While I love the “I do’s” and first dances, what I really obsess over are the little details – the personal touches that speak to the couple’s love story. This wedding does just that and more, from the bilingual ceremony to the Trolley Refreshment Hour (best. idea. ever). Nicole Wasko snapped the pretty and I’ll be happily poring over every last moment. Join me, won’t you?
From The Bride… Our wedding day was also our 11th anniversary so it was quite a meaningful day for Donald and I, along with our families, many of whom came all the way from Mexico! We wanted the day to be a celebration of our togetherness and represent what we love, so it could only be in Santa Barbara, our beloved getaway destination from life in L.A. We had our ceremony on the Historic Courthouse Lawn because it’s a place we often visit for its beauty, and chose the Greenhouse at Stella Mare’s for our reception, for its romantic location across from the Andree Clark Bird Refuge.
As a graphic designer, printed materials and customization is hugely important to me, so I spent much of my time designing wedding details that would incorporate our love story and excitement for the day. I designed the invitations using photographs that I took on our weekend trips to the city, as well as hand-painting the map for our city-guide. Since the wedding was a bilingual affair, that meant that I designed everything in both English and Spanish, which ended up being a beautiful way to blend our two families together. The ceremony programs told our story, of how Donald moved from Wisconsin when he was 18 to live with me in California over 9 years ago. It was another way for us to honor our partnership, which is what made the day so special!
One of my favorite aspects of the day was the Trolley Refreshment Hour. We decided to forego a traditional cocktail hour and instead take a trip through the city, so that our loved ones could sightsee and unwind. We had the trolley stop at the Santa Barbara Mission for it’s romantic views and garden and then made our way towards the beach. For the refreshments, I printed custom designs onto muslin bags and packed them with our favorite lemonade blends, snacks, and our own homemade nut mix (yes, I even designed the label with obligatory California palm trees!). It was a blissful time, as we drove by the beach as newlyweds and listened to Phoenix, Al Green and vintage Julio Iglesias with our families in tow.
The reception mixed many of my favorite things together; watercolor motifs, vintage style, paper decorations, organic flower arrangements and even a cat figurine for the dessert table. We never made specific favors, but we had wildflower seeds that went along with the escort cards and cookies and milk to take home at the end of the night. We wanted things to feel casual and relaxed, just as we normally are. We also set up a polaroid photo area for guests and I made typographic photo props with English & Spanish phrases. Seeing these photos at the end of the night was definitely a highlight! My absolute favorite moment of the day was during our first dance, which was to Roy Orbison’s, “In Dreams” and it was the only time that I thought that the “ugly cry” might come out! Luckily Donald said all the right things to make me laugh and enjoy the moment.
All in all, it was a decidedly DIY affair since it was important for us to personalize the day: from writing our own ceremony, to designing the style of the his & her cakes (Mexican chocolate for mine, banana coconut for his), to arranging the flowers with family and even creating the trolley route – our love and effort was everywhere.
Photography: Nicole Wasko | Cake: Enjoy Cupcakes | Ceremony: Santa Barbara Courthouse | Reception: Stella Mare's | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Groom's Attire: Zara | Bride's Attire: Maggie Sottero | Bride's Attire: David's Bridal | Ceremony Guitarist: David Gibson | Day Of Coordination: Katherine Rizos | Invitations & Custom Graphic Design: Valerie Enriquez | Trolley Transportation: Santa Barbara Trolley