Summer garden parties are amazing. We all know that. So, when you combine a summer garden party with a sweet pair of nuptials? Pure and absolute heaven. Which is exactly how I would describe this darling affair from Stephen Pappas Photography with its DIY details (I am looking at you, beautiful blooms), vintage meets eclectic stylings and downright gorgeous Maravilla Gardens setting. Oh, and a dessert table covered in French pastries? Yes, please. Click here for all of the pretty.
Need more of these two cuties? Lay your eyes on this fab film from Floataway Studios. It’s amazing.
From the Bride… Every detail was a symbol of our love, from the venue, a “secret garden” located in the town where Mades grew up, to the church where Vince’s family attends. Everything was personalized, from the hair accessories, belts, decorations, desserts, graphics, flowers, Eiffel Tower gourmet chocolate guest favors to the special songs sung by the people we love and have supported us throughout our lives.
We had a growing love for collecting antiques, which started a few months after our engagement. We also had an adventure through summer car shows searching for the perfect vintage car for our wedding day. With our mothers’ help, we found charming items at flea markets, vintage stores, garage sales, and thrift stores that symbolized our relationship. All were carefully chosen to illustrate our memories when we were dating and both of our creative personalities.
Our ceremony was officiated by our family priest, Father Anthony, who touched everyone’s hearts with his warm and inspirational words and by sharing a box of our very own memorabilia that contained Vince’s first gift, our betrothal letter, and a candle we lit during our engagement retreat.
For our reception, we just wanted to have a relaxing “Great Gatsby-esque” summer garden party. We combined our “Great Gatsby” theme with “A Midnight in Paris” motif to celebrate our love for Paris and take the City of Lights to a quiet quaint town. To accompany the Parisian theme, our dessert table served an array of decadent French pastries.
As the night proceeded, the dance floor was packed with all of our guests that even my 87-year-old grandfather boogied on down. For our last dance, our DJ played the original Barry White song, “You Are My First, My Last, My Everything.”
Our wedding was a day full of creativity that brought our families and friends together to celebrate our love. At the end the night, sparklers were lit and held by our guests to make a pathway that led us to a prayer of thanksgiving guided by Father Anthony to rejoice the beginning of our life together, as husband and wife. The day exceeded our imaginations, and it was a beautiful day that we will always remember. Our special thanks to Stephen Pappas and Floataway Studios for capturing our “perfect” moment.
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Wedding Photography: Stephen Pappas Photography | Ceremony Venue: St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Simi Valley, California | Reception Venue: Maravilla Gardens, Camarillo, California | Cinematography: Floataway Studios | Event Stylist: Luella Bee Decor (luellabeedecor@gmail.com) | Floral Design: Bride, Family + Friends | Wedding Cake: Breadbasket Bakery | Favors: Chocolati Handmade Chocolate | Desserts: Groom’s Mother | Cake Toppers: Nina Tran | Music: EAE Entertainment | Graphics: Nick Agunos from Nik Cards Couture | Wedding Montage: Voltaire Vindua + Benedict Garma from B&V Squared Productions | Vintage Car: 1948 Buick owned by Mr. Phil Severance | Wedding Dress: Watters Too | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaid’s Attire: H&M + Ruche | Hairpieces: Bride’s Mother + Bridal Party | Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss | Hair + Makeup: Brianne Dodd