From a sprawling vineyard setting to authentic local fare, today’s gorgeous wedding for this wedding planner and her handsome hub is the epitome of quintessential SoCal. To pull off this epic weekend in Santa Barbara, the bride enlisted the help of TOAST Santa Barbara and Jill & Co. Events – who absolutely turned her vision into a reality. For endless summer wedding inspiration, head on over to the full gallery captured by Lacie Hansen… and don’t be surprised if your Pinterest boards get a major upgrade upon viewing.
From the Bride… Erik and I both attended UCSB, but didn’t actually meet until after we graduated and were introduced through mutual friends! Being a wedding planner myself, after he proposed in February 2018 in Yosemite, my mind instantly started racing with the next steps. We spent the drive back home discussing what we wanted the wedding weekend to be like, what we wanted our guests to experience, what flavor cupcakes from Enjoy! We were going to serve; but the one thing we knew for sure was that it had to be in Santa Barbara and we wanted our guests to enjoy all of our favorite things about our hometown! With many of our family members living in the Midwest and East Coast, we wanted to create a quintessential Californian weekend for them.
The rehearsal dinner and welcome party was at Santa Barbara Historical Museum, which honored the history and culture of Santa Barbara. We had a local Spanish guitarist, Chris Fossek, play during cocktail hour, authentic local tacos in handmade tortillas, and freshly made-to-order churros! The tables were filled with bright colors and lots of textures. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. Again, so authentically Santa Barbara, and styled after the California Missions, it encompasses a beautiful, old-world feel. We loved the traditional nature that the church provided, but loved the uniqueness in its design. My sister, Theresa Kesser, who is an extraordinary opera singer, sang the Ave Maria during our ceremony and it was one of my favorite moments of the day. She and her boyfriend, Ben Werley, also sang Panis Angelicus as a duet, and Ben cantored the rest of the mass. It was so special to have them both be such an integral part of our wedding ceremony.
Grassini Family Vineyards felt like the perfect spot to bring all of our guests to as well! Having worked there once before, I instantly fell in love with the property, knowing its potential. When Erik and I pulled up to tour the vineyard for our wedding, the second the gates opened, we knew we had to have our reception there. The combination of the sprawling vineyards overlooking the gorgeous lake was reason enough, but imagining all of our tables filled with family and friends, under those gorgeous 400 year old California oak trees, how do you get more authentically California than that?! It felt like the perfect final piece to a central coast experience; an evening under the stars in wine country! The wedding we envisioned was elegant, formal, fun, and unique. We wanted to create an atmosphere for our guests that felt romantic and intimate, and also fun and comfortable. We asked guests to come in black-tie attire to create a level of formality from the start. Guests sipped on French 75s and Old Fashioneds during cocktail hour, and Grassini’s Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet for dinner. Velvet covered tables were topped with emerald vine Limoges plates from The Ark, vintage silverware from Theoni, and lush floral arrangements from TOAST!
One of my favorite elements from the wedding was our print material. Being in the wedding industry, we see so many variations of invites! I was so excited to start the design on ours with local artist, Janice Blair. I’ve worked with Janice every year since I’ve been with TOAST so I knew she would capture my style immediately! She started with a watercolor floral piece that became the backing on our invites, escort cards, and liner on our programs. It was such an integral part of our overall design, incorporating the organic vines in the vineyard, on the china we used, and the colors in the bridesmaids dresses and floral. She also created a watercolor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel that we used on our programs, and now have hung in our home! There was a very subtle Loon theme strung throughout the wedding. We wanted it to be subtle enough that guests might only start to pick up on it once they got to the reception.
Very early on in our relationship, Erik dubbed me “Loon” during my very late nights of wedding work. The nickname stuck for both of us, and so many of our friends are in on the joke, we thought it was only appropriate to pay the nickname some homage and have fun with it! The crest that Janice created for our print material had two small loons drawn into the bottom. That crest was used on our save the dates, invitations, programs, menus, and cocktail napkins. Each guest had an escort card hung with a small red bird call, engraved with our initials, and backed with the floral watercolor. The top of the board read, “Your Seat is Calling”! My bridesmaids dresses were another favorite detail!! My girls were so supportive as we looked for different options that felt unique. When I found the Needle & Thread dresses, I was sold! Each of the bridesmaids picked their favorite style and shade of blush, and it worked out perfectly! The sunlight against the beading and flowy skirts by Grassini’s lake was just breathtaking. Lastly, since the moment we got engaged, we had an outpouring of love and support from our friends and family, but also from the wedding vendor/friend community! We were so lucky to work with some of our favorite vendors that have become dear friends over the years, including our team at TOAST, Jill Remy of Jill and Co. Events, Lacie Hansen Photography, Lola Video, TEAM Hair and Makeup, Bella Vista Designs, Bright Event Rentals, Found Rentals, The Ark, Lazaro Press, and so many more.
[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/345360103 600 338]
Photography: Lacie Hansen | Videography: lolavideo.net | Coordination: Jill & Co. Events | Cake : Lele's Patisserie | Cupcakes: Enjoy Cupcakes | Ceremony Venue: Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church | Reception: Grassinni Family Vineyards | Catering: Maili Halme | Hair & Makeup: TEAM Hair and Makeup | Calligraphy: Janice Blair | Lighting: Bella Vista Designs, Inc | Bar Service: Simply Cocktails | Coordination, Design & Floral: TOAST Santa Barbara | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Print Material: Lazaro Press & Design | Reception DJ: Gavin Roy | Rentals: Bright Event Rentals | Rentals: Found Rental Co. | Rentals : Theoni Collection | Rentals : The Ark Event Rentals