This homespun wedding at the Marin Art and Garden Center is like a warm smile and a hug from your mom. Every homemade detail from the burlap table runners made by the actual bride’s mom (hug) to the wildflower bouquets made by the bride’s loved ones and the bride herself are artfully preserved in these sun soaked images by Jessica Burke Photography. These made-with-love florals, decor, and more are not to be missed, so see it all now the full gallery!
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From the Bride… Brendan and I have known each other since high school. I would have never guessed that the very quiet and shy boy who asked me out four times before I agreed to a date would become my husband. After dating for eight years, we became husband and wife on a beautiful September day, surrounded our family and friends. The day turned out just as we had imagined — perfect! We knew we wanted to get married close to home, and when we saw the Marin Art and Garden Center we knew it would be prefect. The beautiful gardens created the wonderfully comfortable and casual environment that we wanted for our big day. The gardens were also located down the street from St. John’s Episcopal, the church I grew up in, which made it very convenient to go between the two locations. It was a great way to combine our traditional ceremony with the fun of an outdoor wedding.
From the start, it was our goal to have a part of us show in all aspects of the wedding. With much help from our friends and family, we made it a truly unique and DIY affair. The style we wanted was casual, rustic and homemade. We made invitations, menus, banners, table number flags, hanging jar lanterns with tea lights, a cake topper banner and so much more. I had such a fun time scouring blogs to find ideas to bring that homemade touch to our wedding. We spent time hunting for rustic and vintage finds at flea markets, where we found the wonderful blue mason jars and window frames used for the seating chart and other signs. The day before the wedding, friends and family gathered at my parents’ house to assemble the floral arrangements and bouquets in the collection of jars I had accumulated. I love the wild, freshly-picked look that we had with the flowers. The light pinks and creams of the arrangements complemented the colors we chose for the wedding. My mom sewed all the burlap table runners that really pulled together the rustic look. She also made an amazing assortment of jams that we used for favors for our guests, as well as a few family favorites for appetizers during the cocktail hour to accompany the amazing food from Delicious, Inc. The personal touches and small details were so instrumental in making the day unique to us and wouldn’t have been possible without the help.
Although Brendan humored me by helping with the crafty projects and even cutting and gluing and trying to sew a few things, his main priority for the wedding was making sure that everyone was well fed and had plenty to drink. We had so much fun sampling the food, the drinks and the cake for dessert. One of our favorite parts of the night were the speeches, our friends know us so well and were able to make everyone laugh with their great stories. All of our guests told us they had such a wonderful time and enjoyed the delicious food and the night of dancing. The whole event was captured beautifully by the amazing photography of Jessica Burke and the images express exactly how I remember the whole day. She had such attention to detail and captured all the important moments from beginning to end. It was truly one of the best days of my life and I couldn’t imagine it have turning out any better.
Wedding Photography: Jessica Burke Photography / Ceremony: St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ross, California / Reception: Marin Art and Garden Center in Ross, California / Flowers: DIY by the Bride / Catering: Delicious, Inc. / Wedding Cake: Red Hill Cake and Pastry (415-457-3632) / DJ: Feet First Entertainment / Wedding Dress: Adrianna Papell / Ceremony Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Reception Shoes: TOMS / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Banana Republic
Is there a place prettier than Ojai for a wedding? I’m still not convinced that there is. Each and every wedding that comes from there continues to knock our socks off. And this one is no exception! Each and every detail was captured with perfection by Yvette Roman Photography and we’re still swooning over all the elegant details. See even more here!
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From Yvette Roman Photography… I loved this wedding – the bride and groom are the sweetest clients, and I can’t believe my luck to have been able to work with them. They had a fun, festive rehearsal dinner in the barn at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa the evening before, and then, the fabulous wedding day was upon us. The bride’s dress, by Carolina Herrera, was an absolute stunner, and coupled with her elegant, soft and romantic style, she was unforgettable. Brianne’s gray and white bouquet was my favorite of the year! The couple had a beautiful, heartfelt first look, but by the time we were finished with family photos, the sky was threatening rain. The ceremony was supposed to be outdoors under the oak trees where their first look took place, but was quickly moved inside. The structure that was built for this outdoor location was gorgeous arbor of bark-covered wooden sticks, covered over with white roses, hanging mosses and ivy. Thankfully, there was just enough room to fit it indoors! The weather held, and we were able to shoot a few beautiful portraits at dusk, just before it got too dark.
Then, onto their amazing party in the ballroom, where the guests were utterly transported into an atmosphere that was pure elegance, yet still evoking the spectacularly fun evening ahead. The décor was classic Mindy Weiss — modern yet timeless white roses sitting in birch bark-wrapped vessels, white tablecloths and zillions of candles with absolutely over-the-top lighting. White slip-covered couches and pillows were set by the huge fireplace near the generous dance floor, with monogrammed throws for guests to wrap up in. The band stood in front of a draped white backdrop overlayed with a diamond pattern of rose garlands, which were lit so that throughout the night, the light changed the background from purples to blues to pinks. The bride and groom had their first dance, heard wonderful speeches and wishes from their families and danced the night away! Towards midnight, guests were treated to tray passed sliders and fries to keep the party going into the wee hours!
From the Groom… Brianne and I met at a house party thrown for my friend’s birthday. At some point during that evening, we both found ourselves sitting on a moldy couch outside. While on this couch, we enjoyed the atmosphere and eventually started a lengthy conversation. After six wonderful years of dating I popped the question to Brianne while on vacation off the coast of Italy. I had a secret plan and it worked perfectly. While driving along a bluff, I pulled over and told her that I wanted to take some pictures of the ocean. To my delight, she didn’t think this was strange. She exited the car and began taking scenic pictures. I slyly positioned our video camera on the hood of the car and called her over. I thought my nerves were about to snap, but I tried to keep it cool. Seconds later, we were engaged on camera. Needless to say, we were both excited.
Wedding Photography: Yvette Roman Photography / Wedding Venue: Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai, California / Wedding Planning: Mindy Weiss Party Consultants / Floral Design: Mark’s Garden / Event Design: Revelry Event Designers / Wedding Cinematography: Vidicam Productions / Lighting: Peterson Event Lighting / Band: West Coast Music / Wedding Dress: Carolina Herrera / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Vera Wang / Groom’s Suit: Armani / Groom’s Shoes: Magnanni / Rings: Neil Lane
It looks like it’s going to be another beautiful California weekend but we thought we could brighten up your morning even more by introducing you to three fabulous new advertisers. If you take a quick peek over to your right you’ll see the stellar lineup of superstar vendors that we’ve curated just for you California brides! Make sure you check out the portfolios of these new additions – Paperee, Party Singers, and Tammy Horton Photography - and show them some SMP love!
I am a total typography nerd so it was definitely love at first sight when I saw Paperee‘s portfolio. Their clean, modern and fresh approach to design is absolutely breathtaking. They take such pride and care in choosing each font, each space, and each design and that craftsmanship definitely shows in their gorgeous stationery!
From Paperee… We love type! Our designs are modern and simple with an emphasis on beautiful typography. Over 1600 fonts were scrutinized to bring you a handful of the most beautiful. Besides a well-designed font, kerning is equally important. Notice the difference between the above default (computer-spaced ) and kerned ( hand-spaced ) “sarah&dylan.” At Paperee, each letter is manually spaced to ensure beautiful lettering. Have your wedding stationery created by people who are passionate and meticulous about design, typography and craftsmanship.
You know you’re in good hands when Darcy Miller gives two big thumbs up to a vendor and that’s exactly what Party Singers - event entertainer extraordinaires – got from the Martha Stewart Weddings editor-in-chief. No surprise either with their unique approach to wedding music that will take all the guesswork out of choosing your wedding entertainment. From romantic string ensembles to show-stopper reception bands they seriously have it ALL and it’s all amazing!
From Party Singers… A recent endorsement from Darcy Miller, editor-in-chief of Martha Stewart Weddings has helped to make PartySingers one of the most sought-after live event and wedding music companies in the U.S.
The Sing Off and Glee have helped reinvent a cappella singing in the U.S. In addition to a thorough offering of excellent solo and group singers and musicians in LA, Denver and NYC, we are proud to offer Absolute Romance - vocal a cappella quartets to replace strings! Our talented singers transition seamlessly from classical pieces to vocal jazz to current pop arrangements of songs by Jason Mraz, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Bruno Mars, Jeff Buckley, Ray La Montagne, Colbie Caillat and more.
Started in 2007 in NYC. Expanded to LA and Denver. Over 100 talented singers and musicians nationwide available for year-round event, wedding and holiday entertainment.
SMP Brides will receive 1/2 off the first hour of a booking of two or more hours for Absolute Romance (the vocal quartet to replace strings) in LA, Denver or NYC. Please tell us SMP sent you for this discounted rate.
I could wander through Tammy Horton Photography‘s portfolio for hours. Each image is so beautiful, romantic and heartwarming. She really captures the little moments of a wedding that will make your heart melt. The sweet, tender moments that any couple would want to hold onto for years and years to come.
From Tammy Horton Photography… I started my business seven years ago as an outlet to do the one thing I love most, photography. What I didn’t expect was to discover a newfound passion in capturing the intimate moments I share with my clients on such an important day. The connections I’ve made and the experiences I’ve been a part of have far exceeded any of my career expectations. Creating beautiful memories for families is more fulfilling than anything I can imagine. The fact that I go to work everyday and truly enjoy myself while bringing so much joy to others is such a blessing and humbles me beyond belief. Sometimes I can’t believe my life!
My studio specializes in fine art weddings and portraits. I have an unobtrusive approach and a photojournalistic style. My inspirations include light, laughter, tears (laughter through tears is even better), soft focus, truly decisive moments and kindness. I try to live the best I know how, do what I love, and love what I do. If you love what I do… get in touch!
I’d like to offer 10% off new bookings for SMP readers. Just send me an email (tammy@tammyhortonphotography.com) and mention this ad and we’ll go from there!
Welcome to the family! We are so happy to have you!
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