Guests Dine Beneath Oak Trees At This SoCal Dinner Party Wedding

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May 22, 2024

The Planning

Design / Vibe / Vision

Devoted to the origins of their love story, Katherine and Alex invited their closest family and friends to Simi Valley for a captivating outdoor dinner party. Held at Quail Ranch, an upscale California wedding venue with expansive plantlife, the grounds flourished with avocado and citrus orchards.

Proposal Story

Katherine and Alex spent the summer of 2019 together in Chicago. By August, they made their relationship official. One of their first trips together was to southern California over Labor Day weekend. During this trip, they enjoyed the SoCal sunshine and discovered their mutual love of travel. It was only fitting that, two-and-a-half years later, Alex proposed on their favorite beach in Malibu.

Getting Ready

Bridal Portraits

Flat Lays

The Fashion

Wedding Gown

Katherine’s romantic lace gown was the first wedding dress she tried on while planning. To customize her look she added off-the-shoulder sleeves with three-dimensional lace, reflected throughout the gown’s design.

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

The Details

Food & Drink

An Italian-inspired menu featured assorted bread, hand-rolled pasta, marsala mushroom fettuccine, and Tuscan chicken with goat cheese.

Florals & Decor

The wedding procession descended from a staircase lined with jasmine and roses, leading to a Spanish brick patio where guests were seated. The couple exchanged vows beneath an ivory floral archway tucked beneath the edge of a citrus orchard. Beneath towering pines and oak trees, a romantic and relaxed reception awaited guests. Spherical chandeliers hung from the boughs overhead as they cast their glow. Ample ivory arrangements elevated the open space with a floral archway over the couple’s head table. In a moment of Simi Valley’s golden hour, the couple posed in a fluffy nest of hillside grasses with a backdrop of fuschia-colored bougainvillea. The evening was topped off with a celebratory champagne tower of sequins, bubbles, and vintage crystal coupe glasses.

Wedding Cake

The couple's two-tier wedding cake was topped with delicate white flowers.

Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs

A string quartet accompanied the ceremony as Katherine walked down the aisle to a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams.” "My favorite wedding day memory was definitely our ceremony! Walking down the aisle to Taylor Swift in my dream dress felt surreal, and since Alex and I didn't do a first look it made everything all the more special."

Special Detail #1

"We honeymooned for two weeks in Italy a few weeks after our wedding! We went to Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Portofino, and Milan — it was a dream come true. One of our favorite memories was probably the cooking class we took in Tuscany, where we made fresh pasta and homemade ragu and met some amazing people from all around the world!"

Special Detail #2

Katherine's best wedding advice: "My advice is that it all works out in the end! It's easier said than done, and sometimes, it can all feel way too overwhelming. But just know that you're doing more than enough, and it will be the best feeling on your big day to see it all come together so perfectly!"

Couple Portraits

Reception

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Photography

Lisa Leanne Photography

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