Santa Barbara. If there is a place that I could pin point as the land of the loveliest weddings, Santa Barbara would definitely be in the running. Ok, it would be the winner. Because never have I seen a place produce SO much pretty. Pretty like this gorgeous fête at the Santa Barbara Women’s Club designed by True Blue Events. It’s classic California from start to finish (meaning I’ve swooned over every sunlit image from Lavender & Twine), and it’s all sitting pretty right here.

 

From True Blue Events… Upon meeting the bride and groom and hearing their visions of fresh lavender, very natural elements, farm to table faire and extra twinkle lights, we knew this wedding was going to be amazing.  Add in a dream team including Jason Sulkin on guitar for the ceremony, beautiful florals and hand-picked succulents from Juniper Floral Design, delectable and beautifully presented food from Savoir Faire Catering and Lavender and Twine behind the lens and you have a recipe for a great event!  

 Rockwood Women’s Club is one one of our favorite venues to work with in Santa Barbara due to it’s beautiful landscaping, high ceilings with wrought iron chandeliers, and large oak tree seemingly perfectly placed for ceremonies (although it has been around since before the club even existed)!  The main challenge within the planning process was to add to this natural beauty without encroaching upon it…. hence touches of Farmer’s Market Lavender, hand-picked rosemary, terra-cotta potted lavender seating chart, and florals in neutral tones.  It was really fun to work with a couple so focused on sourcing locally, being green and recycling!  

From the Bride… Our inspiration for the wedding was simple, classic Southern California, and the town of Santa Barbara couldn’t have been a more perfect location. We wanted to be married outdoors, underneath a tree, and after a few ups and downs we found exactly what we were looking for at the Rockwood Woman’s Club.

Looking back, it was just amazing to watch all the little details come together on the wedding day. My parents and I designed, printed and assembled the invitation ourselves. We collected family wedding photos from both sides and displayed them in the foyer on a ‘legacy of love’ table. I modified the escort card concept by stamping names on popsicle sticks and placing them in pots of lavender (thank you, Pinterest). Both of our mothers spent months collecting candles, string lights and baking batches of our favorite cookies to serve as dessert. I raided my backyard for herbs and succulents to scatter throughout the venue. Jaime and Lynn brought it all together so that we could relax on the day-of.

Juniper Presence did an absolutely stunning job on all the florals, enhancing our color palette with dahlias, orchids and manzanita branches. Savoir Faire provided the most delicious farm-to-table summer meal, paired beautifully with local Santa Ynez wines. Daniele from Lavender and Twine Photography documented our day so perfectly that you can feel the love through the pictures.

Wedding Photography: Lavender & Twine | Venue: Santa Barbara Women’s Club in Santa Barbara, California | Event Design + Coordination: True Blue Events | Floral Design: Juniper Designs | Catering: Savoir Faire | Wedding Cake: Jana’s Creative Cakes | Guitarist: Jason Sulkin | DJ: Music By Bonnie | Rentals: Ventura Rental | Wedding Dress: Saja | Hair + Makeup: Shine Blow Dry Bar

Spring is a wonderful time of year, bursting with the vibrant colors and sunshine every which way you turn.  Which makes for one amazing time to say “I do,” especially in the land of pretty, Santa Barbara. So, a Spring inspiration shoot at The University Club of Santa Barbara?  Pretty much the best idea ever, particularly when planned to perfection by Alegria by Design and layered with beautiful blooms from LouLoudi Design, a stunning gown from La Soie Bridal and soft peach, pink and purple hues.  See all of the pretty captured by Linda Chaja Photography right here.

 

From Armando Martinez from Alegria by Design… Spring entertaining in Santa Barbara was the inspiration for our “Spring in Bloom” photo shoot… approaching the wedding reception as you would a dinner party. Mixing personal or found objects, incorporating personal style and utilizing the amazing outdoor spaces the University Club of Santa Barbara offers up. Casual elegance and sophistication defines Santa Barbara style… coupled with the amazing floral work of Michael Mantalos of LouLoudi Designs.

The Santa Barbara spring bride… romantic, elegant and quietly confident. Very sure of her fashion choices, pairing heavy layered jewelry courtesy of Coast to Coast collection with a tradition lace gown from La Soie Bridal and tousled hair with dramatic makeup by Luna Bells Make Up Artists. Again, the casual elegance and sophistication that defines Santa Barbara style!

Wedding Photography: Linda Chaja Photography | Wedding Venue: The University Club of Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, California | Event Planning + Art Direction: Armando Martinez from Alegria by Design | Floral Design + Styling: LouLoudi Design | Wooden Menu: Lazaro Press | Napkins + Cushions: La Tavola Fine Linen Rental | Wedding Dress: La Soie Bridal | Dressing Gown: Lola Boutique | Bride’s Jewelry: Coast 2 Coast Collection | Bride’s Accessories: Wendy Foster | Hair + Makeup: Ashley Kelly from Luna Bella Make Up Art | Model: Christie Myers

When it comes to weddings, it doesn’t get much prettier than a sweet Santa Barbara soiree.  Maybe it’s the oh-so-perfect weather, the Montecito Mountains or the downright elegance and sophistication that just comes with the territory, but whatever the reason, Santa Barbara nuptials rock.  (Literally.)  And when those rockin’ nuptials happen to include colorful bouquets from Tenley Erin Young, yummy comfort foods from DUO Catering and an entire gallery of pretty from Vinson Photography, that’s what we call beyond swoon-worthy.  See it all in the full gallery.

 

From the Bride… Beyond being surrounded by our friends and family, it was incredibly important for us to feel at home at our own wedding. We immediately fell in love with the theme “Eat Drink & Be Married.”  We carried this theme throughout the wedding. We wanted a casual but refined atmosphere. We choose to get married in Santa Barbara because it held such a special place in our hearts, we were engaged in Santa Ynez the year before. We felt incredibly lucky to have been able to use a family home for both our ceremony and reception.

The natural beauty of the venue inspired us to highlight and accentuate our surroundings. Color schemes & ideas came from our exquisite surroundings in the Montecito mountains. Our florist worked wonders by expertly using our colorful backdrop as a guide to help us make our color selection.

On the big day, as our guests approached the house, they were greeted with hand-painted reclaimed wooden signs. Guests then entered the ceremony area through the side of the house and were offered Lavender Lemonade. One thing that we agreed upon early was how important serving great food was to both of us. Our caterers understood our vision immediately and did an incredible job adding elegance to some classic comfort foods.

The 130 guests filled seven family style tables spaced around a central dance floor. Our lighting people suggested a dimmer and we found it very helpful for setting the mood. Along with mercury vases and white tablecloths, we added a natural burlap runner down the center with votives, vintage lanterns placed around our centerpieces. Our dinner service was family style. Our incredibly amazing event planner and our florist even mapped out where on the table each dish would go, no last minute surprises or knocked over candles.  

As the sun set, our tables glimmered with romantic candlelight and the subtle glow of the paper lanterns. We’ve always wanted to do something different for dessert, so we decided to pass out homemade ice cream sandwiches and tiny ice cream cones. For traditions sake, we cut a freshly made 6″ fondant cake. We asked our guests to sign a blown up version of our “I Heart Santa Barbara” logo, which now hangs on our wall, a constant reminder of that wonderful day.

Wedding Photography: Vinson Photography | Wedding Venue: The Lyon Residence in Santa Barbara, California | Event Planning: Special Occasions Event Planning | Floral Design: Tenley Erin Young | Catering + Wedding Cake: DUO Catering | Bar: K&L Wine Merchants | DJ: California Sounds | Calligraphy: Quill Brothers Caligraphy | Silkscreen Printing: Grow Your Own Media | Wedding Dress: Jenny Yoo | Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman | Engagement Ring: Family Heirloom | Wedding Rings: Icing on the Ring | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Jenny Yoo | Hair: Shawna Partin | Makeup: Dreamcatcher Artistry Make-up and Hair

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