Natalie and Kevin’s nuptials were an elegant Southern California affair planned by Grey Collective member To La Lune. Married in stunning St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica, the couple’s vision for their wedding day was clear – this was about the simple concept of love. And, in order to honor that, the team dreamed up a soft and organic design that would let their love be the star. With all-star vendors like Plenty of Petals, Swell Paper Press Co. and Grace Paper Co. the reception at The Adamson House was both subtle and stunning. Sarah Shreves Weddings worked her magic behind the lens and we have all these gorgeous images to show for it!
What made the wedding special and unique?
We were able to combine the traditional elements of a church ceremony by having our reception at St. Monica’s Catholic Church with our love of the outdoors, and by planning our reception at The Adamson House, a historic State Park in Malibu. Both of us grew up enjoying weekends outside with family and friends by hosting dinners and bbq’s in our back yards, so we worked to recreate this feel with lawn games at cocktail hour, a family style dinner at long wooden tables under the trees, and dancing barefoot under twinkling lights with crashing waves in the background.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
I was looking for a gown that was classic and simple, but also unique. Though I live in Santa Monica, I stumbled on a tiny dress shop called Dress Theory one weekend in San Diego and immediately loved their organic collection of dresses. After trying on half the dresses in the store, my stylist suggested something by Johanna Johnson, an Australian designer. She brought out a silk dress with a simple cut, flowing skirt, and plunging back, and the rest was history. I loved that it was classic and traditional for our church ceremony, but beachy and flowing for our Malibu reception. We added a handmade freshwater pearl sash and hair piece that I hope to pass down as a family heirloom one day.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
Our families are the pillar of our lives and our ultimate role models, so we found small ways to honor them throughout the day. I carried a locket with photos of my grandparents, we both thanked our grandparents and parents in our program, and my great aunt led our opening prayer at dinner. Kevin and I had a blast hand-making some of the decor elements of our wedding. We spent time carefully crafting our ceremony programs so that our non-Catholic guests felt comfortable following along, created menu stands for each table out of small copper pipes, and my dad helped us build and stain our lawn games (giant Jenga and corn hole). My mom even made sure to bring some almonds for our guests as an ode to my Central Valley roots. Our biggest splurge was renting the Malibu trolley to take us from Santa Monica to Malibu, but it allowed us to have our entire 22-person wedding party together and it was well worth it!
What was the most memorable part of the day?
We both agreed that we’ll never forget the feeling of seeing each other for the first time walking down the aisle. We got ready at separate houses and didn’t do a first look, so we were both so nervous and excited to finally see each other at the church! There was also a moment when Kevin and I got to visit the patio of The Adamson House, which gave us a birds-eye view of our guests from all over the country mingling and enjoying the day that we’d worked so hard towards planning and strengthening our relationship for. We were blessed with a perfect weekend of weather – lucky in April – and the image of the ocean and our loved ones was forever cemented in our memories.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
Kevin and I were celebrating our anniversary in Big Sur. We were “glamping” in a yurt that had a porch with an amazing view of the sunset and stars. Before dinner when we were taking in the view, Kevin surprised me with a ring – I almost fainted, but luckily there was an Adirondack chair close by! Since we were out of cell phone range, we had to wait to get back to tell our families, which helped us disconnect and enjoy the moment, but wow were we excited to share the news!
Event Design + Coordination: To La Lune // Event Design: Natalie Howard Geehr (Bride & Owner of Levering Co.) // Photography: Sarah Shreves Weddings // Floral Design: Plenty of Petals // Invitations & Programs: Swell Paper Press Co. // Invitation & Program Illustration Art & Calligraphy: Grace Paper Co. // Menus: Peanut Press Creative // Ceremony Venue: St. Monica’s Catholic Church // Reception Venue: The Adamson House // Bride’s Wedding Dress: Johanna Johnson & The Dress Theory // Bride’s Makeup & Hair: Jessica Wilcox // Bridesmaids’ Makeup & Hair: Face it Sugar Beauty // Bride’s Shoes: Harriet Wilde // Caterer: Flatiron Catering // Cake & Desserts: Whole Foods Market // DJ: Los Angeles Deejay Company // Trolley: Hop Aboard Trolley // Tableware: Borrowed Blu // Rentals: Circa Vintage Rentals // Rentals: Smart Party Rentals