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Real Weddings:

Meghan and Austin’s wedding at Bridgestreet Gallery and Lofts

photography by Mandy Busby

Meghan and Austin were set to be married on the bride’s parent’s property with a wildflower backdrop and a reception under the stars. But strong chances of thunderstorms pushed the couple in a different direction and just two days before the wedding, they moved the event to Bridgestreet Gallery and Lofts. The venue lent a clean backdrop to their style—”genuine, warm, laid back and a touch European.” A talented group of vendors lead by planners at Artistry created the simple and beautiful details including florals by Laura McCarty of Marked, invitation design by Kathleen Varner, and treats by Baking Bandits. See all the lovely details in these images captured by the incredibly talented Mandy Busby.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

We wanted our wedding day to feel genuine, warm, laid back and a touch European. Our ceremony and reception were originally planned to take place on my parents’ property. I wanted the setting to hold meaning. The backdrop was going to be a little hill of wildflowers and the reception to be under the stars (like the night Austin proposed to me), but two days before there was a switch over because of a huge chance of thunderstorms. We were able to move everything over to a venue in Birmingham that lent a clean backdrop. We still took all of our portraits on the property and I got dressed that morning in my bedroom at my parents’ house. I went barefoot and chose an anklet over a bouquet. I adore flowers but decided I’d rather not deal with having to carry flowers. So we made the altar florals the focal point. We chose not to have a bridal party. Just my sister and his brother stood beside us during our ceremony. We did both have a handful of our dear friends spend the day with us though.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

My gown is an Amy Kuschel gown. I wanted my dress to be simple and comfortable with movement. I actually ended up buying the sample dress that was a size 8 and altering it to a 0. I saved so much doing it that way.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

As a wedding vendor myself it was so so special getting to hire the help of so many dear dear friends…two of my best friends sang at our ceremony, two friends did my hair and makeup, a friend styled the wedding, a friend made pastries, a friend did the florals, and on and on and on. Every detail felt personal and loved on because of it.

We did end up writing our own vows and we’re both so glad we took the time to do it. We now have them framed on our walls as sweet reminders to the weightiness and power of the promises we’ve made to one another.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

Our ceremony was hands down our favorite part! We put a lot of thought into the music and layout. Our prayer was that the day would be focused on the Gospel and not on us, and that people would leave knowing how loved and appreciated they were.

I think that first hug we shared after our ceremony is really special to us as well and our photographer captured it so perfectly!!

Tell us how you met and became engaged!

Austin actually heard my voice before he met me. I sang the national anthem at my little brother’s high school football game. He had started working for my dad’s accounting firm a couple of months before and then got brought on to help my dad coach football in the evenings (since he had coached a little bit after playing in college). My brothers were such a fan of him and it kind of just developed from there. After dating for a year, Austin proposed on my parents’ pier under the stars.

Photographer: Mandy Busby // Design and Coordination: Augusta Cole and Keighlee Buchanan of Artistry // Floral Design: Laura McCarty of Marked // Invitation Design: Kathleen Varner // Invitation Handwriting (bride and groom’s names): Laura McCarty of Marked // Calligraphy (envelopes: Bride’s sister) // Ceremony/Reception Venue: Bridgestreet Gallery and Lofts // Pre-wedding Venue: The Bride’s home/family property // Bride’s Dress: Amy Kuschel // Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo // Hair and Make Up: Molly Stilley and Joanna Ballentine of Irrelephant // Catering: Slice Pizza // Treats:  Baking Bandits // Wedding Musicians: Act of Congress

 

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Real Weddings:

Zanny and Noah’s wedding at Skokomish Park at Lake Cushman

photography by Benj Haisch

Zanny and Noah’s “Glampin” wedding is a vibrant, rainbow-hued celebration of love and life, nature and art. The Washington state celebration planned by Simply by Tamara Nicole took place at the breathtaking Skokomish Park at Lake Cushman. From the waterfront ceremony, to the “hike-to-reception” in the forest, no detail was left unimagined. The art-loving couple hand-made almost all of the decor with textured papers, screen printing and fabrics. Paisley Petals created the glorious cutting-garden summer floral arrangements, arbor, spectacular bridal bouquet and a delightful “DIY bouquet” table for the bridal party while they were getting ready. There’s just so much summer-goodness to love about Zanny and Noah’s big day and Benj Haisch was on hand to capture it all in these beautiful images.

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from the planners: Noah and Zanny’s wedding was one full of love, and they had the most close knit tribe I have seen at a wedding. You can tell they are loved, and also love on their people hard! I don’t think you can find a more picturesque place to say I do than where they did, on the beach below the trees at Lake Cushman for their “Glampin” wedding.

They had SO many personal touches for their wedding, which doesn’t surprise me as they love art, and Noah is an artist in CA. They made almost all of the decor for their wedding. From all of the fun signs made with patterned paper and wood, to the table numbers, and pretty much everything. They were married by their close friend, and each had 11 bridespeople and groomspeople standing on each side (half of which were barefoot as well). Noah is known as “No Shoes Noah” so it only made sense that others joined in to the shoes optional wedding! As they were getting ready, Paisley Petals created a “DIY bouquet” station at the cabin where Zanny and her party were getting ready.

For the ceremony, we laid down some blue patterned fabric as the aisle runner, and flanking the aisle were wood benches from Seattle Farm Tables and bamboo chairs, and greenery placed by Paisley Petals. At the front of the aisle stood a birch arch adorned in colorful wild blooms, with the lake behind. They had their friends play a song with guitar and vocals, and of course had their pup there with them as well!

After the ceremony, the guests followed the party through the trails up the hill to an area surrounded in tall trees, with string lights strung above them, and craft cocktails made by Ravishing Radish for cocktail hour. They created their own escort cards and had them all strung like a clothesline from a ladder and it was so colorful!

In addition to their wedding cake by Corina Bakery, they had friends and family bake so many fun goodies to add to the dessert table (on a killer wagon from Vintage Ambiance!). They made the sign for this too, like all of the signs at the wedding. “Treat Yourself” in fun patterned colorful paper. They even made their own signs for the restrooms “Gender Neutral Restroom.” Also, as it was a wedding in the woods (bugs!) we created a cute little corner with bug spray and a fun sign they made “Be Smitten, Not Bitten!” For after the wedding, they had a campground after-party (because most people were camping at the site!) for which their sign read “Let the wild rumpus start! After Party”.

As guests entered the tent, they took their seats at the long farm tables and benches from Seattle Farm Tables, adorned with various bud vases and candles that Zanny and her family collected themselves. SO many candles and vases, and full of fun bright flowers from Paisley Petals :) Each guest had their name hand-stamped on fun patterned and colored paper by the couple themselves!

Instead of going right into dinner, they had a dance set first and EVERYONE was on the dance floor, it was packed! You could just feel the love and closeness as we had like 8 speeches scattered throughout the dinner (amazing food by Ravishing Radish!). Then they danced the night away under the stars, light and RAIN (outside the tent) to the rad music by Side One Band. They even had some friends that are musicians perform their music and it was SO GOOD. At the end of the night, guests stood in the rain with sparklers for the send off, and were sent with adorable smore’s kits made by the couple.

Photography: Benj Haisch // Planning: Simply by Tamara Nicole // Flowers: Paisley Petals // Venue: Skokomish Park at Lake Cushman // Cake: Corina Bakery // Hair and Makeup, Décor, Signs etc. Bride and Groom // Catering/Bar: Ravishing Radish // Rentals: Vintage Ambiance // Rentals: CORT Party Rental // Rentals: Seattle Farm Tables // Band: Side One Band

 

Real Weddings:

Angie and Jesse’s Santa Barbara Historical Museum wedding

photography by Lavender and Twine

YOU GUYS! Angie and Jesse’s wedding at Santa Barbara Historical Museum is SO GORGEOUS! The couple enlisted Rebecca at Imagine…Weddings & Special Events to help them create their perfect day which included a palette of natural tones with pops of Santa Barbara’s seasonal (amazing) color  and an emphasis on farm-to-table. We love the mix of styles—romantic with a hint of boho—with florals by Coco Rose Design stationery by Honey Paper, cake by Lele Patisserie and vintage get-away car. The details are vibrant and joyful, just the the couple, and we love the way Daniele Rose with Lavender and Twine captures it all so beautifully in these film images.

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How did you meet?

The old fashioned way…On Match.com! Jesse was my first date and last kiss. Truth be told, we both believe we would have met eventually anyway. I (the bride) years ago, was working at Saturday Night Live and regularly in contact with my now husband’s previous company, The Writers’ Store, in California.

Describe the proposal.

We love spending occasional weekends at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. Under a full moon in November, Jesse got on one knee under an old oak tree and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.

Tell Us More About Your Story:

The Santa Barbara Historical Museum is rich with history, yet a blank canvas for any event. We did natural tones and our pop of color was the seasonal and regional offerings that Santa Barbara provides. We believe in farm to table which carried through in our flower and plant choices. Phillipe with Catering Connection created an amazing menu that was French inspired, California Cuisine. It was tapas style, but a lot of food and extremely filling. Our wedding was uniquely us, a blend of tradition, with the forward spirit that we each bring to the relationship. For example, our dinner was served tapas style because we wanted all of our guests to experience the excitement we do around amazing food.

Rebecca brought our wedding to light with a collaborative, supportive, and focused energy along with her eye for all of the beautiful details. What sets Rebecca apart from the rest, is her ability to bring the bride’s vision to fruition without imposing her own stylistic choices, unless she is asked. Rebecca removed the noise around us, which allowed us to focus on the moment.

Describe your vision/inspiration for your wedding day.

We knew right away we wanted to get married in Santa Barbara, therefore, the majority of our vision was based in the beauty that Santa Barbara has to offer. I am from the south and the groom from CA & NY. We wanted to share with our out of town guests the exquisiteness of California, while still hosting an intimate event. We wanted to eat, drink, and dance under the warm moonlit sky in one of our favorite places and with our absolute favorite people!

What was your favorite part of your wedding day?

We have three! Our first was the ceremony itself, which culminated in feeling and seeing the love and support from all of our friends and family. Our 2nd was our first dance! Jesse is not a natural dance, but on our wedding night, with lessons behind us, we owned the dance floor to King Floyd’s “Groove Me”. Our 3rd was the fact that nearly everyone spent the entire night on the dance floor.

How would you describe your personal style and fashion (wedding dress/tux)?

Having lived in NYC while working for Saturday Night Live, I was swept up with the style the city has to offer. Heading west, I could not help but be inspired by everything that is classic Hollywood. So I would say our style is a blend of southern charm, meets NYC fashion, mixed with the glamour old Hollywood has to offer.

The dress: Finding the perfect wedding dress is an event in itself, one to be celebrated with loved ones, and what better destination for a wedding dress celebration than New York City. My mother and sister flew in from North Carolina to the city I lovingly called home for almost 5 years while working at Saturday Night Live. Bergdorf was high on the list and when I found out they were having a trunk show with Austin Scarlet, first season winner of Project Runway, our date was set. The experience was nothing short of amazing. I met with Austin, who was warm, creative and seemed to know what I was looking for before I knew it. Later he followed up with hand sketches and in no time the dress was taking shape. Weeks out from our wedding day I brought the dress into a local, Los Angeles designer shop, L’ezu for some last-minute alterations. While working with Patricia Nevil, the owner and designer, I fell in love with a one of a kind, fun and sassy dress that Patricia made herself, and luckily, fit me like a glove.  A really neat part about the dress is the not one piece of lace was the same, and all from different parts of France. This dress was the perfect party dress and a great excuse to do a wardrobe change before our first dance.

 

 

 

What was the most memorable moment of your reception?

There are so many! Our first dance as mentioned above, but after the first dance the band played one of our favorite Grateful Dead songs, “Shakedown Street”, where all our friends and family hit the dance floor in celebration. Our band Modern Tribe learned and played songs not on their typical set list with complete precision.

Other Special Touches included:

  • Suzy and My Something Blue
  • The wrap on my bouquet was made complete with an embroidered flower from my dear toy poodle Suzy’s favorite sweater. At eight pounds and known for her sassy ways, Suzy was my trusted and beloved companion for over 18 years. Adding an embellishment from her sweater brought her presence to our special day along with my something blue.
  • Spoons: A perfect finishing touch came together through the love, creativity and energy of my sister Natalie. She found a beautiful Haiku, Patience by Kewayne Wadley that inspired her to find unique, antique teaspoons for each guest, and that served to direct our guests to their designated table. What’s more incredible is the journey of the 80-pound board Natalie made herself in Asheville, NC and brought to Santa Barbara to hold the spoons.

Wedding Planner: Imagine…Weddings & Special Events Rebecca Gigandet // Photographer: Daniele Rose, Lavender and Twine // Florals: Nina Kincaid Coco Rose Design // Invitations & Calligraphy: Honey Paper // Wedding Venue: Santa Barbara Historical Museum // Videographer: Santa Barbara Wedding Films // Ceremony Dress: Austin Scarlett / Bergdorf Goodman // Reception Dress: Patricia Nevil L’ezu // Bride’s Shoes: Ceremony: Badgley Mischka // My something borrowed from my sister Natalie: SJP // Bride’s Earrings: Patricia Nevil L’ezu Beverly Hills // Cake: Lele Patisserie // Groom’s Tux: Ted Baker // Groom’s Shoes: To Boot Adam Derrick // Groom’s Watch: Shinola Limited Edition Rambler 600 // Rings: Single Stone // Catering: Catering Connection // Officiant: Nanette McIntyre // Rentals & Linens: Town & Country Event Rentals // Lighting: Bella Vista Designs // Entertainment: Modern Tribe // Getaway Car: Ala Carte // Transportation: Santa Barbara Trolley

 

Real Weddings:

Vivian and Peter’s wedding at Half Moon Bay

featuring Manna Sun Events

Vivian and Peter’s romantic, fairy tale-inspired wedding was befitting of their modern Pride & Prejudice love story that can be traced back to elementary school. After a decade of friendship, the couple fell in love and despite heavy coursework and long distance, love prevailed and they enlisted event planner Manna Sun Events to design the perfect celebration. Spectacular pastel florals Nicole Ha Designs adorned every detail at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay including graphic ceremony structures and elegant ballroom centerpieces. We’re loving the artful cake by Cake Coquette and the horse drawn carriage gave off major real-life-cinderella-vibes. Photographer VID Studio was on hand to capture all the spectacular details in these lovely images.

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Event Planning, Design & Coordination: Manna Sun Events // Photographer & Videographer: VID Studio // Florist: Nicole Ha Designs // Invitation Set: Minted // Wedding Venue: The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay // Calligraphy: Blushtype // Make-up and Hairstyle: Yi Bridal // Bride’s Wedding Gown: Homemade by Bride’s Family // Bride’s Wedding Shoes: René Caovilla // Lighting: Magical Lighting // DJ: Big Fun Disc Jockeys // Officiant: Officially Yours // Rentals: La Tavola Fine Linen / Standard Party Rentals // Bakery: Cake Coquette // Horse Carriage: Grand Carriages & Baraat Horses // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Real Weddings:

Iris and Michael’s wedding at Gamble Gardens

featuring Lynette Boyle Photography

Iris and Michael’s stunning spring soiree at Gamble Gardens was designed by none-other than Kaella Lynn Events. A perfectly romantic garden party, the event was filled with (even more) elegant, gathered florals by Lauras Floras in a rainbow of dusty pastels.Brown Fox Calligraphy introduced the event with a timeless stationery suite and Studio Cake punctuated the day with a silk-ribbon wrapped cake accented with twigs of lavender. We love the sunlight-streaked joy of the day and it’s all captured beautifully by Lynette Boyle Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

First of all, the setting at Gable Garden was amazing. It was May and the garden was in full bloom. There was serenity and peace to the whole place and the extra flowers for the wedding made the scene luscious. The most unique feature though, was that the ceremony itself was arranged in a circle. When we stood there in the center, and said ‘I do’ we could feel the love and energy from everyone around us in every direction.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I found the dress at the first place I went. I went alone, and was just starting to look; they brought out 5 dresses and one of them was perfect.  I left the store without buying it and called Michael and sent him a picture. The dress showed my full back, and I was worried it might be too revealing for him. But he said okay, and I made a u-turn and went back and bought that dress right then and there.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Michael’s father was the Officiant, and his mother read a beautiful poem. Also – we created (with Kaella’s guidance) lots of little outdoor lounging areas, where people sat and talked. Every time we looked around, people were smiling and having a great time. And one more also – we had this wonderful family-style long table for dinner, with the perfect place settings, under a tree on the garden patio. It felt magical.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

After we said our vows, we walked out of the center of the circle, with our kids behind us. We all gathered as a new family and spontaneously hugged as a group, and one of the kids said ‘We did it!’ and we all cried.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met online. We lived 2 miles apart and it took the computer months to match us. Our first date was at Pete’s and it was okay but neither of us really felt much. Then we went to dinner for our second date, and sparks flew right away. Iris made Michael laugh a lot, which was a requirement and Michael saw Iris cry which was his requirement.

We got engaged after talking about it at length, and making sure our kids could get along. We went ring shopping together but Michael handled the details of getting it made.  We went away for a weekend in Napa and Michael surprised Iris (a little) with flowers in the room, and ring in hand.

Photography: Lynette Boyle Photography // Planning + Design: Kaella Lynn Events // Floral Design: Lauras Floras // Paper: Brown Fox Calligraphy // Venue: Gamble Gardens // Bridal Gown Designer: Michaela Bridal // HMU: Skyla Arts Beauty // Cake: Studio Cake // Table top rentals: Frances Lane // Lounge furniture: Found Vintage Rentals // Catering: Parsley Sage Rosemary & Thyme // Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // Lighting: Impact Lighting // Music Trio: Rob Reich // Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab