Rustic Vintage Romance: Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

Erin and Jason created a perfect ”patina of age” vintage wedding–using all things chipped, scratched, faded, or rusted to create a wonderfully nostalgic decor.  The motif was so sweet and the couple equally darling! The Inn at Ranch Santa Fe offered the perfect backdrop for the wedding, with its early California style architecture and outdoor setting. As can really only be done in S. Cal in October, they held the entire wedding outdoors. 

The ceremony occurred underneath a huge old oak tree that Blush Botanicals strung with ribbons.  The ribbons wafting in the breeze throughout the ceremony were dramatic!  Erin & Jason asked guests to write them sweet wishes that were placed in a vintage birdcage.  A rusted tin held the programs.  Notice, also, the succulents in Erin’s bouquet that added to the rustic feel.

Following the ceremony, the cocktail hour occurred on an adjacent terrace and lawn.  Erin and Jason created signature “Mr.” and “Mrs.” drinks that were tray-passed with either pink or grey and white striped straws.  During the cocktail hour, guests (and particularly the children!) played croquet on the lawn.  Michael Tiernan entertained with his fantastic singer-songwriter style.  It was a perfect October day with the Santa Ana winds lightly blowing to keep the temperature warm into the evening.

As the sun began to set, guests were invited to move to a third lawn where twinkle lights zig-zagged and the pink, ivory, burlap, and gold decor created a perfectly romantic feel.  Erin and Jason also put together two seating areas with vintage furniture for their guests to enjoy–with one having a camera and tripod to take photo keepsakes.  The Kicks band kept the dance floor full and guests dined on the Inn’s amazing food and special miniature sweets and cupcakes made by a family friend.  Special thanks to Joie La La Photography for so beautifully capturing this amazing wedding!

Steal This Idea:

Burlap. Ribbons. Rust. And Yarn. Oh my! These four elements, are the main ingredients often used to create a rustic wedding. Whether it’s hanging from a tree, mantle, or wrapped around bottles and vases, these keynotes create the pure vintage package.   And the best vintage items are the ones that are found.  Erin scoured her own family’s attics for old candle sticks, frames, books, tin containers, and even a radio flyer wagon which she incorporated into her decor.  The best vintage is found vintage for sure!  If you can add to your own family’s memories and pull out old photos or favorite vintage pieces to display, it will add a personal touch that honors your family in a very sweet way!

Journey of Love: A Prado Wedding

The Prado at Balboa Park is truly one of my favorite San Diego wedding venues. The Spanish style architecture of the Prado and surrounding museums makes the entire area a wonderful backdrop for any wedding–and offers such amazing photographic backdrops!  I definitely have a love affair with Balboa Park for weddings!   Katy & Dan fell in love with the Prado from the moment they saw it and decided it was the perfect place for their San Diego wedding!  They decided to begin their day with their ceremony at less known part of Balboa Park, the Administration Courtyard Lawn.  It is a large, secluded area (which present writer happens to love since she also got married there!) just across Park Blvd from Balboa Park proper. 

Katy chose yellows, whites, and purples for her wedding colors.  The bridesmaids wore purple dresses and carried yellow and white flowers.  Katy loved that contrast!  For the rest of the ceremony, we opted for yellows and whites alone.  We decided those perfectly created a garden look.  Then for the more dramatic Prado reception, we brought in lots of purples and accented it with gold.  The look created was rich and dramatic.  Katy and Dan also decided to bring in a touch of an old world travel theme.  Dan had been in the military and had traveled for much of their courtship.  Instead of sending emails, the two of them wrote actual letters to each other througout his stints away.  Those letters, and all the places they traveled around the globe, inspired our decor.  Luggage tag seating cards led guests to their tables and additional tags, hung on each chair, assisted guests in finding their seats.  Pink Star Design created these and postcard table numbers, featuring vintage sketches of places Dan had been or favorite spots the couple had traveled to together.

We also used tons of candles and vintage suitcases to add to the romantic setting and old world sense.   And for all the children, the mother-of-the-bride set little suitcases at each of the place settings filled with crayons, stickers, and other treats. This idea is a really fun way to keep children entertained during a reception and to help them feel special! 
 
“To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with.”–Mark Twain. Katy & Dan definitely reached the full value of joy!

La Jolla Love: Heart of La Jolla Wedding

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Since Sara and David were planning a wedding in La Jolla, CA, where Sara grew up, they decided to start off their planning by a fun engagement photo shoot all over the village of La Jolla (or what we locals call the heart of La Jolla)!  Look at some of the cute La Jolla landmarks they used for their [...]

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An Intimately Grande Affair

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Amanda and Mike, exchanged their wedding vows at the historical Grande Colonial Hotel in the heart of La Jolla, CA. Having only twenty-six guests attending the wedding, the Grande Colonial was the perfect choice.  There is no venue I love more for an intimate weddings. The hotel has a wonderful mix of old world elegance and modern [...]

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A Candelas Wedding

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It all happened on All Hallow’s Eve. Superman approached a sweet little bunny and serenaded her with the cheesiest pick up line she had ever heard–causing her to laugh and make her weak in the knees. From then on she was hooked! Vanessa and Nick tied the knot at Cenennial Park on Coronado Island.  Perfect [...]

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Wedding Style: Country Meets Vintage

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For San Diego Style Wedding’s 2011-2012 issue, we created a table with a whimsical design at the Estancia Hotel & Spa in La Jolla, CA.  For the table’s style, I wanted to combine a touch of country with vintage decor–a look that has been super popular in 2011-2012.  I also wanted to use tones of peach and [...]

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The Little Wedding Party

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Move over Bride, it’s the Flower Girl’s time to shine! The sweetest little accessories you can have on your wedding day are the flower girls. In the Victorian Era, a flower girl was a given role to a young woman, where she had to entertain the guests before the arrival of the bride. As centuries [...]

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A Whimsical Prado Wedding

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Tammy and Tad had a gorgeous wedding at the Prado in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA. Tammy loves Anthropologie and was inspired by the store as she dreamed up her decor. She added creative, eclectic, personal touches to showcase her own sweet whimsical style (check out the teal shoes!) and to tie in her and [...]

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Fantastic Engagement Shoot!

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Engagement Photography for San Diego weddings used to be a simple affair.  When I got engaged here six years ago, I headed to the beach with my sweetheart, a great photographer, and about 45 minutes until sunset.  That’s when photo shoots for engaged couples were very simple.  No longer do a few pictures on the [...]

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