I think yellow should be indoctrinated as best wedding color ever. It works in every single setting we come across, including a stylish beach fête with a modern flair. And if yellow is winning best color then succulents should be crowned best wedding flower plant ever. At least for today because this pretty wedding captured by Larissa Cleveland Photography is a shining example of our love affair with all of the above. See the full shindig right here.

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From the Bride… I guess it all began with the colors. Yellow is my favorite color, and it complemented the slate gray fog that blankets the beach and farming town of Half Moon Bay, California, where my family had a beach house for four generations. Trying to adhere to the natural coastal beauty of our sleepy old town location, while at the same time embracing the sophistication of the Ritz-Carlton hotel where my husband and I wed, we created a blend of modern and vintage aesthetics that suited us as a couple and our location. Our clever florist created a modern arch from driftwood and succulents, while family friends loaned us their blue Ford truck, which reminded us of the old trucks once used on Half Moon Bay farms. Because of our love of travel and the fact that for most of our guests this was a destination wedding, we chose countries that we have frequented as table names and used small luggage tags for seat assignments. The passport stamp on the tags determined the dinner dish each guest received. To carry the theme further, the menus and programs were also made on different sized luggage tags; a globe highlighting our excursions spun on the reception table; and maps in our wedding colors stood in for table place cards. The bagpiper who led my husband, our beloved bulldog Humphrey, and the groomsmen down the aisle furthered this travel theme, as did the mariachis who played during the cocktail hour. Each style of music came from our family backgrounds.

While staying true to our location and theme, we wanted to maintain a level of playfulness that best represents us as a couple. We had so much fun with the smaller details, including the Chucks my husband designed for himself and the groomsmen, Humphrey’s matching bow tie, the seersucker suit for my grandpa and ring bearers, the sugar pearl-studded cake to complement my lovely pearl-studded bridesmaids, the Mr. Rogers’ reading, the Dick Van Dyke credits song for our reception entrance, the paper flower balls created by a bridesmaid, and the “half moon” sugar cookies my mom baked for guests staying at the Ritz. We couldn’t have done it without my parents, who assumed the role of wedding planners, helping with music, spray-painting, collecting driftwood and constructing the corresponding screen and seat assignment stands, sewing programs, and growing 100 succulent garden favor pots. In the end, though, it was the special toasts and guests who rocked the dance floor that made the evening a night we will never forget.

Wedding Photography: Larissa Cleveland Photography / Wedding Venue: Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay in Half Moon Bay, California / Wedding Venue Contact: Amy Monroe / Floral Design: Alena Jean / Wedding Planning, Seat Assignments, Programs + Succulents: The Bride’s Parents / Officiant: Father Tom Dowling of White Robed Monks of St. Benedict / Wedding Cake: Marina Sousa of Just Cake / DJ: Matthew Cope of Cope Entertainment / Paper Flowers: A Bridesmaid / Half Moon Cookies: The Bride’s Mother / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Hair + Makeup: Mizu Salon

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