Rustic Elegance in Mission Viejo
Although I've never visited the west coast, sun-kissed California soirees sit high atop my list of faves and I fully blame our hefty archive of Golden State weddings. Weddings like this one from Jacqueline Campbell, infused with rustic elegance, happy blooms from The Little Branch and simply beautiful invites from A&P Designs. Satisfy your Cali cravings right here in the gorgeous gallery.
From The Bride and Groom...We realized soon after our engagement that one of the first decisions we would have to make is one of the difficult for most couples planning a wedding… where? With our families at opposite ends of the state (San Ramon in the East Bay Area and Laguna Beach in Orange County), and both of us with grandparents who wouldn’t be able to make the journey, this was obviously a tough decision to make. Ultimately we picked a venue in Southern California, where we met each other and where most of our memories together have taken place. Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club provided a gorgeous setting for our ceremony and reception, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city where we live.
The planning process went smoothly as we quickly locked in our vendors and began crafting the finer details of our wedding. We narrowed in on a “romantic elegant garden party” theme and a color palette of blush, peach, champagne, and ivory. Sure, there were challenges, such as narrowing down a guest list of 250+ to 175, or trying to write a meaningful ceremony from scratch. But the whole process was incredibly rewarding and we were able to incorporate personal touches wherever we wanted (including an appearance by our precious pup Charlie). Together we crafted our escort cards, signs, table numbers, and welcome bags in the months leading up to the big day. Our families helped us immeasurably throughout the planning process. The sash and bow on the bride’s gown were handmade by her mother, and her brother and stepfather built the cornhole board. We recognized our grandparents’ loving and lasting marriages by framing their wedding portraits and displaying them at the entrance to the venue.
The actual wedding day can be stressful and every about-to-be newlywed couple remembers somebody telling them that things are going to go wrong and to not freak out when they do. Well, our hard work (we busted our butts the few weeks before our wedding) must have paid off because if there were any major problems, we never heard about them. This is also due in part to our amazing vendors, who were all outstanding in every way. By the end of the night, when we said goodbye to our vendors, they all felt like good friends.
August 16th, 2014 was the best day of our lives and we are so happy to have been surrounded by our family and closest friends. Our carefully crafted ceremony went smoothly, as did the cocktail hour, dinner and dancing that followed. Guests danced the night away, occasionally stepping outside to talk and play with the Polaroid camera we provided as our version of a photo booth. The evening flew by, but we were able to (and we highly recommend this to soon-to-be brides and grooms) step off the dance floor, wander a short distance away, and just take in the sight of everybody there to celebrate our marriage. That was definitely one of the most memorable moments from a night filled with memorable moments.
The planning process went smoothly as we quickly locked in our vendors and began crafting the finer details of our wedding. We narrowed in on a “romantic elegant garden party” theme and a color palette of blush, peach, champagne, and ivory. Sure, there were challenges, such as narrowing down a guest list of 250+ to 175, or trying to write a meaningful ceremony from scratch. But the whole process was incredibly rewarding and we were able to incorporate personal touches wherever we wanted (including an appearance by our precious pup Charlie). Together we crafted our escort cards, signs, table numbers, and welcome bags in the months leading up to the big day. Our families helped us immeasurably throughout the planning process. The sash and bow on the bride’s gown were handmade by her mother, and her brother and stepfather built the cornhole board. We recognized our grandparents’ loving and lasting marriages by framing their wedding portraits and displaying them at the entrance to the venue.
The actual wedding day can be stressful and every about-to-be newlywed couple remembers somebody telling them that things are going to go wrong and to not freak out when they do. Well, our hard work (we busted our butts the few weeks before our wedding) must have paid off because if there were any major problems, we never heard about them. This is also due in part to our amazing vendors, who were all outstanding in every way. By the end of the night, when we said goodbye to our vendors, they all felt like good friends.
August 16th, 2014 was the best day of our lives and we are so happy to have been surrounded by our family and closest friends. Our carefully crafted ceremony went smoothly, as did the cocktail hour, dinner and dancing that followed. Guests danced the night away, occasionally stepping outside to talk and play with the Polaroid camera we provided as our version of a photo booth. The evening flew by, but we were able to (and we highly recommend this to soon-to-be brides and grooms) step off the dance floor, wander a short distance away, and just take in the sight of everybody there to celebrate our marriage. That was definitely one of the most memorable moments from a night filled with memorable moments.