and I exchanged text messages and set up a time for our first date the following Monday. We met at a bar in West Los Angeles at 6pm for a few drinks, because we both had work the next day. Before I knew it, my stomach was sore from laughing and the bar was closing. Our first date flew by in an instant much like the next four years of our lives. We spent holidays together, took vacations together, and eventually moved to San Francisco together. As is true for most adults in their late 20s, life is hectic. Our one spot to slow down was Tom’s family’s ranch in Paso Robles, Spring Ranch. Tom grew up spending weekends and summers on the ranch and showed me his deep love of it. Growing up a country fan, this was a match made in heaven and I quickly shared his deep seeded love for the ranch. It was on the ranch where Tom proposed to me, and on the ranch where we held our wedding reception.
With over a year to plan, Tom and I wanted to be meticulous with every step we took. It was a no-brainer choosing Spring Ranch as our venue for the reception, as it was such a special place for us and Tom’s family had hosted numerous weddings and events there. However, beyond that we were unsure. After doing extensive research and meeting with multiple wedding coordinators we were ecstatic when Percy Sales agreed to be our coordinator. The foundation of his vision was the same as ours, yet he brought so much experience and creativity that he was able to create something far more incredible than we could have dreamt. Everything Percy organized met our wish of an elegant country wedding. From the food, flowers and music to the table settings, lighting and countless other details; it was an absolute dream.
With the day upon us, guests boarded shuttles in Paso Robles for a short ride through wine country to a small and stunning chapel located on the neighboring ranch. The chapel was perched on top of a hill overlooking fields of wheat and grape vines. The ceremony featured a small string quartet and was held early in the evening as temperatures in May can be quite high. After the ceremony our guests boarded the waiting shuttles for a quick ten minute drive up the canyon to Spring Ranch.
Upon arrival to the reception location, our guests were greeted by the ranch’s horses grazing next to the shuttle drop-off. We wanted our cocktail hour to have a strong country theme. We were fortunate enough to book the SLOPokes, a great, local bluegrass band to perform for our guests. As the sun was setting our guests proceeded to our tented and beautifully lit dining area followed by our entrance. After an amazing meal featuring local fare, the real party began. Urged on by the amazing band, The Wonder Bread 5, we all danced long into the evening. Besides the incredible country views one of the great things Spring Ranch offers is no curfew. With dinner not starting until 8:30 the band didn’t take the stage until 10:00 and played for two hours. After the band stopped a DJ continued as the first shuttle departed. We danced and drank until our last bus departed at 1am. For late night snacks we featured mini sliders, French fries and grass-fed Spring Ranch beef jerky. Throughout this amazing evening our incredible photographer, Anna Costa, subtly managed to be in the right place at the right time to capture every special moment. Her work was priceless as the evening was so incredible that it flew bye in a flash.
Since our May 2013 wedding, Tom and I have moved back down to the Pasadena area, adopted a dog, purchased a house and began new jobs. No matter how much things have changed since we first met four years ago, we still often find ourselves at 2am with aching smiles and asking what happened to the last 8 hours? Our dog thinks we’re crazy.