From Gina of Lola Video…

Jill & Sam are really sweet people and it was reflected perfectly in all the details of their wedding. Everything was simple yet beautiful! From the corks holding the postcards at every table to the table of old family photos, it was really remarkable. I was so delighted to be part of capturing memories for them alongside my good friend Jose Villa.

The night ended with an amazing bluegrass / four square band from Chicago named “The Clumsy Lovers” that got everyone hopping around. The energy was outstanding and everyone had a great time.

Videographer: Lola Video / Venue: Crossroads Estate, Firestone Vineyard, Santa Ynez, California / Photography: Jose Villa / Floral Design: Modern Day Design / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Campbell / Groom’s Suit: Banana Republic / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: J. Crew / Hair and Makeup: Luna Bella / Invitations and Programs: Designed by Bride - Pulp & Pixel, printed by AccuColor / Calligraphy: Write by Mike / Ceremony Music: Jason Sulkin / Reception Band: The Clumsy Lovers / Caterer: Duo Events / Wedding Cake: Solvang Bakery / Coordinator: Robin Sonner (no website) / Officiant: Jono Shaffer

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Post tags: California Weddings, cinematography, Crossroads Estate, Jose Villa Photography, Lola Video, Modern Day Design, Santa Ynez
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Real Weddings, Santa Barbara Weddings, The Blog, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Style

click here for the FULL wedding!

More from the Bride…

The creative photography: Jose Villa and his team captured the day just perfectly and were such a treat to work with.  One of my highlights was just walking through the fields with Sam around dusk to take pictures… it was so surreal.  We were not planning on doing video when we started planning.  However, it was one of those things that I didn’t want to regret not doing later.  When we learned my grandma wasn’t going to be able to make the trip, it put me over the edge.  I was so unbelievably glad we did! We really wanted more of an art piece to capture not just the day, but also the “spirit” of the day.  Gina at Lola Video created the most beautiful piece — we couldn’t be happier. And the best part… we were able to show the video to my “Noni.”

The music (and the banjo):  As you can imagine, with “banjo” on our checklist, we wanted to find a bluegrass band that could bring the party. We had heard the Clumsy Lovers play before and knew they could ‘rouse a dance floor… and boy, did they ever! I don’t think there was a set of feet that wasn’t stomping, twirling, and dancing! The natural flowers:  As a lover of all things vintage and mismatched, I wanted the flowers and arrangements to feel as though they’d been freshly picked and placed at a family farm table.  Camille of Modern Day Design was so amazing to work with and translated this vision into the most creative and beautiful arrangements.  Her use of funky tins and jars, lanterns and wooden boxes, gorgeous fall colors and textures truly delighted!  My request to her for my bouquet… “long stems!”

The fun little details (and the booze):  My mom and really enjoyed collecting vintage and eclectic odds and ends and did a few DIY projects like making a chalkboard sign that we moved around throughout the night, tin can luminaries, and a bocce ball scoreboard.  We used a variety of table linens – red and white damask, vintage floral, even burlap and my grandma’s lace tablecloths.  We had guests take Polaroids with a message on a chalkboard during the cocktail hour to include in a guest book.  The sentimental and personal details however were the most meaningful.  I wore the gold and pearl starburst necklace that both my mom and my “Noni” wore in their weddings.  I carried my great-grandmother’s handkerchief that bore my namesake and wore a garter my cousins have been passing around to each other.  The cake topper was also passed down through three generations.  To celebrate my Scandinavian heritage and embrace an old family tradition, we poured guests shots of Aquavit during my dad’s toast.  Link arms, “sköl,” drink, and kiss… that’s just the way it’s done!

It was truly a marvelous day. Of course, we were so blessed to have been able to work with such amazing and talented vendors who made it so easy for us to really let go and fully enjoy our wedding day. Planning this wedding from Chicago where we live now, we really had to put our trust and faith into those supporting us. One of my friends gave me a great piece of advice before we got married.  She told us to hold hands throughout our wedding so we would always share the same memories.   It’s so much fun to reminisce now with Sam and to think back on all the funny, touching, cherished  – planned AND unplanned – moments!

Photography: Jose Villa / Venue: Crossroads Estate, Firestone Vineyard, Santa Ynez, California / Videographer: Lola Video / Floral Design: Modern Day Design / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Campbell / Groom’s Suit: Banana Republic / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: J. Crew / Hair and Makeup: Luna Bella / Invitations and Programs: Designed by Bride - Pulp & Pixel, printed by AccuColor / Calligraphy: Write by Mike / Ceremony Music: Jason Sulkin / Reception Band: The Clumsy Lovers / Caterer: Duo Events / Wedding Cake: Solvang Bakery / Coordinator: Robin Sonner (no website) / Officiant: Jono Shaffer

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Post tags: Banana Bread, California Weddings, Crossroads Estate, Duo Events, J. Crew, Jason Sulkin, Jono Shaffer, Jose Villa Photography, Lola Video, Luna Bella, Modern Day Design, Pulp & Pixel, Santa Ynez, Solvang Bakery, The Clumsy Lovers, Vera Wang, Write by Mike
Post categories: California Weddings, Santa Barbara Weddings, The Blog

see all of the gorgeous details in the gallery!

From the beautiful bride Jill…

Sam and I met our freshman year of collage, became friends, then became very good friends.  It took us eight years before we started dating and just two to get married. When we finally stood across from each other at the altar to say our “I do’s,” we couldn’t wait to start the rest of our lives together as husband and wife. Having a shared love for the outdoors and getting a little dirty, we chose to get married at a vineyard outside of Santa Barbara where I grew up as a child.  The setting could not have been more beautiful with all its rustic elegance and charm – and when filled with our friends, family, and boot-stompin’ bluegrass, it was everything we had dreamed about.

We both agreed the ceremony was the most important aspect of our wedding, but beyond that, we really wanted to have an awesome party for our family and friends.  Sam wanted a banjo and plenty of booze, I wanted, well, what every girl dreams of. But, if I had to prioritize, I wanted pretty paper, natural flowers, and creative photography.

The ceremony: The ceremony itself was our favorite part of the day.  It was personal, meaningful, and felt really intimate.  Standing under an oak tree, we were accompanied by Sam’s sisters and brothers, my “bro-of-honor” and three of my cousins.  I just remember laughing and smiling and feeling like I was floating!   To look out and see so many faces of so many special people! Amazing.  My cousins sang an acoustic version of our favorite hymn, setting the tone for the entire evening.

The pretty paper:  I love paper.  As a designer, I had always been so excited by the prospect of creating my own invitations.  I wanted the invites to set the mood and relay the feeling of casual, rustic elegance… and be a bit eclectic. I got to combine different paper types, letterpress, manila tags, book binding ribbon, calligraphy, and vintage postage from a local stamp collector!  Inside our reception barn was a mural of the vineyard that I adapted into vintage postcards for our RSVP cards and table numbers. (I even had guest calling me to RSVP because they did not want to part with the postcard.)

Of course, we have so much more to share with you. We’ll be back in just a bit with even more from this beautiful day.

Photography: Jose Villa / Venue: Crossroads Estate, Firestone Vineyard, Santa Ynez, California / Videographer: Lola Video / Floral Design: Modern Day Design / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Campbell / Groom’s Suit: Banana Republic / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: J. Crew / Hair and Makeup: Luna Bella / Invitations and Programs: Designed by Bride – Pulp & Pixel, printed by AccuColor / Calligraphy: Write by Mike / Ceremony Music: Jason Sulkin / Reception Band: The Clumsy Lovers / Caterer: Duo Events / Wedding Cake: Solvang Bakery / Coordinator: Robin Sonner (no website) / Officiant: Jono Shaffer

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Post tags: Banana Republic, California Weddings, Crossroads Estate, Duo Events, J. Crew, Jason Sulkin, Jono Shaffer, Jose Villa Photography, Lola Video, Luna Bella, Modern Day Design, Pulp & Pixel, Santa Ynez, Solvang Bakery, The Clumsy Lovers, Vera Wang, Write by Mike
Post categories: All Real Weddings, California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Real Weddings, Santa Barbara Weddings

{click here for more dream dress goodness}

To top off this stunning wedding, we have a lovely Super 8mm film to share from Lola Film & Video. Take a gander at this beauty…

From the Bride:

Oh the pressure of describing this day is almost as tough as designing and choosing the details that created it. It was a big year for me leading up to our wedding. My then fiance (now husband) bought me my first letterpress for my birthday. I was dead set on making our wedding invitations. So while I was in the throws of designing and planning a wedding for a year I also started my beloved company Atlas & Campbell with my friend and now business partner Tracy. I am still tired thinking back on it. Our wedding invitation that we designed lead to not only a business together but also the color scheme and feel of our wedding. I wanted something neutral (my favorite color is grey, so that wasn’t difficult) and understated so that the style would last forever. I also wanted something not too terribly girly so that the day could be as much Nick’s as it was mine. He also loves indoor/outdoor spaces so I knew Crossroads Estate was it.

The location and the dress (how could anything be difficult with a dress like that, right?) were the easiest part of designing our wedding. It was strange though; I am such a decisive person, and when it comes to designing wedding suites for our clients the choices and decisions are clear to me. But when it came to our wedding, it was just so difficult to decide. I of course would get stuck on the littlest details. Like the ribbon Tracy found, was hand died silk ribbon but I wanted the ends to be frayed so that nothing was too polished while still remaining elegant. Poor Tracy worked with me until the wee hours of the night (several times) to get it all done. I could go on and on about the details of our wedding, which I loved and still think about, but mostly it was the team of incredibly talented people that I worked with to create such a beautiful day for Nick, our friends and families and for me. It takes a village, and I LOVED my village! The day was truly beautiful on all levels and I will never get tired of looking through our photos (I mean, Abby Ross is pure genius, right?!), the memories, feelings, details all come rushing back.

Photography: Abby Ross / Cinematography: Lola Film & Video / Flowers: TFS Studio / Event Design: Atlas & Campbell and TFS Studio / Event Planning: The Bride / Location: Crossroads Estate, Los Olivos, CA / Invitations and Wedding Accessories: Atlas & Campbell / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Grooms Tux: Hugo Boss / Day of Coordination: Joy de Vivre / Makeup: Shannon Jordan of Flirt Makeup / Hair: Nada Stolz / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Music: Earl Alexander Band with de Bois Entertainment

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Post tags: Abby Ross Photography, Atlas & Campbell, Best of 2010, California Weddings, Christian Louboutin, Classic, Crossroads Estate, Earl Alexander Band with de bois Entertainment, Flirt Makeup, Hugo Boss, Joy de Vivre Wedding Coordination, Lola Film and Video, Los Olivos, magazine, Monique Lhuillier, Nada Stolz, Shannon Jordan, TFS Studio
Post categories: California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Real Weddings

Held at the Crossroads Estate in Los Olivios, the bride and groom decided to DIY the details so that they could afford the awesome photographer, Mary Jane. From what I can tell, it was a fabulous decision. Joy Proctor did the coordination, Lazaro Designs did the invitations and K. Bella Designs did the ridiculously gorgeous flowers.  This wedding was purely beautiful and one that I couldn’t resist sharing with you.

You can see the entire wedding slideshow right here, or read a bit more about the couple and the affair on Mary Jane’s gorgeous blog!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 31 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: California Weddings, Crossroads Estate, Joy Proctor, K. Bella Designs, Lazaro Designs, Los Olivios, Mary Jane Photography, Purple
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

We have so much more to come today!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Allyson Magda, California Weddings, Crossroads Estate, Santa Ynez, Vintage
Post categories: Vintage Chic

The bride wore an incredible Vera Wang…she’s a fashion designer and clearly has perfect taste! The entire wedding was a study in all things beautiful, but I have to say that it’s the flowers that really got to me with this one. They are so vibrant, so lush. They have that fresh from the garden feel while still being a bit lavish and clearly very special.

Oh and don’t you loooove the seating chart? It’s completely adorable!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alexandra Kolendrianos, Allyson Magda, California Weddings, Crossroads Estate, Mindy Rice, Santa Ynez, Vintage
Post categories: Vintage Chic

We have so much for you this morning…tons of wedding eye candy, tons of inpiration. Back in just a bit!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Allyson Magda, California Weddings, Crossroads Estate, Santa Ynez, Vintage
Post categories: Vintage Chic