Tina and Ray connected on a dating website—it was Ray’s straight-forward message a yoga pose photo that made him stand out. The couple had a fabulous first date and the rest is history. For their Friendly Hills Country Club wedding celebration, the couple wanted a blend of traditional and modern. All white everything was a must for the bride and the florals by Flowers by Dana definitely nailed it. Ultimately, Tina decided the event needed a little contrast and added the gorgeous navy bridesmaids gowns. We’re loving them! Lucky for us Anya Kernes was on hand to capture the rainy day portraits and lovely style of Tina and Ray’s big day.
From the bride: Ray and I met on match.com. I was very overwhelmed with how many messages were coming through and Ray was straight to the point and his photos drew me in – I think it was the one where he was doing a yoga pose. Our first date was in Venice at Whalers bar and we hit it off immediately. We stepped outside to take a walk along the boardwalk and decided to tandem bike to Santa Monica. We had such a great time we decided to grab dinner, watch the sunset and the rest is history. We wanted to include this part of our story into the wedding, so as cliche it may be, it was perfect for us to have match boxes as our escort cards – ‘The Perfect Match’.
For the wedding, my husband and I wanted something very clean and simple. I like the modern sterile look and Ray is a little more traditional, so I knew what I had to work with when we picked The Friendly Hills Country Club, also knowing that the venue was down the street from where he grew up. I also wanted white everything, from the tables to the flowers with silver tones and Dusty Millers to give that elegant look. I also knew we would need a little color, and with my bridesmaids’ dresses being navy, we incorporated hints of gold and navy to give it a little accent.
I’m sure all women can attest that planning is not easy, and if it is, then you must have been born to be a planner. I knew right away after Ray proposed that I wanted to get the venue out of the way as well as the dress. I also knew I needed help on the day of and definitely wanted to have a wedding coordinator. After many blogs and meetings with vendors, we prioritized our list of vendors and checked off our list, and that helped us to book the best vendors to make our special day perfect.
If I would share some advice, it would be to start planning early and aim to finish early and also to enjoy your wedding day. Being able to trust your vendors and know that they will perform their best, made our day unforgettable.
Photographer: Anya Kernes // Wedding Coordination: Liz Yoon // Florals: Flowers by Dana // Invites: Paperless Post // Venue: Friendly Hills Country Club // Dress Designer: Paloma Blanca (Mikaella) // Dress shop: Flares Bridal in Walnut Creek // Cake: Frost My Cake // Band: Kalama Brothers // Videographer: Viken Productions // Photo Booth: GC Photo Booth // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box