We absolutely love pops of color here at SMP, especially when it comes to florals AND the rest of the wedding has a completely neutral color palette like today’s oceanside wedding! For these two, sharing one of their favorite destinations, Cabo, with their friends and family made for an easy choice when picking Chileno Bay Resort as their venue. With beautiful beachy backdrops (and a floral arbor that certainly doesn’t disappoint by Pina Cate,) Amy Abbott Events created the ultimate sophisticated beach party carrying over subtle pops of color from the florals and hand-blown glass heart place cards. Take a peek at Heather Nan’s gorgeous images and read about the bride’s favorite moments of the day!
A few questions with the bride about her wedding day:
Where do you live?
Newport Beach, CA
How did you meet, and how long did you date before getting engaged?
He says: I was persuaded into meeting up with some buddies for happy hour at the Crow Bar in CdM as opposed to a more regular hangout, The Wild Goose. It was a good thing I went along with their plan. As the evening went on, a group of ladies was seated next to us at a communal table and we began chatting. About 30 minutes after, a beautiful young blond caught my eye at the front door and lo and behold, she was meeting the group of girls we were chatting with. As the only single guy in my group, I was not strategically seated at the end of the table. I managed to work my way over and asked my buddy, ‘so when are you going to let the single guy talk to the single girl?!?’ One thing led to another and the rest is as they say, ‘history!’ We dated for 3.5 years before getting engaged on the Amalfi Coast of Italy.
She says: I was meeting friends for dinner at the Crow Bar in Corona Del Mar and was the last to arrive. We were seated at the communal table and started chatting with our neighbors. I noticed Brad furthest from me and was happy to see he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. Once his friends gave him a turn we started talking he was extremely open and honest. We continued on as a group down the street to the infamous Quiet Woman Restaurant & Bar. On our walk over Brad asked if I would be interested in going on a date with him soon, and the rest is history :) We dated for three and a half years before getting engaged.
Who proposed? When and how?
Brad proposed in Amalfi, Italy in May 2018. It was our last night there while enjoying gelato walking through the gardens of our cliffside hotel. Brad got on one knee next to a 200-year-old yucca tree in a rose garden surrounded by lemon trees. We were on our way to a wedding in Paris and we went to Italy a few days before. We decided to keep our engagement news only with immediate family and a few friends to not take away from the wedding weekend we were about to attend. It was a fun secret to have for a few days and we announced our news to our newlywed friends at their farewell brunch with a toast in front of the Eiffel Tower.
How did you choose your wedding venue?
We wanted to get married with the ocean as our backdrop and be outside as much as possible. From the minute we stepped on to the property at Chileno Bay Resort we loved the vibe. Elegant and upscale but at the same time welcoming and down to earth. Once we saw the property and the venue space we were sold. We didn’t need to add much to the venue to make it unique, it is special as is, all on its own.
Did your wedding have a theme? If so, how did you choose it?
No specific theme, we just wanted it to feel special and inviting. We wanted everyone to enjoy themselves throughout the wedding weekend and take the time to enjoy being on vacation in one of our favorite destinations. We love all that Cabo has to offer and it was so fun to share it with our closest friends and family.
Did you incorporate any religious and/or cultural traditions into your ceremony?
We kept our ceremony short and sweet. We are both Christian and we did include a reading from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Love is patient, love is kind….
How did you choose your table decor?
We wanted the decor to be refined and elegant while maintaining a relaxed vibe. Candlelight and stunning florals were absolute musts. Brad did an excellent job during our floral and table mock agreeing to everything and didn’t complain about all of the feminine and pink touches ;)
What color scheme did you choose and why?
The vision was to keep the bridesmaids and groomsmen neutral to compliment the colors naturally found in our oceanside setting. The bridesmaids wore beautiful champagne colored dresses which allowed for their bouquets to be a small pop of color, but the real focal point was the gorgeous floral arch with coral and blue blending standing out amongst the water, sky, and sand. The groomsmen wore lightweight navy suits and blue ties and looked excellent with the natural surroundings.
What did you use as your escort cards and/or place cards?
We tied the place cards to hand-blown glass hearts which were a party favor for all of our guests. We have a collection of glass hearts in all colors and sizes from our trips to Cabo. In our watercolor Save the Date we included glass hearts in the trees. All little details of things that are special to us and fun ways to share with our guests.
Please describe your favorite moments:
1. Jake’s speech (Groom’s 10 yr old son)
2. We practiced for our first dance before dinner. Even though we saved it for the last moment it was a fun way to practice twirling in my dress and we got some great photos out of it :) It was a great way to take a few moments for the two of us.
3. The kids requested that the DJ play some songs by Cardi B, and to everyone’s surprise, they did. At the excitement of the music selection, one of my bridesmaids (Ashley Cole) busted out on the dance floor breakdancing in 5 inch high heels. All of the kids (Jake and his friends) were mesmerized and got down on the dance floor to try to learn her moves. It was so sweet!
4. As I was about to walk down the aisle I was tearing up and feeling the emotions coming on fast. I knew I only had a few moments to either pull it together or be ugly crying all the way to Brad. At the last minute, my Dad whispered to me “Check out Uncle Craig in his purple sunglasses” and we both started laughing. It was a great way to bring laughter and lightness to a serious but also a very special moment.
What was your biggest splurge of the day?
The florals were definitely the biggest splurge. I did not have a confirmed visual in my head of how they were going to turn out, but I couldn’t have been happier and wouldn’t change a thing. At the end of the night Lynette rounded up flowers from the tables and I went back to our Villa and made several arrangements. I was so happy to get a few extra days out of the flowers for the remainder of our stay.
What did you learn from the experience?
To not get caught in the details. To enjoy the outpour of love and having so many special people together in one place.
If you could sum up your wedding day in one sentence, how would you describe it?
Magical.
Photography: Heather Nan Photography | Videography: Nathan Pickett | Flowers: Pina Hernandez | Wedding Dress: Christos Costarellos | Invitations: Minted | Stationery: Bells & Whistles | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Reformation | Hair and makeup: Olga Bustos | Ceremony & Reception: The Lodge at Blue Sky | Firewords: Cabo Fireworks Company | Minister: Diego Vidal | Planning: Amy Abbott Events | Rentals: Baja Boutique Rental Co | Rentals : Warehouse Rentals