We have been itching to share the adorableness of this couple for some time now, and we couldn’t be more excited that today is finally the day. And although I would love to blabber on and on (as I tend to do) about just how amazing this couple is, and how they are most definitely going to live happily every after – I am going to instead pass that baton to the Groom. Because his description might go down in SMP history as the very best, and one look below and you’ll know why. So thank you Edward Scott Foto for sending these two our way. And stay tuned to the main page for their wedding going later up today!

From the Groom… Sarah and Richard met under the infallible reign of King Arthur. Rich was a noble knight serving his king and the realm and Sarah was a queen married to the very king Richard served. But Richard loved her all the same. No wait, that’s not them. Sarah and Rich were the son and daughter of two feuding houses in the city of Verona. One night while Sarah was on her balcony, Rich snuck up outside and hit on her in iambic pentameter. No, that’s them either… Now I remember…

Sarah is chef and Richard a writer, living in Los Angeles… and they met the old fashioned way. Sarah went to high school with Rich’s roommate and one day he looked her up on Facebook, thought she was super hot, and asked her on a date in an email that was way to bold for him to have ever said out loud to her in person. They dated for only 8 months and then one day Rich looked at her and saw forever.

On a trip home to North Carolina for his 10 year high school reunion with Sarah, he asked his mom for his grandmothers ring. She basically handed it to him in front of Sarah while they were at lunch. Luckily she said something along the lines of “Don’t worry it’s not a ring.” Whether or not Sarah did, in fact, worry, is a mystery to this day. Seven days later he proposed to her at night, on the sand, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at the very same beach his grandmother visited the last day she was alive. For the first time in just over a decade, the ring would be back on the finger of a woman Rich loved very much. (Please note, the way he loves these two women is very different.)

And after that, the rest is history. Well not history, as much as the present. Presently Sarah and Rich have been engaged for 11 months and are set to be married at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California. Rich pretty much feels like the luckiest guy in the world and Sarah is pretty sure she’ll be able to make this last forever. Edward Scott, who shot the engagement photos, will also be shooting the wedding and Richard has promised not to roll up his pants like he’s in an episode of Dawson’s Creek.

Wedding Photography: Edward from Edward Scott Foto | Location: Santa Barbara, California | Bride’s Attire: Urban Outfitters | Hair: The DryBar | Makeup: Blushington

As a little girl I dreamed of my fairytale wedding, about how it would all look and feel.  So when I locked eyes with this stunning Montecito photo shoot from NLC Productions + Kurt Boomer, my heart skipped a beat. Complete with enchanted forest filled with fantastical vintage details from Archive Vintage Rentals and magical dresses from La Soie Bridal, it was like that long-ago dream simply came to life.  The gallery is brimming with pretty, so be sure to see it all here!

 

From Nico of NLC Productions… Stepping out from the coldness of reality and into a land of fantasy is exactly what I desired to accomplish with this shoot. I have been really inspired by all the fairytale and storybook trends this past year: the magic, fashion and characters. But most of all, I have been inspired by how we modernize these tall tales today, realizing they have more to do with our real lives then we ever thought. Through this shoot, I wanted to tell the tale of a girl and her journey of discovering her own strength and independence as she travels through her own mystical dream world, a storybook land. As the opening scene is set in the real world, we did not want to design a dull reality, so we turned it into a boudoir scene. What girl wouldn’t love reading in her undies, draped in pearls and Chanel earrings? From then on, she travels through a fairy tale land and meets her prince, weaving in and out of various magical tales and discovering a land that is much more enchanting and glamorous than her own. But like all stories, it must come to an end.

When I design and style photo shoots, I tend to try and not to take myself too seriously. It’s an opportunity for design expression, storytelling and trendsetting. After I came up with the concept, I knew the amazingly and beautifully talented photographer, Kurt Boomer, would capture everything perfectly and turn it into its own storybook. The next step was picking the suitable backdrop, and the Gardens of La Bella Vita provided the perfect canvas to paint and illustrate our tale. Gorgeous, handpicked vintage furniture, place settings, and chandeliers from Archive Vintage Rentals embellished every crevice, while La Tavola linens brought in pops of sparkle. Delectably detailed gowns by La Soie Bridal draped our divine model as well as mid-century Chanel and Miriam Haskell jewels from Santa Barbara’s own boutique, Coast To Coast. We couldn’t imagine working on this project without LunaBella, our hair and makeup artists. Christin and Ashley interpreted each look seamlessly with their styling, successfully adding a twist of darker makeup and untamed hair as the story went along.

If you ask me, photo shoots are never complete without treats. Our dessert table glittered with an assortment of handmade sprinkled marshmallows and colorful cupcakes by Valley Sweets and a gilded gold cake by Jana’s Creative Cakes. Styling food is one of my favorite tasks, so I had a blast with the extensive spread of meat from Duo Catering & Events, including buffalo, quail, lamb, turkey legs and pork belly, all complemented by locally grown vegetables, herbs and fruits.

Photography: Kurt Boomer / Photo Shoot Location: The Gardens of La Bella Vita, An Estate in Montecito, California / Venue Contact: Paulette Bermant / Floral Design + Styling: Nico Cervantes of NLC Productions / Catering: Chef Brian Congdon + Chef Ashley Transki of Duo Catering & Events / Wedding Cake: Jana’s Creative Cakes / Cupcakes + Marshmallows: Valley Sweets / Calligraphy: Pamela Wood (pam55wood@yahoo.com) / Linens: La Tavola / Furniture + Tabletop: Archive Vintage Rentals / Wedding Dresses: La Soie Bridal / Jewelry + Accessories: Coast 2 Coast Collection / Bride’s Headpiece: Veronique Coleccion / Hair + Makeup: Christin + Ashley of LunaBella Makeup and Hair / Groom’s Tuxedo: Oscar de la Renta via King Tux / Models: Katherine Rodriguez + Ross Gill

La Tavola Fine Linen Rental and Archive Rentals are members of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

La Tavola Fine Linen Rental

VIEW PORTFOLIO

Archive Rentals

VIEW PORTFOLIO

Tying the knot with the love of your life on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean sounds like something straight from a movie, but for this gorgeous bride and her dapper groom it wasn’t a fictional story on the big screen, it was a dream come true reality.  One brought to life by the geniuses at Lady Liberty Events, who turned a private Santa Barbara estate into a serious wedding wonderland, nightclub included.  Jeff Newsom was on hand to capture every moment and when I tell you you’ll be drooling over every last image, I am not exaggerating.  (Seriously.)  Click here for so much more and then stay tuned for an amazing film from Hello Super 8 below.

 

From Lady Liberty Events… Having worked with this bride on her 40th birthday, I was so pleased to receive the call that she met the man of her dreams and couldn’t wait to tie the knot. Marla and Edwin said they wanted a chic, very family-friendly, romantic and natural-style wedding… her main request was NO FLOWERS. With that, the thought of a sunset wedding surrounded by candlelight could not have been more perfect. We located the perfect spot in Santa Barbara at a Cape Cod-style house on the bluff with a backyard area that was a designer’s delight. We knew when walked in that this was THE spot. Edwin who was born in the Dominican Republic, and Marla a Canada native (both who live in Los Angeles now) have family who live all over. So we had to locate a place that could house 18 guests for the weekend and then another location close by (walking distance was preferable) for another 15 family members. And wouldn’t you know… there was house 5 doors down that was available for that weekend. Again… this spot was meant to be!

With the location set, it was time to start designing, and at Lady Liberty, it’s the details that really count. Our goal was to transform this house into four areas without the guests ever knowing. For the ceremony, we designed the perfect chuppah overlooking the glistening ocean, accented with oodles of hanging votives and a walkway lined with groupings of floating candles fluffed with peach rose petals. The wedding party walked down the aisle just as the sun was setting, so that once the ceremony was halfway through, everyone was enjoying the flickering candle light all around them. ONE of ceremony highlights was when the bride and groom lit their unity candle, and the flame from this candle was passed along to each guest to light the mercury votive that was placed on each of their chairs. When Marla and Edwin walked back down the aisle as husband and wife, all of the guests held thier candles up high helping the bride and groom glow in their new unity. It was simply gorgeous. Guests made their way to the front of the house for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and enjoyed the smooth sounds of a solo sax player playing romantic Latin songs. While this was happening, we were transforming the ceremony area into dinner. Guests were seated to and enjoyed a family-style dinner of local and seasonal fare created by the talented Gabrielle from Seasons Catering. While guests ate dinner, made toasts and listened to the Latin jazz emanating from the chuppah, we were once again transforming the living room area into a chic nightclub.

After dinner was complete, guests were called into the night club, where the vibe was sexy and dark with purple and amber lighting effects, a dance floor, and the band set up on a stage ready to get these folks dancing! After Marla had made a quick wardrobe change into a sleek and sexy Oscar de La Renta dress, Edwin led her onto the dance floor to do their sultry Bachata. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of them. Guests joined them after for a quick Hora, and they all danced the night away. Once the dinner table was cleared, we opened the drapes and created lounge vignettes with crystal ball chandeliers hanging overhead for guests to relax their feet. An entire dessert room was set with an assortment of mini sweets and a fresh berry bar all displayed on vintage crates and cake stands. They opted to not get a wedding cake as they wanted to have a bunch of different and delicious goodies to offer! The love that this couple has for each other is almost contagious. Marla and Edwin had an amazing wedding, and I know this because they both pulled me aside afterwards with tears in their eyes to thank me for helping them create the best day of their lives … thus far! 

Wedding Photography: Jeff Newsom / Wedding Venue: A Private Estate via Santa Barbara Beach Club in Santa Barbara, California / Event Design: Lady Liberty Events / Wedding Planning: Liberty Woodman of Lady Liberty Events / Floral Design: Ambient Event Design / Wedding Cinematography: Megan Hill of Hello Super 8 / Catering: Seasons Catering / Wedding Invitations: Lehr & Black / Music: Iliana Rose Band / Lighting: The Lighter Side / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Chuppah + Lounge Furniture: Revelry Event Designers / Wedding Dresses: Monique Lhuillier + Oscar De La Renta

Hello Super 8, Seasons Catering and Ambient Event Design are members of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

Hello Super 8

VIEW PORTFOLIO

Seasons Catering

VIEW PORTFOLIO

Ambient Event Design

VIEW PORTFOLIO