This Couple Will Inspire You to Stay True to You Throughout the Entire Wedding Planning Process

Lauren Megerdichian
September 25, 2019
Categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

From the bachelor and bachelorette parties to the age-old wedding traditions – this couple did their wedding, their way. And we can’t say enough how important it is to follow in their footsteps! Don’t ever be afraid to step outside of the typical wedding box and change things up – the more personalized your wedding planning process and big day is… the BETTER. Check out how their gorgeous day turned out at the full gallery captured by Weddings by Scott and Dana, all thanks to A Savvy Event for planning every thoughtful detail and Marion Moss who provided the most beautiful blooms!

From the Bride… We met as juniors in college, introduced by mutual friends at an improv comedy show. On our first date, Jason confessed to me that he would get up around 6am and go to bed around 9pm, which was unusual from a college student’s perspective. However, he happened to be on a date with maybe the only other student on campus who kept the exact same schedule. It was the first of a lifetime’s worth of discoveries about ourselves that we were meant for each other. We’ve been inseparable since. Since I was young my family has been going to Sea Ranch, CA, which is a small, peaceful community along the Northern California coast. It has always been my favorite spot in the world. In particular, there is a bluff that juts out from the walking path and offers the most spectacular sunset views. That bluff has always been my most sacred spot. When Jason and I started dating, I was nervous he would not like Sea Ranch! He loves to be busy and active, and Sea Ranch really entices you to slow down, cozy up with a good book and reflect. But just like he fell for me, he fell for Sea Ranch too. Throughout our relationship, we’ve gone to Sea Ranch and made wonderful memories there as a couple.

When Jason decided to propose, there was no place more meaningful than that bluff at sunset. He took me out to the bluff, got down on one knee as the sun set and said the most beautiful words I will cherish forever. We had been together almost 7 years so while the proposal was not particularly unexpected, we were both struck by how emotional we were. After he proposed, we held each other and laugh/cried tears of pure joy. We wanted our wedding day to feel like us! We wanted it to reflect the things that matter to us and to be a really enjoyable experience for our guests. We intentionally kept our guest list relatively small (100 people), so we could focus on spending time with the people who matter the most to us. We are both foodies, so we knew we wanted food to be a big focus of the event. We also knew we wanted our wedding to reflect the very best Northern California has to offer. I am from Sacramento originally, and we’ve lived in Northern California together since we graduated college. We love Northern California, and we wanted to wedding to be a quintessential Northern California experience. We decided to keep our wedding party small, which worked really well for us! My brother is my best friend, and I knew I needed him to be beside me that day. Jason selected two of his closest childhood friends as his groomsmen. Other than that, we wanted our friends to just enjoy the day, without having to worry about getting up early for hair/make-up or wearing a certain outfit. We also opted not to do a bouquet toss or garter toss. For us, those traditions did not hold much personal meaning.

This is slightly off topic, but we also opted to do a different kind of bachelor/bachelorette experience. My brother and I both love to hike, and we have a particular affinity for the American Southwest. For my bachelorette “party,” I decided I wanted to accomplish something memorable alongside my brother. We spent a long weekend hiking in the Grand Canyon and slot canyons in Arizona/Utah, and it was absolutely perfect for me. Jason and his groomsmen travelled to Havana, Cuba for a long weekend! They drank rum, smoked cigars and reconnected. Definitely not the typical Las Vegas experiences, but I would highly encourage other couples to define the bachelor/bachelorette experience in whatever way works for them! Do something authentically you, and don’t be afraid to mix up tradition. It was important to us to choose a venue that really captured the Northern California spirit. We looked at lots of outdoor venues, but nothing fully resonated until Bear Flag Farm. My paternal grandparents were farmers in the Central Valley, and I’ve always had a strong connection to the farmland of California. Furthermore, we love good food, especially the fresh, plentiful produce we are fortunate to have so readily accessible in Sacramento. Bear Flag Farm offered a personal connection that felt true to who we are. And, of course, Bear Flag Farm is undeniably stunning. From the perfectly manicured citrus garden to the flowing lavender fields, it is effortlessly romantic and elegant. We loved that it highlighted the natural, organic beauty of California, but it has an elevated and sophisticated feel. We also loved that we could use some of the olive oil produced on-site to create our guest favors. Bear Flag Farm is private, which we loved. We loved the idea that our guests were the only ones on the property that day, so we had the place to ourselves to enjoy.

We were able to create three distinct, separate experiences to delight our guests, from the ceremony in the lavender fields to cocktail hour in the citrus grove to a true farm-to-table dinner in the sunken garden. With so much to offer, the property really acted as a canvas we could create on. Finally, Bear Flag Farm is a distinctive experience. There are plenty of fantastic options for venues in California, from hotels to wineries, but we were interested in offering something our guests had not experienced before, and likely wouldn’t again. An organic farm in Winters with lavender fields? Yeah, that fit the bill. And our guests loved the venue! Don’t tell the owners, but a few guests could not resist the gorgeous fruits, and snagged some cherries, grapefruits and apricots from the gardens on their way out. I would be remiss if I did not mention that Tina, the owner of Bear Flag Farm is great to work with. The pride and care she takes in her property is unmatched. It is everything we ever hoped for and more. We wanted to lean into the natural beauty of the surroundings and keep our decor and design elements fairly simple. We went with a rustic elegant farm vibe, and it came together so perfectly! Kelly from A Savvy Event did an exceptional job taking our vision and turning into reality. My paternal grandfather had a Ford 47 truck that he, and his father before him, had used on their farm in central California. My dad and grandfather had the truck fixed up as a project they could share. My grandfather passed away several years ago, and we felt it was only right to have the truck at our wedding, and back on a farm, to pay tribute and remind us of him on that important day. The truck helped create the ceremony space, and it ended up being a fantastic photo opportunity for guests.

Given the heat in Winters in June, we knew we needed to provide some relief from the sun, so per Kelly’s recommendation, we opted to provide simple parasols for our guests. They turned out to be a huge hit! Not only were people grateful for them during the ceremony, but they used them throughout the reception as a photo prop. We also created custom cornhole sets for the cocktail hour, which were so popular! Jason loves to play cornhole, so we though adding the game during our cocktail hour would be a nice nod to one of his favorite games. We wanted to keep our colors within a fairly neutral palette that would align with the gorgeous greenery and natural surroundings. We opted for a navy blue, pale pink, champagne and light grey. Other than the guy’s suits, we did not overemphasize the colors, and instead used them to enhance our design elements. For our guest book, we ended up using a coffee table book that features Sea Ranch, where we got engaged. It was a great way to incorporate a personal touch on a traditional element. My maternal grandmother passed away before I was born, but my mom has a lovely collection of some of her pins. I added one of her pins, in the shape of a butterfly onto my bouquet, which was a lovely tribute to her and my mom.

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Our favorite moment of the day, by far, was a final moment under the chuppah. We had a Jewish wedding, and our rabbi had been a friend, teacher and mentor for several years. Navigating family and personal matters to get to the wedding day was not always easy, and our rabbi was a big part of that journey. At the end of the ceremony, she invited our parents to wrap us in a tallit that my father purchased for us in Israel, and she offered a private blessing while our parents stood around us. In that moment, it felt like we were the only three people in the world, and we both were tearing up. It was overwhelming in the best of ways. When you’re planning a wedding, it’s so easy to get caught up in the details and stress about every little thing. Trust me, I’ve been there. But at the end of the day, what matters is that you get to commit your life to your partner in front of everyone you care about. When we let that sink in, which happened for us under the chuppah, it’s the most remarkable feeling. Another memorable moment happened at dinner. We stood up along the top of the sunken garden and looked down at all our guests talking, laughing and eating. We had hoped that all our guests from the different parts of our lives would enjoy meeting each other, and it turned out better than we had hoped. Watching all our friends and families enjoy an elegant, rustic farm-to-table meal in a sunken garden as the sun was just starting to go down was a dream. The best advice I can offer to brides and grooms in the midst of planning a wedding is this: Remember that it is your day and it should reflect who you are! As everyone says, the day goes by so quickly. Do the best you can to stay in the moment. When your day comes, trust that you’ve done all you need to do, so let go of all the planning and logistics and just enjoy.”