Saddlerock Ranch by Events of Love and Splendor

Events of Love and Splendor hand-crafted a gorgeous display of nuptials with the loveliest Spanish flair. From the bright color palette that is going to steal each and every color connoisseur’s heart to the gorgeous stationery and papergoods by the Tie That Binds, this is a Los Angeles wedding that wrote the book on the perfect outdoor fete. Rodolfo Arpia Photography was there to snap all the pretty images you see before you and then some. Pore over the FULL wedding here!

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From the Bride…Shortly after our dog mushing/Northern Lights adventure and atypical engagement in Alaska in March of 2009, we decided on a late summer wedding to give us plenty of time to plan our wedding.  After much consideration we decided to forgo the dream wine country wedding in Sonoma or Napa and chose to have a local Los Angeles wedding so that our family and friends (all 225+) could attend.  I have always been drawn to the old Spanish/Mexican elegance, and knew I wanted to incorporate part of our heritage and culture in the wedding.  I love the Diego Rivera/Frida Khalo era and decided to include some details that fit in with a simple, yet romantic and elegant Spanish/Mexican affair that didn’t scream cheesy Mexican fiesta.  To reflect this theme we decided on a dark cobalt/navy blue, shades of tan, and vibrant pops of fuchsia and other lively colors.

Choosing an outdoor venue that fit both the look of the wedding that I was aiming for and that spoke to who we are (traveling wine and animal lovers who enjoy the outdoors) I thought would be difficult, that is until the gates of Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu opened and we drove into a place that is sort of a world all on its own.  It was the best of both worlds:  large manicured lawns, oak trees, rolling hillsides covered with vineyards, and did I mention the exotic animals?  Zebras, camels, and buffalo, Oh my!  This was the first and only venue we physically looked at, and knew instantly that this was the perfect place for us.

For the cocktail reception we wanted to keep the décor to a minimum so that our guests could simply enjoy the charm and beauty of Saddlerock Ranch.  We used hay bales and old wine barrels that we rented from the ranch.  In addition to providing a delicious Spanish infused menu, Contemporary Catering also provided carrots and apples for our guests to feed the animals during the cocktail hour.  For the reception we used a mixture of hand painted talavera pottery and cobalt blown glass pieces for the floral centerpiece arrangements; I purchased Mexican tiles for the table numbers and matching hand painted clay bells that also had our initials and wedding date to double as favors and guest seating cards.  I bought hand crafted tin stars from Mexico in various designs and sizes to hang over the dance floor, in lieu of renting chandeliers.  Drawing from the designs found on talavera pottery, Mekala at Tie That Binds created a custom suite of gorgeous letterpressed invites.  Mekala was able to capture and conceptualize our theme beautifully and created a unique design that stood out in a subtle yet elegant way.  We carried this design throughout our stationary elements for the buffet table menus, custom drink list, dessert table, favor tags, ceremony programs, and guest sign in cards.

Executing a seamless day and ensuring that all of our hard work paid off was all thanks to Angel and her team at Events of Love and Splendor.  I knew even before diving into wedding planning that I was going to need someone who was reliable, super attention to detail oriented, and had a fantastic sense of style and creativity.  She was one of the first vendors we booked and I was so blessed to have her on board as a central part of the amazing vendor team we worked with.

Stationery + Paper Details: Tie That Binds / Wedding Planner: Events of Love and Splendor / Wedding Photography: Rodolfo Arpia Photography / Venue: Saddlerock Ranch / Caterer: Contemporary Catering / Church: LMU Chapel