Spring Wedding at Rancho Bernardo Inn with Neutral Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses
If you're on team mismatched bridesmaids, today's group of neutral babes will surely be going on your Pinterest wedding board. Blushes, grays and champagne made for a sweepingly beautiful look, surrounding their beautiful Bride. Paired with Burgundy, blush and peach dotted florals, Splendid Sentiments crafted complimentary bouquets to boot for this Rancho Bernardo Inn affair planned by Sweet Blossom Weddings. See it all unfold with Natalie Bray's imagery below!
From Natalie Bray... Amanda and Avery could not be more perfect for each other. Both kind, generous, and funny. They love each other unconditionally. Amanda chose the most beautiful gown and to compliment she let her bridesmaids choose from a color palette she picked out. Her bridesmaids have amazing taste and the look they put together is one of my favorites.
The florals from Splendid Sentiments are out of this world. Truly romantic and colorful to represent Spring. Avery also has a family business growing a certain type of floral called a Bromiglia and they incorporated this unique succulent into the decor. Everything was designed beautifully by Sweet Blossom Weddings as well. A colorful and vibrant night to sweep any guest off their feet.
What was your color palette and your style vision?
We stayed true to the color palette made popular last spring. The staple blush hues always appealed to me, but I wanted to personalize this further and add an unexpected pop to really build dynamism into the bridal party palette. It was important to me to have my Maid & Matron of Honor stand out amid the bridal party for all of their efforts throughout my period of engagement, so each were dressed in beautiful sequin designs that complimented the rest of the bridesmaids dresses. We selected Sorella Vita as our bridesmaid dress designer from the collection at Something Bridal in San Luis Obispo due to its array of cuts, colors and textiles that would build out the beautiful and dynamic palette that became our bridal party. Each girl selected their own style, while I coordinated the fabrics and hues to provide a visually cohesive and interesting palette of rose gold, taupe and bronze hues. This was best complimented by our floral arrangement designed by Splendid Sentiments.
When I started to envision my wedding, it was important to me to share my California roots with our extended family visiting from varying parts of the United States. The Rancho Bernardo Inn was the perfect venue in which to highlight the casual elegant Spanish heritage of San Diego and embed elements of “home” within our ceremony and reception. We worked with Splendid Sentiments to build out a design that would replicate the romantic, yet casual vibe of the Southern California coast to meet the Spanish Colonial-style building and well-manicured gardens of the Rancho Bernardo Inn. With this in mind, our floral designer enhanced this by incorporating bleached beach driftwood mingled into the flowers and greenery. Additionally, my husband’s family operates a bromeliad nursery so it was important to incorporate these tropical water-holding rosettes into our ceremony arch and embedded into the aisle design. It was the perfect way to stay true to our story and our Southern California romance.
What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?
Prior to actually planning our wedding, I knew I wanted a venue that was elegant, but was not reminiscent of my basic high-school prom ballrooms. When I visited the Rancho Bernardo Inn, I was immediately taken by the Inn’s intimate and cozy atmosphere. Amid the San Pasqual Mountains, this charming Spanish-Colonial-inspired resort is truly a home away from home, offering the great comfort and serenity we were looking for in our wedding venue. The inn's gorgeous grounds with fountains, gardens and well-maintained landscaping was the perfect backdrop to our wedding ceremony and the attached Spanish-colonial, terra-cotta tiled courtyard immediately adjacent was the perfect spot for our cocktail reception to follow. The proximity of venues offered a seamless flow to the day’s festivities and provided the continuity we were looking for. As for the reception site, the room was adorned with white-washed high-beams and Spanish influenced iron chandeliers which gave the room such character and warmth; a great stray from the high-school ballroom. Additional to all of this, the Rancho Bernardo Inn offered golf for the groom's party and spa choices for friends of the bride. There were amazing restaurants and bars onsite, making it essentially an all-inclusive destination spot right within our backyard. It turned out to be the perfect venue for us and our 200 guests that Memorial Day Weekend. Other than that, live music was a must! We selected the Lucky Devil’s Band and customized ours to include an 8-piece band. Everyone (including the saxophone player) was out on the dance floor enjoying the night and because of our venue choice, everyone (including the band) followed us to the after party at the resort's late night bar. It was a great way to cap off a wonderful night!
What unique elements or DIY details did you include?
I was especially proud of how I chose to display personal photos at my wedding. At most weddings I have attended, there is usually a table with photos of the couple during their courtship. Because I wanted to hold to my overall premise that my wedding be a celebration of the union of our families, as well as Avery and I, I chose to display photos of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days. Frames were coordinating but not exactly the same to offer variety and contrast. I chose to show our family photos in 5x7 black and white ending the linear display with an 8x10 color photo of Avery and myself. I was delighted to find a rustic sign that read "This is how our story begins..." The display table could not have been more perfect and so many guests commented on how fun it was to follow the family tree. I just loved looking at the women in my family who were brides and mothers before me. The styles, of course, were different but the same excited beautiful feelings running through me could be seen in their eyes as well.
Tell us about your gown.
To much of the dismay of my Southern-belle mother, I did not want a Cinderella-eque ball gown or wedding dress adorned in endless beading. Instead, I envisioned a French crepe slip dress originally that would play nicely to the Southern California elements we incorporated into the ceremony décor. At only five feet tall, I knew I wanted something much more subtle to frame my petite stature and I was able to find the perfect blend of both of our visions in the Made with Love Sienna wedding dress. It truly is hard to maintain your composure in the presence of this breathtaking dress. The French crepe skirt that hugged my silhouette was the perfect compliment to the subtle lace and beaded bodice that gave this dress a feeling of effortless elegance. My personal favorite element of this dress are the two thin straps, dressed in pearls, that create a flawless line to frame the low of my back. I felt beautiful, classy and above all else, myself, in this dress!
Favorite Moment.
My favorite moment that still to this day brings a tear to my eye was turning the corner to face my soon-to-be husband and all of our loved ones with my father by my side. This is a moment you dream of as a young girl and imagine what this day would be like, but in this moment, as we rounded the corner to meet all eyes, my dad and I both stopped at the same time and let out a breath of awe, of gratitude, of nostalgia and most of all, love. It was in this moment, that we locked eyes and truly understood the importance of this day and I will cherish this shared moment forever.
We stayed true to the color palette made popular last spring. The staple blush hues always appealed to me, but I wanted to personalize this further and add an unexpected pop to really build dynamism into the bridal party palette. It was important to me to have my Maid & Matron of Honor stand out amid the bridal party for all of their efforts throughout my period of engagement, so each were dressed in beautiful sequin designs that complimented the rest of the bridesmaids dresses. We selected Sorella Vita as our bridesmaid dress designer from the collection at Something Bridal in San Luis Obispo due to its array of cuts, colors and textiles that would build out the beautiful and dynamic palette that became our bridal party. Each girl selected their own style, while I coordinated the fabrics and hues to provide a visually cohesive and interesting palette of rose gold, taupe and bronze hues. This was best complimented by our floral arrangement designed by Splendid Sentiments.
When I started to envision my wedding, it was important to me to share my California roots with our extended family visiting from varying parts of the United States. The Rancho Bernardo Inn was the perfect venue in which to highlight the casual elegant Spanish heritage of San Diego and embed elements of “home” within our ceremony and reception. We worked with Splendid Sentiments to build out a design that would replicate the romantic, yet casual vibe of the Southern California coast to meet the Spanish Colonial-style building and well-manicured gardens of the Rancho Bernardo Inn. With this in mind, our floral designer enhanced this by incorporating bleached beach driftwood mingled into the flowers and greenery. Additionally, my husband’s family operates a bromeliad nursery so it was important to incorporate these tropical water-holding rosettes into our ceremony arch and embedded into the aisle design. It was the perfect way to stay true to our story and our Southern California romance.
What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?
Prior to actually planning our wedding, I knew I wanted a venue that was elegant, but was not reminiscent of my basic high-school prom ballrooms. When I visited the Rancho Bernardo Inn, I was immediately taken by the Inn’s intimate and cozy atmosphere. Amid the San Pasqual Mountains, this charming Spanish-Colonial-inspired resort is truly a home away from home, offering the great comfort and serenity we were looking for in our wedding venue. The inn's gorgeous grounds with fountains, gardens and well-maintained landscaping was the perfect backdrop to our wedding ceremony and the attached Spanish-colonial, terra-cotta tiled courtyard immediately adjacent was the perfect spot for our cocktail reception to follow. The proximity of venues offered a seamless flow to the day’s festivities and provided the continuity we were looking for. As for the reception site, the room was adorned with white-washed high-beams and Spanish influenced iron chandeliers which gave the room such character and warmth; a great stray from the high-school ballroom. Additional to all of this, the Rancho Bernardo Inn offered golf for the groom's party and spa choices for friends of the bride. There were amazing restaurants and bars onsite, making it essentially an all-inclusive destination spot right within our backyard. It turned out to be the perfect venue for us and our 200 guests that Memorial Day Weekend. Other than that, live music was a must! We selected the Lucky Devil’s Band and customized ours to include an 8-piece band. Everyone (including the saxophone player) was out on the dance floor enjoying the night and because of our venue choice, everyone (including the band) followed us to the after party at the resort's late night bar. It was a great way to cap off a wonderful night!
What unique elements or DIY details did you include?
I was especially proud of how I chose to display personal photos at my wedding. At most weddings I have attended, there is usually a table with photos of the couple during their courtship. Because I wanted to hold to my overall premise that my wedding be a celebration of the union of our families, as well as Avery and I, I chose to display photos of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days. Frames were coordinating but not exactly the same to offer variety and contrast. I chose to show our family photos in 5x7 black and white ending the linear display with an 8x10 color photo of Avery and myself. I was delighted to find a rustic sign that read "This is how our story begins..." The display table could not have been more perfect and so many guests commented on how fun it was to follow the family tree. I just loved looking at the women in my family who were brides and mothers before me. The styles, of course, were different but the same excited beautiful feelings running through me could be seen in their eyes as well.
Tell us about your gown.
To much of the dismay of my Southern-belle mother, I did not want a Cinderella-eque ball gown or wedding dress adorned in endless beading. Instead, I envisioned a French crepe slip dress originally that would play nicely to the Southern California elements we incorporated into the ceremony décor. At only five feet tall, I knew I wanted something much more subtle to frame my petite stature and I was able to find the perfect blend of both of our visions in the Made with Love Sienna wedding dress. It truly is hard to maintain your composure in the presence of this breathtaking dress. The French crepe skirt that hugged my silhouette was the perfect compliment to the subtle lace and beaded bodice that gave this dress a feeling of effortless elegance. My personal favorite element of this dress are the two thin straps, dressed in pearls, that create a flawless line to frame the low of my back. I felt beautiful, classy and above all else, myself, in this dress!
Favorite Moment.
My favorite moment that still to this day brings a tear to my eye was turning the corner to face my soon-to-be husband and all of our loved ones with my father by my side. This is a moment you dream of as a young girl and imagine what this day would be like, but in this moment, as we rounded the corner to meet all eyes, my dad and I both stopped at the same time and let out a breath of awe, of gratitude, of nostalgia and most of all, love. It was in this moment, that we locked eyes and truly understood the importance of this day and I will cherish this shared moment forever.
