Classic Al Fresco Wedding in San Diego at Del Mar Country Club

Melissa Baran
March 17, 2019
Categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance
Tags: California Venues

I can’t quite sum up how much love I have for this Bride today. She is beautiful, she is fiercely strong and I hope her sweet story will inspire every one of you out there to embrace every single part of who you are, inside and out. The same week Taylor was engaged to Ian, she underwent surgery to have skin cancer removed, leaving a visible scar on her collarbone. Rather than covering it, she made the powerful decision to don her dream dress, this Galia Lahav number. There’s so much more to this story and day planned and designed by Luxe Events and captured by Cavin Elizabeth—experience it all below.

From Cavin Elizabeth Photography… Taylor and Ian held their wedding on October 27, 2018, at the Del Mar Country Club in San Diego. Although their wedding turned out beautifully, this was not their original venue. Sadly, four months before their wedding, their original private estate venue was forced to stop hosting weddings, which forced all of their couples to find new venues. Taylor and Ian thankfully were able to find a beautiful alternative that featured French details, such as the blue shutters and ivy-covered turret, which had drawn them to their original venue. Because the Del Mar Country Club has such vibrant architectural details, the couple chose to keep their wedding colors simple with a classic pair of ivory, green, and a few pops of blue and black.

Courtney of Brightly Designed created an elegant invitation suite centered around the letterpress invitation which featured soft, torn edges. The taupe ink of the letterpress text matched the color of the envelopes. Inside the envelope, guests would find a greenery inspired envelope liner and all of the invitation suite pieces wrapped in light blue silk ribbon. A series of five vintage landscape and nature-inspired stamps were adhered to each envelope.

The week that Taylor and Ian were engaged, Taylor underwent surgery to remove skin cancer on her chest. She was left with a scar on her collarbone that she initially had a strong dislike for. Many people asked her how she was going to cover her scar with her gown. Instead, Taylor chose the sweetheart Galia Lahav gown she fell in love with and learned to embrace her scar as part of her story and body. Her strength and courage, not only in becoming a cancer survivor, but also in her confidence to bear a scar that many would cover, is incredibly inspiring. Her beauty runs deep, inside and out.

Bridesmaids wore light blue gowns with varying necklines and carried bouquets full of white roses and greenery. Taylor’s mother donned a deep blue sleeveless gown in keeping with the color tones of the wedding. Because Taylor’s Galia Lahav gown featured such intricate beading, she kept her accessories simple with pearl earrings and a pearl necklace that looked beautiful with her long strawberry blonde curls.

Ian wanted to wait to see Taylor until the ceremony, so Taylor opted for a first look with her father who absolutely adored his private moment with his daughter. Before the ceremony, Taylor and Ian both read letters they’d written each other as a way to express their love privately and connect without seeing each other before the aisle.

For the ceremony, Taya of Compass Floral made an exquisite circular arch completely covered in various types of white flowers and wild greenery. The look was organic and a little wild but also incredibly elegant and refined. On the aisle, guest seating was adorned with small arrangements of green and white flowers fastened to the wooden Chiavari chairs with white ribbon. With only around 75 guests, the ceremony took place on an intimate patio and was beautifully backlit by the sun. Taylor wanted to make use of a unique spot at the Del Mar Country Club that downplayed the golf course and featured perfect ceremony lighting.

As the bride and groom were drawn to the ivy-covered walls, blue shutters, and grand staircase of the venue, their portraits were taken in areas that highlighted these features. Ian’s black tuxedo and Taylor’s Galia Lahav gown provided a beautiful white and black contrast to the greenery of the property for an elegant and classic look.

Guests mingled over cocktails and tray passed appetizers on a patio that overlooked the reception site and the golf course. A printed sign by Brightly Designed showed guests to their seats as they made their way down to the lower lawn for the reception.

Cara of Luxe Events incorporated the beautiful white and green flowers from Compass Floral with blue glassware and black dinnerware from Hostess Haven to tie in all of the wedding colors. Place cards matching the envelope liner of the invitations rested near the menus that sat beneath ribbon and a sprig of greenery. Elegant and vintage cane-back Oak Louis chairs were placed around the white textured linens of each table. For the bride and groom, Cara had wooden laser-cut “bride” and “groom” signs with smilax on their chairs.

A custom-made white bar with the couple’s wedding logo served the Taylor and Ian’s signature drink, an Old Fashioned. Cara styled the dessert table with light blue linen and several desserts, including donuts and cookies. The cake itself was kept classic and simple with just two sets of floral adornments.

After dinner, guests made use of the multiple white lounges centered around the dance floor and by the bar. On top of each lounge table were votives and smilax that enforced the romantic mood of the evening, which was spent on heartfelt toasts and a very packed dance floor to the tune of Taylor and Ian’s favorite music.