Todays intimate family affair at Rosewood Miramar planned by Hillary J Events proves you don’t have to go over-the-top to make a major statement with your blooms. Wisteria Lane Flowers decorated their day with lush arrangements galore – from the bride’s darling lily of the valley bouquet that’s giving us all the royal vibes, to the intimate tablescape blooming in crowd pleasing pink hydrangeas. We can’t wait for you to see the rest of the gallery – all captured by Shannon Duggan Photography!
From Shannon Duggan Photography… When COVID-19 threw a wrench in Caroline + Chris’s huge country club wedding they opted for the perfect plan B. Their immediate families decided to still celebrate their wedding, but in California. Chris, the groom, is a professional hockey player and was already playing in California. Caroline, the bride, had always dreamed on an intimate wedding reflecting their time in California together. They selected the Rosewood Miramar Beach in Santa Barbara to host their party of 12. They were faced with challenges the week of as shutdowns and new policies were put into place, but the entire team worked quickly to adjust to the changes with as much ease as possible.
From the Bride, Caroline… While it was a hard decision, we knew it was the right decision to go with our gut and cancel our original August wedding in St. Louis, in order to keep our family and friends, who we care about so much, safe. With Chris’ hockey season approaching in late August, along with the many demands that come with owning/operating our business in St. Louis, it dawned on us that our love for each other was paramount and what was most important was figuring out a way to get married that summer. Once we knew we would be able to safely coordinate a ceremony, we decided to escape to Montecito, California for an intimate micro-wedding with our eight immediate family members from St. Louis. Chris and I have always loved spending time in California and I stumbled across the Rosewood Miramar Beach a while back and absolutely fell in love with it’s classic glamour and beauty. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. After realizing we would have to adapt, we immediately made the decision to plan our wedding weekend at the Miramar.
The ceremony and reception took place at the Rosewood Miramar Beach and our rehearsal dinner was at San Ysidro Ranch. While the planning process felt like a game of Tetris, with the ever-changing nature of the world at the time (I think by the time we actually got married we were on “Plan D”) we were able to overcome all the challenges thrown at us and pull it off. We wanted our wedding to feel very intimate and personal while reflecting a casual yet classic style that enhanced the natural beauty of the setting with flowers, candles and color etc. The ceremony ended up taking place on a private deck on the beach overlooking the ocean as the sun began to set. My brother walked me down the aisle to Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars” (the first concert Chris and I went to, in California). My bouquet was all Lily of the Valley (my Mom planted this flower outside out old house growing up and it has always been my favorite flower and smell). I wore my late grandmother’s vintage cut emerald and diamond ring on my right hand, which was a family heirloom I received on my 21st birthday. All the meaningful details made everything about the moment feel so right. Chris’ brother was the Best Man and Chris’ sister was the Maid of Honor. It was surreal walking out to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” holding hands as a married couple on the most beautiful sunny day. The celebration continued at the Miramar Beach Bar for small bites and cocktails.
This was one of our favorite memories of the day sitting in the sun, looking out over the ocean with our family, basking in relief knowing the planning and stressful decision-making components of the wedding were completely worth it. Everyone could not stop smiling. After both of our brothers signed as witnesses to our marriage, we walked over to enjoy a private outdoor dinner under a perfectly set terrace filled with candles and hot pink Hydrangeas. I wanted to add some bright color into the space for the reception, color, to me, brings happiness, and seeing the beautiful bold pink blooms and turquoise vintage style parrot dessert plates that my mom found at Anthropologie, made me smile. The best part was that all ten of us were able to sit at the same farm-style table and enjoy great food and wine, toasting, giving heartfelt speeches and conversation flowing as our favorite music played. Sharing an evening like this with our families was priceless. Looking back on it, we could not be happier that we chose to move forward with a smaller wedding, given the times. While it was not what we had originally planned and we missed so many of our dear friends and family, we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to get married last summer. We are so thankful for our health, the support of our families and friends and the amazing venue and vendors that made our wedding possible. Now, how lucky are we to have such a special place to visit to remind us of all the love we felt on our wedding day. No matter the location, date or size of our wedding our love for each other outshined all the changes and allowed the most perfect day to fall into place.
Photography: Shannon Duggan Photography | Coordination: Alegria by Design | Event Design: Hillary J. Events | Floral Design: Wisteria Lane | Dress: Mia Grace Bridal | Invitations: Love Letter Paper | Reception Venue: Rosewood Miramar Beach | Makeup: PAGE BEAUTY | Hair: Dry Bar | Groom's Attire: Suit Supply | Rentals: Bright & Co.