Sitting down together at the beginning of our 13 month engagement, we thought that there would be plenty of time to leisurely plan the most unique, intimate, and perfectly personal wedding of all time. Now, here we are, a year later, and after  spending endless hours browsing Etsy and eBay, driving all over Northern California, and overcoming all of those personal differences that we didn’t think we had, we can sit back and share our story.

I am married to the most amazing guy, and the memories that we share of our wedding day are sublime. What made it so good? The planning involved in creating the perfect picture. When you think that you’re totally overdoing it with the details or feeling exhausted because you can’t remember the last weekend that you didn’t spend organizing, coordinating, and designing, don’t stop. Looking back, we’re so happy with the way things turned out, proud of the hard work, and especially thankful for all of our vendors and friends that helped make it happen.

The proposal came as a complete surprise to me while enjoying an August sunset at the edge of a spring-fed lake on an old Vermont farm. Andrew had spent summers there growing up, and we both felt so peacefully at home walking down the dirt road, past the big, red barn and through the gangly apple trees that probably hadn’t been picked in years. That week was a romantic utopia and ultimately inspired the theme for our wedding a year later.

First, we needed a venue. Many of our closest family and friends didn’t live in California, so planning the guest experience was important.  Because we had such a clear vision of what we wanted, finding the place was not easy. Driving all over the Bay Area, we became distraught over the prospect that we’d fail at our first wedding planning attempt. One venue was too eccentric, the next didn’t have a barn, another was too far away, “Oops! How much did you say?!” And so on. It came down to our final destination for the day at a little place with a barn in Kenwood, CA. When we got there, the entrance to Kenwood Farms and Gardens was unassuming (retrospectively, a plus), but the next five minutes would become a memory that neither of us will ever forget. Walking in, we saw cute sitting areas with vine laden trellis, a bridal cottage, slightly rusted early century farm equipment on display, a converted equestrian barn, cutesy pond with fountain, redwood pines, a beautiful garden…little apple orchard?! Neither of us said a word as I hugged Andrew with tears in my eyes, thinking “this is it.”

After the venue ordeal, my memory is a blur of a thousand details and ideas. My mother and I spent a whole day making strawberry jam for party favors, my sister and one of my bridesmaids letter pressed the invitations and programs, a close friend baked cake pops for the candy bar, my mother hand-stitched the ring pillow from a picture I found on the internet, and I spent hours with a very dear friend planning the day of coordination.

Over countless emails, a natural rapport was built between us and all of our vendors, but I’m especially elated with the relationship gained from our photographers; Emma suggested that we use a thumbprint tree instead of a traditional guest book, and it turned out beautiful. Our florist was such a pleasure to work with as she helped us craft insightful and passionate ideas about the “feel” that we wanted the flowers to portray.  It truly is a relief when a vendor expressively wants to figure out a way to fulfill your vision while staying within the original budget.

My advice to my “year ago” self would be the following: Create a detailed budget early, update it as often as possible, and then find vendors that work within your vision and boundaries. If you feel something isn’t right, it probably isn’t going to work on your special day and you will be disappointed.  Communicate as openly and passionately with your fiance, but remember you’re both in this as a team.  Adjust and be flexible as soon as your intuition gives you the uh-oh feeling that won’t go away. We chose the Sound Effect over another band mostly because of the price difference, but they were was absolutely perfect! Their professionalism carried us through a seamless ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception! Lastly, don’t forget to set some time aside that doesn’t involve planning to just be with your fiance. Go on dates and enjoy being engaged. You’re only going to be doing this once, so make the most of it!

Photography: Alfred & Emma Photography / Floral Design: Violetta Flowers / Cake: Petaluma Cake Company / Entertainment: The Sound Effect / Hair & Makeup: Danielle & Angelica, Mes Amis Salon / Venue: Kenwood Farms and Gardens / Dress: Doreen, Maggie Sottero, from Rin’s Bridal / Shoes: Randall, Badgley Mischka / Swarovski Crystal and Rhinestone Hair Comb: Etsy / Swarovski Crystal & Rhinestones Bracelet: Lisa Bracelet, Sara Gabriel / Earrings: Nordstrom Crystal Collection, Nordstrom Rack / Groomsmen Suits: Men’s Wearhouse / Groomsmen Shirts & Ties: Nordstrom / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Ring Bearer: J.Crew / Ring Bearer’s Bow Tie: Nordstrom / Flower Girls: Charming Champagne, My Girl Dress / Flower Baskets & Mason Jars: World Market / Baby Ramona’s dress: Pink Princess / Table Numbers: Etsy / Address Stamp: Etsy / Sweet Love Sign: Etsy / Block letter names: Etsy / Wood Slices & 3 Tiered Cup Cake Tower: Etsy / Mr. and Mrs. sign: Etsy / Candy Bar Sign: Etsy / Thumbprint Tree: Etsy / Ring Pillow: DIY / Jam: DIY / Stationery: DIY / Pie Pops: DIY / Love Letters on Candy Bar: Cotton Bird Designs / Thumbprint Guest Book: Your Keepsake Co.

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Post tags: Alfred & Emma Photography, Badgley Mischka, Barn, Barn Weddings, California, Color Palette Green, Cotton Bird Designs, DIY Favors, DIY Invitations, DIY Projects, DIY Stationery, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Dogs, Etsy, Flower girls, Garden Wedding, J. Crew, jam, Kenwood Farms and Gardens, Maggie Sottero, Men's Wearhouse, Mes Amis Salon, My Girl Dress, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Petaluma Cake Company, pies, Pink Princess, Rin's Bridal, Ring Bearers, Rustic Chic, Sonoma, Sunflowers, Swarovski, The Sound Effect, Violetta Flowers, World Market, Your Keepsake Co.
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

I fell in love with Thacher Winery a couple of years before falling in love with Matt.  I thought to myself, when visiting for some wine tasting, that I wanted to get married there if I ever found the right person.  And when I met Matt, he mentioned that he knew the Thacher’s.  I couldn’t believe it!

I was never one to dream of my wedding day but I found myself thinking about it and decided to pull out some pictures from magazines of things that inspired me hoping it too would help focus my energy on making it happen one day. When that “one day” eventually happened, I went back to the folder of ideas and pulled out  a picture from Martha Stewart Weddings magazine.  I realized that the bride in the picture had the exact same wedding dress on that I had just purchased and the wedding was in a barn!  Crazy how dreams come true.

We wanted it to be an amazing celebration: good music, good food, good beer and good wine with our most favorite people!   No fuss, just a great party.  We were so fortunate to work with some of the best vendors you can get, most of whom were or have become great friends.

Venue: Thacher Winery / Wedding Coordination: Touch of Style Events / Photography: Mike Larson / Florist: The Green Vase / Catering: Cass / Ceremony & Cocktail Music: Bremen Town / Reception Music: Mark Adams & The Westsiders / Lighting: Bill Gaines Audio / Limo Transportation: Lush Limousines / Hair and Makeup: The Queens Bees / Shoes: Bagdley Mischka & Frye Boots / Dress Designer: Pricilla of Boston

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Post tags: Bagdley Mischka, Barn, Beer, Bill Gaines Audio, Bremen Town, Cass, Casual Elegance, Cowboy Boots, Cupcakes in a Jar, farm, farm wedding, Frye Boots, haybales, Homebrewed Beer, Lush Limousines, Mark Adams & The Westsiders, Mike Larson Inc, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, pies, Pricilla of Boston, Ranch, Rustic Chic, Summer Wedding, Thatcher Winery, The Green Vase, The Queens Bees, Touch of Style Events, Wedding Planners & Designers, wildflowers, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

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From the Bride… Our wedding was held at the Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) CA. We fell in love with the winery for it’s casual, rustic feel which we felt would set off the style of our wedding perfectly. As an interior designer, I really wanted the decor to complement the setting and help set the tone of the wedding. We wanted to create a slightly rustic, romantic, vintage look that would help contribute to the relaxed feel of the outdoor venue. The color palette included soft gray and pale aqua, with accents of coral and pink flowers and natural burlap fabric for texture. The floral arrangements were displayed in a mix of aqua blue mason jars and old galvanized maple syrup buckets. The bride’s bouquet of coral peonies and freesia and the bridesmaid’s bouquets of white ranunculus, freesia, and sweet peas, were wrapped with twine, as were the groom’s and groomsmen’s boutonnieres of ranunculus and Queen Anne’s lace. Everything came together beautifully and really created the relaxed, romantic feel we were going for.

Wedding Photography: Captured by Aimee / Photo Assistant: Rachel McCauley / Wedding Venue: Bernardo Winery / Hair + Make-up: Katie Hollis of A Dab Will Do You /  Florist: Bouquets by Bonnie / Wedding Cake: Luscious Organic Desserts / Sugar Flowers on Cake: Petalsweet Cakes / Catering: Cafe Merlot at Bernardo Winery / Officiant: Vows from the Heart Ministries, Reverend Christopher Tuttle / String Quartet: Strings for Your Heart, Paul Ciolek / DJ: Infinity Event Productions, Josh Stapleton

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Post tags: A Dab Will Do You, Barn, Bernardo Winery, Bouquets by Bonnie, Cafe Merlot, California Weddings, Captured by Aimee, Infinity Event Productions, Luscious Organic Desserts, Petalsweet Cakes, Rachel McCauley, Rustic Chic, San Diego, Strings for Your Heart, Vows from the Heart
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

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From Love By Serena…Everything about this wedding blew us away. The mind-blowing location (200 acres of pure goodness), the beautiful couple, the adorable DIY details…

We first met Samantha at her bridesmaid’s (Lindsay) wedding last year.  At the time, her and Anthony had recently gotten engaged. When they asked us about photographing their engagement and wedding, we were thrilled! We ventured out to Grasonville, MD (over the Bay Bridge – towards the Eastern Shore) for this beautiful affair at a Private Residence. Every part of this wedding was put together by someone close to the bride and groom (a very budget-friendly wedding). Samantha’s father hand-built the wedding arch, her mother handmade the roses (that would toss the rice), her aunt & uncle made the wooden wedding signs, and the entire property was being set up and decorated the whole week prior to the big day!  Oh – and Samantha found her wedding dress NEW on eBay for less than $200!  How amazing is that?!

Arch: Father of the Bride / Bridal Gown: eBay / Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Catering: Anchor’s Aweigh / Ceremony Music: Nika Nauman / DJ: Kenneth White (DJ K Rock) / Floral: Rose Harrell + Jess Cotton / Hair: Sandra Young-Baker / Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Wedding Photography + Cinematography: Love By Serena / Rice Roses: Mother of the Bride / Bride’s Shoes: Steve Madden / Transportation: Rod Harrell / Wooden Signs: Bride’s Aunt + Uncle / Venue: Private Residence

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Post tags: Alfred Angelo, Anchor’s Aweigh, Barn, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Ebay, Grasonville, Kenneth White (DJ K Rock), Men’s Wearhouse, Nika Nauman, Rod Harrell, Rustic Chic, Sandra Young-Baker, Steve Madden
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Casual Elegance

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From the Bride…When Lucas and I imagined our wedding we knew from the beginning that we wanted it to really reflect us as a couple. We work together producing designs for prints and accessories and we wanted to design many of the details of the day and make as much as we could ourselves. We both equally wanted to be involved in every aspect of the planning process and we loved doing this together.

We wanted the day to have a big emphasis on fun, to be casual and relaxed and essentially just a great party for friends and family to celebrate with us. We knew from the beginning of our planning that we wanted to have our ceremony and reception in an unspoiled old barn. We finally stumbled across the beautiful Alpheton Hall Barns in Suffolk which offered everything we were looking for: a blank canvas for us to decorate as we liked and a beautiful peaceful country setting. The barn owner Nicholas was kind enough to agree to all of our requests, helping us to hang our festoon lights above the ceremony/dance floor area, and even fashioned a couple of benches out of some great big logs he had lying around. Covered with old blankets they made fantastic seating! For the venue decoration we collected various items for over a year. We had so much fun wandering around antiques centres and vintage fairs together digging out beautiful old things. It’s one of our favourite pastimes so it was lovely to have an excuse to actually buy many of the wonderful things we saw! We collected everything from old blackboards, glass bottles and jars, to piles of old books, wooden crates and zinc buckets. It ended up looking like a real home from home as we brought in our own sofas, rugs and coffee table!

We really enjoyed getting crafty together and made many of the details, from the drinks flags and table numbers (which we painted onto old books) to the kraft paper banners and confetti cones made from old maps. For our guestbook we collected hundreds of old postcards which our guests wrote on and pegged up on twine which we wrapped around the barn’s beams. We designed our invitations in the style of an old circus poster which gave our guests a little preview of what the day had in store! The lovely Tiffany (of Luella’s Boudoir) did a better job than we could have imagined in styling everything we’d collected on the day. We were so excited walking into the barn and seeing how beautifully everything had come together.

Wedding Photography: Lisa Devlin Photography / Flowers: Cherub Florists / Event Design + Planning: Luella’s Boudoir / Ceremony + Reception Location: Alpheton Hall Barns / Invitations + Handmade Details: Hayley + Lucas of Keep Calm Gallery / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Wedding Dresses: The Vintage Wedding Dress Company / Bridesmaid Dresses: Coast + French Connection / Groom’s Suit: Henry Herbert Tailors / Cupcakes + Wedding Cake: Queen of Cupcakes / Catering: Gemma Haining / Tote Bags: Alphabet Bags

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Post tags: Alphabet Bags, Alpheton Hall Barns, Barn, Cherub Florists, Coast, French Connection, Gemma Haining, Henry Herbert Tailors, Jimmy Choo, Keep Calm Gallery, Lisa Devlin Photography, Luella's Boudoir, Queen of Cupcakes, Rustic Wedding, The Vintage Wedding Dress Company, United Kingdom
Post categories: The Blog, Vintage Chic

Right from the start, Brent and I knew we wanted a wedding that had character but wasn’t too fussy and was something that we could make our own. When Brent told me about the barn his friends owned and had their wedding, I was immediately sold on the location.

Having been to a wedding or two (or twenty!) ourselves, we really tried to make the feel comfortable and keep our guests in mind by having the ceremony, dinner and reception all in one place and offering shuttle service to and from the barn along with really good food and drinks and a live band. We kept the decorations simple, personal and somewhat rustic, like the coffee stained luggage tags, old maps for the table settings because we love traveling, and blue mason jars with peonies, which I saw at a restaurant in NYC but are so farm reminiscent.

There are so many favorite parts of the day for me but I especially loved seeing how everything and everyone came together so perfectly. Saying the vows we wrote, being able to walk around to all of the tables during dinner and our first dance were also highlights of the day.

Photography: Anda Marie Photography / Venue: The O’Brien Barn / Makeup: Jennyface / Flowers: daffodil*parker / Ceremony Musicians: Al Bartosik, Angela Krainz and Rachel Icenogle / Reception Band: Midlife Crisis / Pig roast dinner: Exceptional Catering / Guys Suits: Calvin Klein / Bride’s dress: Casablanca Bridal from Brandi’s Bridal / Hair: Andrea Becker, Glam Hair Studio / Cupcakes: A Slice of Heaven – Catering by Ruth/ Dog Soap Favors: Good Earth Soap / Banners, Centerpieces and Decor: DIY by bride and bride’s family

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Slice of Heaven - Catering by Ruth, Anda Marie Photography, Banners, Barn, Barn Wedding, Brandi's Brida, Calvin Klein, Casablanca Brida, Color Palette Purple Blue Green Orange, Cupcakes, daffodil*parker, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Exceptional Catering, farm, Glam Hair Studio, Good Earth Soap, Jennyface, Maps, Midlife Crisis, The O'Brien Barn, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog

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From the Bride…It wasn’t long after Jacob proposed to me last August that I began to look at wedding blogs and start to come up with a theme. My older sister had recently gotten married, and just like a baby sister would, I declared that mine would be the complete opposite of hers – a non-traditional wedding that was sort of rustic romantic meets country chic – or something like that.

From the beginning, my mom was completely hands-on, as I knew she would be. When I told her I wanted to have it at a barn, she found one within a week that was absolutely perfect. I truly owe the result of that day to her – every chandelier, picture frame, table runner, bunting and piece of furniture was touched by her. She was even sewing my garter and both dresses the morning of, which resulted in a near trip to the emergency room.

Everything about our day was a reflection of us and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. We wanted our guests to relax and have fun, which I think we succeeded in – even though I was the last one on the dance floor. But hey, why would the bride leave her own party early?

Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals via Formal Affairs / Bride’s Shoes: Caparros / Bride’s Reception Dress: Free People / Boots: Roper / Bridesmaid Dresses: H&M / Groomsmen Attire: ASOS / Ties: TOPMAN / Suspenders: American Apparel / Groom’s Shoes: Urban Outfitters / Flowers: Diane Ritchey / Catering: Peace & Plenty Catering / Wedding Cake: All In Good Taste Catering / Wedding Invitations + Programs: Pearson Printing Co./ Venue: Kelley Agricultural Museum, Spurgeon Barn / Wedding Photographer: Austin Warnock Photography

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Post tags: All in Good Taste Catering, Allure Bridals, American Apparel, ASOS, Austin Warnock Photography, Barn, Caparros, Country Elegance, Diane Ritchey, Formal Affair, Free People, H&M, Kelley Agricultural Musuem, Peace & Plenty Catering, Pearson Printing Co., Roper, Rustic Wedding, Spurgeon Barn, Topman, Urban Outfitters
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Real Weddings

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From the Bride…Jeremy and I wanted our wedding to be unique, and very personal to us.  The ceremony was held in my parent’s backyard on the lake, with the groomsmen coming in on a pontoon.  For my ‘something old,’ I wore my great-grandmother’s wedding shoes that she wore back in 1903.  After the ceremony, our wedding party rode to the reception in a tractor-pulled wagon, to the rustic white barn that belonged to my maid-of-honor and her husband.  For the bouquet toss, we used the pumpkin catapult used during pumpkin season to catapult my bouquet.  The highlight for us was the first dance which took place at dusk on the balcony of the barn, while the guests all lit sparklers below, and when the song finished, fireworks went off!  The night ended with s’mores at the fire pits and a barn dance.  The day was absolutely perfect!

Wedding Dress: Angelina Faccenda by Mori Lee / Wedding Photographer: Anna Page Photography / Caterer: Rhythm & Q / DJ: Friend of the Bride and Groom / Florals: Farmer’s Market DIY / Location: Mommsen’s Produce Patch

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Angelina Faccenda, Anna Page Photography, Backyard Wedding, Barn, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Mommsen's Produce Patch, Outdoor Wedding, Rhythm & Q, Rustic Chic, Tented Reception, Wisconsin
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired