This duo’s goal? …to have elegant but outrageously fun party for our friends and family. I’d say they accomplished that and sooo much more. I mean, can you even stand this utterly romantic, twinkling ceremony space? Dreamy beyond words. Diana McGregor stood behind each moment with her lens and we’ve got the sparkling results here in THE VAULT, plus, a gorgeous film from Amari Productions!
From Diana McGregor… Chelsea and Ryan grew up, graduated college and began their adult lives both on opposite sides of the country. A few years into adult life, their paths crossed very briefly one weekend when Chelsea was visiting New York. Ryan was invited into a summer share house with Chelsea’s best friend that summer. It just so happened Ryan was out there the weekend that Chelsea came to visit her best friend. Though it was only a brief introduction on the beach that Saturday, Ryan kept it in the back of his mind that she was moving to NYC that following November. Chelsea and Ryan crossed paths again at a birthday party for Ryan’s college friend in New York City, and they immediately had a connection. Sharing the same humor and interests, Ryan and Chelsea not only fell in love, but they became best friends.
From the Bride and Groom… For the wedding we wanted a romantic and magical summer wedding. I have always wanted to get married outside and given how naturally beautiful the venue was on its own, we did not want to overwhelm or take away from the natural beauty. When romantic comes to my mind, I immediately am drawn to candle light, chandeliers and soft tones. To set the romantic theme we chose a color scheme of pastel pinks, whites and garden greens. Décor, I envisioned a rustic shabby chic, lots of pastel tones and soft lighting. We had 175 guests. Since the ceremony and reception were in the same location, we were able to keep the same romantic and magical theme throughout.
One of the reasons we chose this venue was the natural beauty of Calamigos Ranch. We decided it would be magical and ohhh so romantic to have our ceremony take place while the sun was setting. As you walk up the slight incline to the ceremony you are immediately struck by the beauty of the large overhanging tree centered by a beautiful chandelier and strands of lights cascading from branches. The aisle was lined with clusters of white hurricane candles. Beautiful hand tied bouquets lined the aisle to give a intimate romantic feel. In addition, Ryan’s aunt became ordained so she could marry us. Having a close family member marry us created such a meaningful, personal, and heartfelt ceremony. Ryan and I wrote our own vows. Our vows were such honest expressions of our life dreams, commitment and love for each other. We spoke with friends afterward and they said they loved how personal the ceremony was and how she made people both laugh and cry during it. At the end of the ceremony Ryan dipped me for a kiss and we walked down the aisle as a married couple to our friends and family tossing rose petals. Truly a magical feeling and best moment of our lives!
A big focus of our wedding was to have elegant but outrageously fun party for our friends and family. As guests arrived from the ceremony they were greeted with a gigantic Ferris wheel dressed with twinkling lights. Wedding guests played lawn games and sipped champagne in front of this magical backdrop. A very special part of cocktail hour was having my younger brother and talented friend serenade friends and family. We had worked a lot in pre-planning with our fantastic DJ to keep fluid fun throughout the reception. The reception tent was a magical romantic image. White linen, chandeliers and twinkling lights draped from above as candle light emanated below from each table. Eucalyptus vines with clusters of peonies and garden roses draped the main table as hurricane candles and Voltaire candles created the perfect romantic feel for our guests. As guests sat down for dinner, the wedding party entertained the room with vibrant dancing entrance. Ryan and I were presented to our friends and family where we then danced to our first song. Our first dance was such a highlight as we got to truly embrace our love for each other. We wanted to create a fun environment for dinner so immediately following our first dance we invited all our guests to get up and start out the night with dancing. This was particularly important to us, and I think unique to our wedding, as it kept everyone involved and entertained. I find that if you leave people sitting for too long during the ceremony their focus can fade, they can get tired, and then will want to be on first bus out of there by the time the dancing begins. A high energy crowd set up the night full of laughs, love and best of times. From the youngest guests to the grandparents, the photo booth was a hit. Love filled the room as we danced the night away with our nearest and dearest.
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Photography: Diana McGregor Photography | Videography: Amari Productions | Coordination: Sage Event Planning | Floral Design: Primary Petals | Wedding Dress: Katie May | Ceremony Venue: Calamigos Ranch | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Amsale | Make Up: Helen Hening | Hair: Marley The Barber | DJ: NYC DJ's | Groom's Attire: Windsor Custom | Cake/Dessert Bar: SusieCakes | Photobooth: Drunken Pixel | Photography Assistance: Lauren Guilford | Rentals: TMMPRO