If vineyard weddings and coral charm peonies are your thing – then this gorgeous Northern California wedding day was practically made for you. The adorable bride and groom are high school sweethearts who truly have one of the sweetest love stories of all time. Their wedding, planned by Jenn Robirds Events with floral design by Arvo Floral Studio, was filled with fun color pops and an al fresco reception under the stars, not to mention the most delicious donut bar EVER. Keep on scrolling to read the bride’s beautiful words and don’t forget to head on over to the full gallery to see the magic unfold.
Kaitlyn, the Bride says… Our love story actually began almost 15 years ago when we were freshman/sophomores in high school! We both remember chatting it up in the school lunch line, little crushes were developed and then we dated for the remainder of our high school years. We went our separate ways for college, but our friendship stood strong and we continually sent the random texts checking in on one another. After we both graduated, our relationship and love started to grow again and even though we were on opposite sides of the country, we fell in love and made it work. Jake and I had over 30 cross-country flights and trips all over the US before I finally moved to DC so we could be together. Thankfully I did because just one year later he proposed!
Jake and I were in Canada so Jake could caddy for his younger brother in a professional golf tournament and unbeknownst to me, my engagement ring was in his golf bag the entire weekend! Jake was searching for the perfect spot to pop the big question in London, Ontario (no luck), so he suggested we stop at Niagara Falls on the way home that Sunday. Jake’s sister grabbed her ‘fancy’ camera when we arrived – that should’ve been my first clue, but there were SO many people and I was more worried about getting home to our kids (our pups- Sprout and Wilbur) – ha! All of the people made Jake extra nervous so he suggested we walk back to the car on the hilly side where it was less crowded to get a better view and that’s where he dropped down on one knee and proposed. It was short and sweet and the most amazing surprise ending to the weekend!
About a month after we got engaged, Jake and I moved back to California and closer to our family. My Mom and I sat down with all of these pamphlets, planning books, and our laptops and were pretty overwhelmed. Jake was actually the one who suggested we hire a wedding planner – best idea EVER! I found our wedding planner, Jenn Robirds (Jenn Robirds Events) through Jake’s cousin and she was absolutely amazing! We were engaged for over 18 months so we had tons of time to work with Jenn and plan the perfect day. I don’t know how, but I swear Jenn could read my mind. Somehow, with just a few sentences, Jenn could take my thoughts and turn them into visions.
For our wedding day, we were going for classic, romantic, definitely fun! We’ve been to SO many weddings together that there were elements going into planning that we learned from experience – shuttles for guests, plenty of space, delicious food and a good DJ to name a few!
Jenn helped us find the perfect venue – Taber Ranch in the Capay Valley. Taber Ranch was the first and only venue we toured! We loved the amazing view of the rolling green hills from the ceremony site, the fact that there were separate spaces for each part of the day and the gorgeous grounds with all of the greenery and vineyards. It can get extremely hot in Northern California so opting for a Spring wedding was perfect weather-wise and Taber Ranch really shined too with flowers in bloom everywhere.
Three things I knew from the very beginning – I wanted the men in navy, the ladies in taupe and I wanted to be in a beautiful Pronovias dress! The wedding party attire was one of the simple elements from our day, but the simplicity paired well with the gorgeous, bright flowers as you can see in the amazing photos! My dress felt like it was made for me- classic, beautiful, elegant and so much better than I could’ve imagined!
Originally, I actually thought I’d stick with a simpler theme and have neutral flowers, but about 6 months into planning I fell in love with coral charm peonies and I’m so glad I did! Arvo Floral Studio made my flower dreams come true. The bouquets ranged in color from a romantic, soft mauve to blend with the taupe of the bridesmaid dresses and progressed to bright coral charm peonies. Shannon, at Arvo, created beautiful bouquets, arrangements that ‘grew’ out of the ground and on the day-of she made the most beautiful deconstructed arbor for our ceremony site. I wanted LOTS of bright flowers and it was amazing to see the beauty throughout our entire venue.
Food was super important to both of us. We love food (who doesn’t?) and trying out new restaurants so we knew we didn’t want to serve anything boring on our wedding day. You can’t have a fun wedding if the food is mediocre! Jenn came through again and found us Farm to Table Catering – amazing! Mexican food is my favorite so we were able to incorporate that by including carnitas tacos as an appetizer – yum! – while still indulging in the best steak and risotto cakes for dinner. We also opted for family style service. Family style made it easier to blend our family and friends who may not know each other and helped to get the conversations flowing. Our guests have not only raved about how delicious all of the food was, but how beautiful the dishes were too. Farm to Table took it above and beyond and helped to create our welcome drinks as well that had little lemon peels and thyme clipped to the glass rims- so cute!
Not only was food a top priority for us, but the drinks were as well! Along with our many restaurant adventures, Jake and I find ourselves at breweries and wineries often. And again, we really wanted the experience to be fun for our guests so an open bar to loosen everyone up and get them on the dance floor was a must!
Capturing our wedding day was extremely important to us. We had 18 months to plan the perfect day and we wanted the best photographers to save the memories for us. Jenn came through again and introduced us to Scott and Dana who were absolutely amazing. Jake and I met up with Scott and Dana a few months before our
wedding – I highly suggest other brides do the same. Getting a chance to chat with our photographers beforehand helped us to feel more comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera on our wedding day. By the end of the wedding night, Scott and Dana felt more like family and we will forever be grateful to them for capturing every moment, every look and every kiss for us.
The first 3 ideas below stemmed from Jenn, but as I said above, I could share a few thoughts and colors with her and she’d bring it all to life!
o Stationery suites – invites, menus, welcome bag tags, etc.
o Wine bottle seating charts – we love wine! Different and fun
o Ceremony arbor – different, beautiful, went well with the rolling hill views
o Donut bar – late night snack (we love donuts)
Jake and I have gushed about our wedding nonstop since the day we said ‘I do!’ and there is not a thing we would change. From the food to the flowers to the dancing, it was perfect and we were surrounded by all of the people we love. If we had to pick one moment as the best part of our day, we both loved our first look. We were so nervous and excited and cried when we saw each other for the first time. It was so very special and a memory I will cherish forever. Having that little bit of time just the two of us calmed our nerves and gave us a chance to take it all in without everyone watching. Our wedding was more than we ever could have dreamed; if only we could relive May 4th over and over.”
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Photography: Scott & Dana Photographers | Wedding Cinema: Sean Kenney | Event Planning: Jenn Robirds Events | Florals : Arvo Floral Studio | Cake: Ettore's European Wedding Cakes & Restaurant | Stationery: Little Bird Paper Company | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu | catering: Farm To Table Catering | Hair Stylist: Tina Romo Hairstylist | Entertainment: SJ's Disc Jockey | Groom's Attire: The Black Tux | Transportation: Neumann Enterprise Limo | Wedding Venue: Taber Ranch Vineyard & Event Center | Bride's Dress Designer: Pronovias | Bride's Dress Shop: Miosa Couture | Donuts: Sweet Dozen Donuts | Linen : BBJ La Tavola | Make up Artist: Shana Beals | Rentals & Decor: Celebrations Party Rentals