All the Romance of the Mediterranean Found Just Outside of LA

Christine Diaz
December 2, 2017
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog

Dreaming of a destination wedding in Italy, Lindsay and Mike stumbled upon The Hummingbird Nest Ranch just outside of Los Angeles and never looked back. With its mature olive trees, cobblestone patio, gorgeous fountains, and Spanish architecture, Hummingbird Nest embodies that romantic, Mediterranean vibe. Finished off with glam arrangements by Unique Floral Designs, this al fresco wedding captured by Love by J. Tori Photography and Triptych Weddings is bellisimo!

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From the Groom… On my way to a lacrosse game, I stopped in the Cal State Fullerton school cafeteria to grab a quick bite. On my way back to the bus, I had no idea I just met the love of my life. While on our way to the game I couldn’t stop talking to my teammates about the girl I had just met. Later that night, Lindsay and a couple of her friends came over to our house where we instantly hit it off. I’m not one to believe in sayings but “being in the right place at the right time” couldn’t have worked out better in this case. Through the next year, I would slowly realize I was dating the women I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

From the Bride… When I saw Mike walk into the Cal State Fullerton school cafeteria, all I could think was, “Wow, what a cutie!” I instantly knew I wanted to get to know him better. Mike and I had several mutual friends, and as he walked over to our table, I had butterflies in my stomach. He started talking about his lacrosse game. I knew absolutely nothing about lacrosse at the time, but I was eager to talk to him, so I blurted out, “Oh, is that the game with the horses?” thinking it was polo. He smiled and invited me to an upcoming game. Obviously, I had a lot to learn. That same night, Mike and his friends had a party to celebrate the game they just won, and I knew I had to go. Mike and I talked for hours that night, and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. From that moment, I knew I had met the love of my life…and now I’m a lacrosse professional.

Six years later and we could not be more excited for our wedding day – the day we would begin our lives as husband and wife! I woke up that morning surprisingly feeling stress-free and relaxed. Mike and I had put all of our time and energy for the past eight months into planning our dream wedding; we just wanted to focus on the day ahead of us and not let one moment pass us by. I told myself that I didn’t want to cry, but I may have broken that rule around 100 times! I just couldn’t hold back the tears when I saw the look on my mom’s and bridesmaids’ faces when I finished putting on my dress and veil. I completely lost it when my dad saw me for the first time and could only mouth the word, “Wow.” I cried again when I saw the gorgeous reception area, lit up by chandeliers and hundreds of candles, with crystals hanging from the trees, gorgeous lavender and pink flowers, and lush garlands. I could have stayed in that spot for hours. And the moment I’ll never forget, when I tapped Mike on the shoulder and he turned around to see me at our first look. He looked at me the same way he looked at me the night we met, as if it was love at first sight, but when we embraced, it was the most intimate hug we ever had. There was so much love between us, I will never forget the feeling I had in that moment!

The Hummingbird Nest Ranch was a dream. The inspiration for our wedding was to create a glamorous but extremely romantic vibe, as I believe these styles represent us as who we are as a couple. We were considering a destination wedding in Italy, because what could be more romantic than Italy? But when we saw the Hummingbird Nest Ranch, with the mature trees and cobble stone steps, it felt like we could have an Italian wedding right in California… Romantico!

Although the venue is already beautiful, Unique Floral Designs took it to a whole new level! There were countless rose petals as I walked down the aisle, and the ceremony arch was straight out of a fairy tale with lush garland and gorgeous florals. The bouquets my bridesmaids carried looked so gorgeous against their sequined rose gold Jenny Yoo dresses. My girls looked absolutely stunning – they made the ceremony even more gorgeous as they stood up there with me at the altar! Everywhere I looked, there were florals, and they really completed the romantic feeling we were going for.

During the first hour or so of the reception, it started to lightly drizzle – my biggest fear throughout the whole wedding planning process. Rain + outdoor venue = Bride’s worst nightmare! Luckily, what could have been a major downer turned into something magical. The rain caught onto the trees, barely hitting the ground, and creating a beautiful mist that made the night even more fairy tale worthy. Mike and I, with our friends and family, danced for hours under the drizzle – it was romantic and dreamy, yet it was also the most fun party we had ever been to! It truly was the wedding of our dreams!