Romantic Wedding at the Waterfront Hilton Resort // ©2018 Sun & Sparrow Huntington Beach & Southern California wedding photographers
••• TELLING STORIES, SHARING LOVE •••
Elegant Destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas // ©2017 Sun & Sparrow Destination wedding photographer
FROM THE BRIDE & GROOM // We were on Cloud Nine after Rich’s flawlessly planned proposal in April, and we were pleasantly surprised to learn how aligned we were on what mattered to both of us for our wedding. Neither of us cared to host an elaborate event for hundreds of guests – we wanted an intimate experience that we could share with those closest to us that would allow us to truly enjoy ourselves. We also knew that we wanted a quick engagement – though the thought of planning a wedding within four months was a daunting one initially! However, as has been the case throughout our relationship, the pieces just seemed to fall into place seamlessly – within three weeks of getting engaged, we had hopped on a last-minute flight to sunny Los Cabos in Mexico, fell in love with the Hilton Los Cabos, picked a wedding date, and agreed on our wedding guest list! Three months of fast and furious planning later and with lots of help from the Hilton’s wedding coordinators extraordinaires, Nancy and Eren (they are truly amazing!), Rich and I arrived in Cabo ready to get the party started!
On our wedding day, Rich left me three envelopes to open throughout the day; one when I woke up, one while getting ready, and one right before walking down the aisle. I still tear up thinking about those notes, they were incredibly sweet and put any wedding jitters I may have had to rest. I knew in my heart I was marrying an amazing man. I was strangely calm that morning and throughout our getting ready process; I had a tremendous amount of confidence in my wedding team and focused on taking in each moment. A hiccup with my wedding dress that was immediately addressed by the Hilton’s Dream Team was the only bump in the road on my way to the altar and as soon as I laid eyes on my husband-to-be, I knew our night would be perfect.
As all of the planning had been done remotely, we saw our vision unfold in real-time along with our guests – the first time they saw the ceremony and reception sites was our first time as well, and they took my breath away! I had spent countless hours pouring through Pinterest boards, gathering ideas and examples for my vendors across the border. We knew we wanted an elegant yet simple feel, with a touch of Mexican fun thrown in. With the ocean and the stunning hotel as our backdrop, there was no need to overcomplicate the scenery. The wedding coordinators and vendors absolutely stunned me with their execution on our vision – I had been nervous about things getting lost in translation but entirely unnecessarily so. The final product was even better than we imagined, perfection every step along the way! I teared up seeing it – everyone stepped up and did their part to make sure that our night was seamless, we couldn’t be more thankful to our team! The night flew by but we honestly say that we had an amazing time – we laughed, we danced, we shared intimate moments with our guests, and celebrated being Mr. & Mrs.!
While it all went by so fast, one of my favorite moments was dancing the waltz with my Dad to Elvis’ Can’t Help Falling In Love. He sprung it on me just a couple weeks prior that he would like to waltz for our Father-Daughter dance – I had never waltzed before in my life, so spent a couple of weeks dancing with my iPad in my living room. We finally got to practice together live the day before the wedding and I had to remind my Dad that this was meant to be fun, not Dancing with the Stars! It melts my heart to think back on how nervous he was when we stepped out on that dance floor the next night; for a brief moment, our roles reversed and I was the one calming and leading him through the storm. When he finally twirled me for the last time, he breathed a sigh of relief…. Now he could finally go enjoy himself ☺.
Our advice to couples planning their wedding is to listen to your hearts – plan the wedding that YOU want as a couple, not what everyone else wants. It’s so easy for us brides to get caught up in the details and the stress in planning such an important event that I’ve seen so many girlfriends not enjoy their experience at all. The day goes by in a flash so take time out to enjoy each other, your guests, and take in the meaning of it all; if you’re enjoying yourselves, everyone else will too, regardless of what little details may not have worked out as perfectly as you planned! You’re there to celebrate your love, which is the greatest gift of all!
Photographer : Sun & Sparrow photography // www.sunandsparrow.com
Venue : Hilton Los Cabos // www.hiltonloscabos.com
Coordinator : Eren Carlo & Nancy Garcia // www.hiltonloscabos.com
Florals : Emporio Arte Floral // http://emporioartefloral.com/
Invitations : Bock Design // www.bockdesign.net
Rentals : Let It Be Events // www.letitbeevents.com
Guitarist : Daryl Curie // https://darylcurriemusic.com/bio/
DJ : DJ Ricardo // www.dgricardo.mx
Wedding Rings: Baida Jewelry // www.baidajewelry.com
Wedding Gown & Boutique : Aria Brides // www.arialosangeles.com
Bridal Hair : Patty at Hilton Los Cabos // www.hiltonloscabos.com
Riviera Mansion estate inspired wedding in Santa Barbara // ©2017 Sun & Sparrow Santa Barbara wedding photographers
Describe your experience at your wedding in 1 paragraph, everything you remember.
When we think back to our wedding day the first word that pops into our mind is joy. Every moment of the day was filled with joyful love and laughter. The second word that comes to our minds is smooth. The whole day ran so smoothly! All of our vendors, family and friends did everything in their power to make our day perfect. They allowed us to not have to worry about the details but rather focus on each other and this special day which was the greatest gift we could have been given!
What was your favorite moment from your wedding day? Did you have any special moments/story with friends or family that stand out to you?
One of our favorite moments was our first look. I was so nervous for Michael to see me and didn’t want the typical first look where I have to walk up and tap him on the shoulder and then he turns around to see me but, in the chaos of the day I forgot to tell everyone this. Therefore, as I was standing there, experiencing all the butterflies that comes with your future husband seeing you for the first time it dawned on me what was about to happen. I quickly tried to tell our videographer that I was too nervous to walk all the way in and tap Michael on the shoulder but it was too late..the film was rolling. I made it about half way into the room before mustering up the smallest “please turn around, Michael” to which he spun around, face beaming, and instantly took me into his arms. My butterflies retreated and we then shared about 20 beautifully intimate minutes in the library reading our vows to one another.
During the wedding day Michael, Tiffani and I loosely planned some time for us to head to the beach to take some pictures. We we’re hesitant to leave our guests but decided last minute that we should go. Having that time to escape with each other and get some beautiful pictures was such a fantastic decision! Those pictures are some of our favorites and the memories of escaping together that comes with them brings a smile to our faces every time we see them.
What inspired you while planning your wedding & decor? Was there any special element that made your decor come together for you, personally?
The first thing Michael and I did when we began planning our wedding was we sat down and independently wrote down the three most important things to us for our wedding and then shared them with each other. This really helped us create a clear view of how we were going to divide up our budget and created a great starting off point for planning. Both of us wrote down that above all, we wanted the day to feel romantic and intimate as if our guests were stepping into our love. From here we decided that the best way to capture this feeling for us was a classically elegant wedding with an old Hollywood glamor feel. Therefore, we chose a venue that was previously an old mansion and allowed the space to influence our design. I think this all really came together when we completed our floral designs. To me flowers and candles can transform a room into an incredibly romantic atmosphere so seeing our flowers come together completed the vision I had of our décor.
MY VENDORS:
Venue: The Riviera Mansion, https://www.uclubsb.org/, @riviera_mansion
Coordinator: Laura Bevilacqua, 646-596-1700
Photographer: Sun & Sparrow 3 @sunandsparrow www.sunandsparrow.com
Videographer: Rowboat Films, @austinhvideos, rowboatfilms.com
Florals: Floral design by Roni,http://www.floraldesignsbyroni.com/
Rentals: Just4fun rentals, just4funpartyrentals.com, @just4funpartyrentals
Caterer: The Riviera Mansion
Wedding rings maker: Sam Jewelry , samjewlery.com
String Trio: El Real Chamber Players, http://www.elrealchamberplayers.com/
DJ: Patrick Butler, http://www.patrickbutler.com/
Wedding Gown Maker: Paloma Blanca
Wedding Gown Boutique: Bella Bridal Couture
Hair: Kia McMillin, 805-264-0989
Beachside Engagement in Palos Verdes //John & Mandy @ 2019 Sun & Sparrow // South Bay Wedding Photographers