Click here to see the entire image gallery!

There really is nothing sweeter than a couple who’s roots go all the way back to  high-school. Michael + Tasha met their sophomore year of high school and started the foundation for the love they would continue to share years later, leading all the way up to their June 2010 wedding.

After meeting Tasha & Michael, we were immediately inspired by the couples’ passions; reading, chess, poetry, trees, and gardens. Tasha’s favorite book as a child was “The Giving Tree,” by Shel Silverstein. Coupling that with Michael’s intellectual interests, such as chess and reading, we came up with a few underlying themes “The Tree of Knowledge” and “Poetry in Motion,” which inspired us and the big day. The couple did not want a “set theme” so we layered different elements from each of the themes for a truly unique and eclectic wedding.

The florals played a big part in creating the mood for the whole event. Since the wedding was centered around a “garden-like” atmosphere it was important to have an abundance of whimsical flowers and arrangements. We teamed up with Lavonne from Adorations Botanical Artistry to bring this vision to life. Lavonne and her team blew us away with the beautiful arrangements they created. Referring to Tasha’s favorite book, Adorations created a magnificent Manzanita tree that adorned the center of the escort card table. The “tree of knowledge” was covered with blossoms, moss, and tiny fairy-like mushrooms that perfectly evoked the whimsical garden feel that the couple was wanting. Topiaries were created for the centerpieces of the tables, which created the perfect garden-like setting for  guests as they dined.

What really helped tie in all of the couples’ passions were the paper elements. We worked closely with Courtney of Brightly Designed to come up with the romantic and whimsical paper details. Tables were named after chess pieces and game phrases, such as ” Grand Knight” and “First Move.”  We displayed baby and high school pictures of the couple among their favorite poems and quotes. We made sure to select quotes that also hinted at the themes of the wedding. A favorite was ” love is like a butterfly, it settles upon you when you least expect it.”  Purple favor boxes opened up to reveal graphics of a chess board with the phrase “You Move Me” and two chocolate chess pieces for the guests to enjoy. The favors also served as place cards, with guests name’s printed on top.

Also attached to the favors was a rip off ticket to one of the night’s most unique additions. While at bookstore, Tasha and Michael met Silvi Alcivar, a poet-for-hire. The tickets on the favor boxes gave guests the opportunity to receive “poetry in motion” from Silvi during the reception. Silvi brought her own typewriter and wrote completely original poems for guests as they requested them.

The couple’s distinctive interests inspired the wedding details and made for a completely unique evening. The day could not have been any more beautiful or any more reflective of the couple and their love.

Wedding Photography: Tec Petaja / Wedding Cinematography: Elysium Productions / Flowers: LaVonne Crawford of Adorations Botanical Artistry / Event Design & Planning: Amorology / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: The Grand Del Mar / Wedding Invitations & Paper Elements: Brightly Designed / Wedding Dress: Ines Di Santo / Band: Baytown Band / DJ: Injoy Entertainment / Event Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

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Post tags: Adorations Botanical Artistry, Amorology, Baytown Band, Brightly Designed, CA, California, Chess, Classic Party Rentals, Eclectic Wedding, Elysium Productions, Garden Party Wedding, Green, Ines Di Santo, Injoy Entertainment, Outdoor Ceremony, Peach, Pink, Purple, San Diego, Southern California Wedding, tec petaja, The Grand Del Mar, Whimsical Details
Post categories: Whimsical

Click here for more INCREDIBLE inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

And if you haven’t got your fill of whimsy for the day then you are in for a treat!  We also have a crazy beautiful film by Cana Video Production that captures this oh-so perfect Southern California wedding in all its glory!

From the beginning I just wanted the wedding to be a representation of Noah and I. All of the things we love and the people we love in one amazing celebration. Leo Carrillo Ranch absolutely inspired a lot of the choices, colors, decorations etc. we eventually made. The natural beauty of the ranch, the peacocks, the open and organic feel to all of it was so perfect. I guess you could say our theme was vintage-country-mismatched-colorful-chic. That’s a lot of theme, I know. Wedding colors just weren’t something we were able to settle on so we went with tones, bright tones.  Throughout the planning process, I was so nervous that all of the different colors would be too much, but on the big day I was so so excited about the outcome! Combining colorful tones with the simple beauty of the ranch, the old cream and turquoise colored buildings and hints of ivory and white turned out to be exactly what I had pictured all along.

Our wedding was also a huge collection of DIY projects and efforts. For instance, I collected 200+ pieces of mismatched china in both dinner and dessert plate sizes as well as 200+ floral vessels and 200+ pieces of mismatched flatware. I also collected probably 40+ old silver platters to use for the dessert and catering areas. I went almost once a week to the local thrift store. It was a serious labor of love. Some of our projects included a colorful ribbon bunting that hung down the center of the aisle and around the bar area. Guests were guided down the path to the ceremony and reception by hanging lace, hay-bails and home-made planters constructed from old buckets and watering pails. There was handmade arrow-signage created from re-claimed wood all over the reception area and guests were finally led to their seats from assignment cards typed on shipping tags that hung from old nails which were nailed into an old door and window frame I found at a swap meet. Our invites were screen-printed on vintage hankies found on ebay and our RSVP cards were handwritten on vintage postcards.  I spent an entire day putting together our program fans with family using scalloped scissors, tongue depressors and a hot glue gun. Our favors were homemade jams in tiny quilted jars and friends and family were also given small muslin bags filled with lavender to toss at us as we came down the aisle or when we left in our 1930s getaway car.

The day I got to marry Noah was everything I had hoped and more. It wasn’t just the beautiful setting or seeing everything come together exactly as I had pictured, it was the love and people that surrounded us that I will never forget.  Our friends and family absolutely made our wedding everything that it turned out to be. On our wedding day and in the months following people mentioned to us all of the time how much they loved our wedding, how it was beautiful and “so us” and fun and so on, but the best thing that people told us and continue to tell us is that the love they could see between us and all of the people there was so extremely evident. That love, I feel, is what made our wedding day.

Wedding Photography: Tec Petaja / Wedding Venue: Leo Carrillo Ranch / Florals: Modern Bouquet / Videography: CanaVP / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Grooms Attire: American Apparel / Bridesmaids Dresses: Rosebowl Swap Meet/HOME Mercantile / Make-up: Janelle Simonson / Film Work: Richard Photo

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Post tags: California Weddings, CanaVP, Carlsbad, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Leo Carrillo Ranch, Modern Bouquet, tec petaja, Vintage
Post categories: California Weddings, Los Angeles Weddings, Vintage Chic

{click here for more Southern splendor in the grass}

A bit about the outdoor cathedral at Cedarwood:

These stately ten feet tall Gothic windows were salvaged from the Douglas Street Church, designed by Nashvillian Hugh Thompson, architect of the Ryman Auditorium, otherwise known as the Mother Church of Country Music. We knew the minute we saw them at Restoration Station, they were destined for continuing sacred service at Cedarwood weddings! After an extensive search, we acquired thirty two antique solid Oak carved church pews to fulfill the vision of our open air countryside cathedral in the Cedarwood meadow.

Photography: Tec Petaja / Venue, Flowers and Decor: Cedarwood, Nashville, TN / Wedding Cake: Dessert Designs / Dessert Tabe: The Petit Four / Catering: Chef Works / Wedding and Bridesmaids Dresses: B.Hughes Bridal and Formal

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Post tags: B Hughes Bridal and Formal, Cedarwood, Chef Works, Dessert Designs, Nashville, tec petaja, Tennessee, The Petit Four
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Real Weddings

(click here to see the full wedding by Tec Petaja}

Our bride, Lindsay tells the tale of how their day came to be:

Campbell is from Australia, I’m from Colorado, and we met and live in New York City. Any destination we picked for our wedding was going to be a trek for a number of our guests, so we decided on neutral territory in Sayulita, Mexico…kind of sort of in the middle!

Our theme was casual beach organic. We loved the idea of a happy, natural style wedding that celebrated our Mexico location in subtle ways, but that wasn’t the dominate theme of the day. We used a Mexican folk art heart Milagro as the “hook” on everything from the invitations to a hand stamped version on our welcome letters, muslin favor bags, and homemade banana bread send off gifts bags.

Lemon yellow was our main color as it expressed the happiness of the occasion as well as the bright and sunny beach location. We achieved an organic feel through Kraft paper printed materials, barnyard wooden frames, muslin favor bags and burlap table runners.

We loved planning our wedding, and spent many weekends together in our 250 square foot New York City apartment working on multiple DIY projects. And through the process, I’ve come to realize that perhaps Campbell, an accountant may be more creative than me, a marketer!

DIY Projects:

• Table numbers and signage
• Hand stamped wood guest seating cards
• Hand stamped muslin favor bags/place card tags
• Mexican tile magnet favors
• Homemade banana bread send off gifts (courtesy of the groom’s mother)
• Personalized canvas welcome totes and welcome letters

The day was perfect, and there is not one thing we would have changed about it. What we loved most was seeing our friends, from all parts of the world, come together during the course of the wedding week to form new friendships. We had a few side romances, and I think there will be some Americans visiting Australia soon!

Thank you Lindsay and congrats!

xoxo Chantale from La Belle Bride

Wedding Coordinator and Design: Marweddings /Venue: Villa del Oso – Sayulita, Mexico / Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller / Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Bridesmaid Dress: Banana Republic and J Crew / Groom’s Suite: Ralph Lauren / Caterer: Naef Cuisine / Invitations: Dizzy Wizzy Design / Florist: Detalles de Lujo / Entertainment: Guitarists: Zoe and Alfredo from Mango Trio Cuban Band: Sabor a Cuba / Bridal Hair flower: Oh My Deer / Photography: Tec Petaja

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Post tags: Banana Republic, Chantale Montgomery, Detalles de Lujo, Dizzy Wizzy Design, J. Crew, La Belle Bride, Mango Trio, Manolo Blahnik, Marweddings, Mexico, Naef Cuisine, Nicole Miller, Oh My Deer, Ralph Lauren, tec petaja, Villa Del Oso
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Destination, Destination Weddings, The Blog

I know that this isn’t exactly news, but holy cow. Every time I look at the photographs I turn into a school girl with her first crush!

Oh my. Make sure to check out Tec’s blog for the full rundown of vendors as it’s basically a laundry list of the industry’s best. But, I have to say, along with the perfect photographs, it’s the styling that is completely and totally blowing my mind. And who else but Joy Thigpen was the voice behind the look!

I MEAN COME ON!!! The shabby chic, vintage, kind of eclectic place settings. The perfect flowers, the mismatched glassware. The freaking horses. Does it get any better than this?

For any girl who loves that down home style, that backyard chic look that is becoming more and more popular these days…this wedding must be your one and only. You’ll find more inspiration than you thought was humanly possible by devouring the images that Tec has up on this blog right now. Head on over but buyer beware, it’s scary good. Scary good people.

More to come from around the blogs!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: joy thigpen, Nashville, tec petaja
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Wedding Photography