I met the bride Rachael at a wedding rehearsal when she was a bridesmaid in her friend Nicole's wedding that I planned last August (to see photos
click here). Now it's Rachael's turn to be the blushing bride and of course
Nicole was one of her supporting ladies. The photos began at the Emerald Iguana for the ladies and the
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa for the guys. The ceremony was held at the beautiful San Buenaventura Mission. Then it was back to a private residence in Ojai for the reception. These amazing images were taken by photography team Heather & Grayson of
Jagger Photography. And if you're looking for beautiful images for a reasonable and fair price these are the 2 to talk to.
The bouquets and other personal flowers were created by
Floral Designs by Roni. To save money the bride bought all her own flowers directly from the flower mart and was able to find a florist who was willing to open her shop for Rachael to not only create the centerpieces but store them as well. Then on the day of the wedding they were delivered along with the personal flowers and 2 beautiful wreaths to the house.
Now, this private residence is the home of Rachael's late grandfather and is owned by her mother and aunts. They revamped the entire outdoors of the property just for this wedding. The transformation was amazing. The bride is an interior decorator and every detail was well thought out and beautifully executed. She bought almost everything including her linens, wine glasses, bambu plates, "silverware", napkins, candles, VOSS water, and the bride and her ladies created all of the centerpieces (stock, mums, and hydrangea).
The bride wanted to make sure her guests were comfortable and felt loved and you could tell. There were sandals in 3 different sizes to wear in the grass filled backyard, pashminas in case you got chilly, a candy bar for your sweet tooth, and even 2 kegs to make it feel like you're truly at someone's home and that this was a party.
For their guestbook they were a bit untraditional. I mean, who really takes out their guest book off the shelf to look at the signatures??? They gave blank postcards to each guest asking that they write a special note and the maid of honor had the duty to mail them to the bride and groom throughout their first year of marriage. I love this idea!!! And the postcards and other stationary were custom designed by another bride of mine
Michelle.
The food was amazing and provided by
Wood Ranch BBQ (their garlic rolls alone are worth it). The bartenders were fantastic from
Beverlee's Bartending (805) 492-0385. Rentals from
Ventura Rents.
Gavin from
Santa Barbara DJ's spun tunes. The party even went late and the cops were called to shut it down. Good times were definitely had by all.
The bride even bought her own lighting...so beautiful!
