All You Are is All I’ll Ever Need

Ivory, Gold, Sage, and Blush

Weddings are finally getting back to normal! Vanessa and Shawn’s wedding was one of our first post-COVID larger events and it was so nice getting back into the swing of things. Their guest count was finally out of the mini wedding realm and this wedding felt like a full blown wedding. Life was getting back to normal (or so we hoped) and we were able to plan this baby like nothing had ever happened… well to an extent but a girl can dream.

Date: 11/14/20

Location: Private Estate in Vista, CA (Blue Bird Canyon Ranch)

Guest Count: 85

Theme/Vibe: Romance and Sparkles

Vendors: 

Photographer: @kamiolavarria

Videographer: @shaunfrederickson

Officiant: @nccc_community_impact

Florist: @events_by_bd

Planning: @that_bliss

Design: @that_bliss

Rentals: @abbeypartyrentals

Catering: @supremetraditionalcatering

Baker: @sweettweetscakes

Venue: Blue Bird Canyon Ranch

DJ: @djhotchocolaterocks

Bar: @supremetraditionalcatering

HMUA: @shear_chic

Vanessa and Shawn were yet another dream couple that we got to work with. They were nothing short of madly in love with one another and their love literally beamed off of them. We have been so blessed with truly and madly in love couples and that is why we do what we do. Weddings are freaking stressful and I definitely get my fair share of anxiety going into a wedding day simply because I want everything to be nothing short of perfect for my couples. Working with ones that are beyond kind and so in love makes everything worthwhile.

Vanessa is such a girly girl and knew she wanted a traditionally romantic wedding with all the pink, ivory chiffon draping, and sparkles everywhere. I’m pretty sure she said “there can’t be too many sparkles!”.  Their planning process was another fairly short one and I am almost positive we planned it in 3-4 months. This became a common theme during the height of the pandemic since things were just ever changing and no one could get a grasp on what even the next week would look like. 

We planned full steam ahead and honestly just hoped for the best. What I loved about this couple was that they didn’t let anything stop their love day and we were able to plan something they loved regardless of the world around them. THAT is what love is about.

As always, photography was a HUGE aspect we took into consideration and who better to bring on board than the uber talented Kami Olavarria. If you get so lucky as to lock her in for your wedding, your day will be that much more amazing. She is so good at making couples feel confident even when they are self-proclaimed awkwards. Another big aspect of their day was to try and lock in their favorite pastor who can be a little tricky to secure with how wildly popular and busy he is. They ended up waiting outside of a Saturday night service to track him down and ask him on the spot AND IT WORKED!

Design, as always, is huge for us and we knew it wouldn’t be any different for this wedding. They were getting married on a private estate that was continuously adding new improvements to the property. My favorite part was the cobblestone home that served as an absolutely stunning photo backdrop. The ceremony was supposed to be in a lavender field, but unfortunately all of the lavender flowers died literally right before their wedding and could only be replaced with little buds. While it wasn’t the backdrop we were hoping for, we made do.

If you haven't figured it out by now, Bethany with Events by BD is my go-to florist because she always knows how to capture the craziness I try to describe to her that’s in my head. She did the florals for this wedding and again I was obsessed. Vanessa and Shawn wanted to incorporate glowy trees they had purchased, so Bethany figured out a way to make almost like a bed of florals for them to sit in. Usually I wouldn’t be a fan of the trees, but she did a good job trying to make it work.

The day was super smooth, but the only hiccup we had was the super high winds we had. It caused the chiffon draping to act as a literal sail and they began coming undone and flying everywhere. This caused our setup to be pushed back. The chiffon was attached to metal rods and they came undone and began swinging and hitting glass off of tables! This would be a huge reason why I now try to talk clients out of drapery outside. They included it because the reception was to be held underneath a huge metal structure that would make for a stunning edgy wedding look but wasn’t so in line with a traditional romantic vibe. I would say, if this is something you are considering, triple check on how your rental company is going to be securing the draping to the structure.

Beyond that once hiccup, the entire night was so lovely and one of our favorite parts was having Vanessa dropped off to the ceremony in a Corvette Stingray. They danced the night away and fell in love all over again. I can’t believe we are coming up on two years since their day, it literally feels like yesterday.