Did you know pineapples are a symbol of friendship and hospitality? So they were the just the theme for this modern, tropical wedding! Bliss Events turned L’Auberge Del Mar into a Hawaiian paradise, using clean and beachy furniture from Archive Rentals, geometric patterned linens from La Tavola, and exotic blooms by Isari Flower Studio + Event Design all accented with the fruit of the day. Taylor Abeel Photography captured the bright and beautiful affair, which is all waiting for you here.
From the Bride… Kyle and I moved to San Diego about two years ago. We have always loved the city, and when Kyle proposed at the La Jolla Cove in the summer of 2016, we knew we wanted to incorporate this beautiful coastline, and our new home, into our wedding. We visited many oceanfront venues, but ultimately fell in love with Seagrove Park and the L’Auberge Del Mar. The hotel screams southern California but is also very homey and comfortable. We loved the idea of moving into different spaces for each piece of the wedding day: the park for the ceremony, a pool-side deck for cocktail hour, the open-air rooftop for dinner, and finally the ballroom for live music and dancing.
I have never been a roses and glitter type of person. Instead, we took design inspiration from our love of both the lush landscape and warm culture of Hawaii as well as clean and modern style, which we coined “Modern Tropical.” We brought in color via exotic flower arrangements with greens and sherbet tones and kept the furniture clean, simple, and geometric. One of my favorite elements of the wedding was the hexagonal arch at our ceremony, which was stunning against the ocean backdrop. I also loved the simple but dramatic King Protea bouquets, which complemented the Groomsmen’s ties.
Pineapples ran as a theme throughout the wedding. Geometric and tropical themselves, they are also a symbol of friendship and hospitality. All of my Bridesmaids wore gold, pineapple pendent necklaces, which I gave to each of them when I asked them to be a part of our wedding day.
For the overall wedding experience, we wanted to incorporate personal touches throughout the day. We had POG juice, a Hawaiian staple, as a pre-ceremony refreshment. Both Kyle and I love tiki bars, and as a nod to that, we created a Mai Tai bar at cocktail hour with an assortment of fun tiki mugs for guests to choose from and take home as favors. I work for a local San Diego brewery, Ballast Point, so we made sure to have Ballast Point beers on tap. For cocktail hour appetizers, we served a grilled cheese to honor Kyle’s family roots in Wisconsin and a green chile empanada for my home state, New Mexico, with a toothpick state flag added to each. The pathway from dinner to the ballroom was lined with luminarias, a New Mexican Christmas tradition. Finally, as a late-night snack, we brought in Kyle’s favorite dessert, cookies, from a local shop called The Cravory. The spread included options such as birthday cake, red velvet, and of course, chocolate chip. The Mighty Untouchables complemented the entire event with live music. A simple ukulele for the ceremony, a singer/songwriter inspired duo during dinner, and a full 8-piece band, including a saxophone, in the ballroom to finish off the evening.
Our families played a big part in the wedding as well. My parents were involved in every step of the planning process and made frequent trips from Albuquerque out to San Diego to turn our wedding dream into a reality. Kyle’s family hosted an amazing dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. On the day of the ceremony, I wore my mom’s favorite ruby bracelet. Mia Hamm, our two-year-old Spaniel mix, spent the morning getting ready with the girls in the bridal suite. Kyle’s brother, Connor, officiated a personalized ceremony; Kyle’s twin brother and my sister gave thoughtful and funny Best Man and Matron-of-Honor speeches; and my brother, Adam, emceed the grand entrance into the ballroom to kick off the party.
Photography: Taylor Abeel Photography | Cinematography: Anthology Films | Coordination: Bliss Events | Floral Design: Isari Flower Studio + Event Design | Wedding Dress: The Dress Theory | Cake: VG Donut & Bakery | Bride's Shoes: Via Spiga | Makeup: Juna Beauty | Hair: Audra Rene Studio | Band: The Mighty Untouchables | Groom's Attire: Bonobos | Transportation: San Diego Van Service | Venue: L’Auberge Del Mar | Aisle Runner, Stage, Risers, Draping: Platinum Event Rentals | Bride's Earrings: Kate Spade | Bride's Necklace: Blue Nile | Cookies: The Cravory | Foliage: San Diego Interior Foliage | Furniture Rentals: Archive Rentals | Gobo Light: SD Socialights | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Napkins: Hostess Haven | Photo Booth: Taylor Abeel Photography | Specialty Beer: Ballast Point | Tables: Farm Tables And More
