©2015 Sun & Sparrow // Garden inspired wedding at the Hacienda in Santa Ana
••• TELLING STORIES, SHARING LOVE •••
©2015 Sun & Sparrow // Garden inspired wedding at the Hacienda in Santa Ana
©2015 Sun & Sparrow Photography // Romantic Garden wedding in Santa Barbara
FROM THE BRIDE // From the beginning, my decor-planning philosophy has been to find a beautiful venue FIRST, and only after deciding on that, to start to think about the colors and centerpieces and whatnot. That way, we could avoid spending a ton of money simply trying to cover up what could be unique and beautiful venue features, just to fit with a predetermined color or theme decision. Rather, we decided to base our design around the existing details and feel of whichever location spoke to us. So right off the bat, Rameen and I began looking for a venue. We looked at everything from outdoor Spanish-style pavilions, to ballrooms, to wine cellars…. and pretty much everything in between. Once I found pictures of the Riviera Mansion online, however, I knew that we had found our wedding venue. The vintage furniture, gorgeous area rugs, and the hedged ceremony lawn all inspired me right off the bat. The mahogany-trimmed library really sealed the deal for me. As someone who feels most at home in a cozy room with a few books at hand, I could no longer imagine NOT having some wedding portraits done in such a beautiful library!
From that point on, all of our decor that we decided on– the brass candlesticks, the linens, the centerpieces, even our color scheme– was chosen in order to coordinate with and further enhance the glamorous, classic, and vintage aesthetic of the Mansion.
For me, the most memorable part of the evening was our first look. We put a lot of thought into whether or not we wanted to do a first look– as opposed to seeing eachother for the first time as I walked down the aisle. Ultimately, we decided that we would prefer to keep that moment a private experience, and I am SO glad that we did! After all of the morning hustle and bustle (getting my makeup on, hair done, bridesmaids ready to go, dress buttoned, etc etc), it seemed all the more special to have just a couple of minutes that were completely relaxed and personal.
Photography was near the top of the list in terms of priorities for Rameen and I. After all, we are only getting married one time in our lives– and there can be no do-overs or second-chances to catch special moments!
We wanted to choose a team that we trusted 110%, and that we were completely comfortable with as people. Sun and Sparrow fit that bill and then some! Ellie and Tiffani were not only great photographers, but were so incredibly helpful every step of the way, all the way from engagement to the day itself. From scheduling recommendations to fixing my hair to buttoning and bustling my dress, I really saw that they cared about Rameen and I having a special, beautiful, and stress-free day just as much as they did about providing us with gorgeous images. And that really meant everything to us.
The most beneficial thing to keep in mind, in my opinion, is that if you have hired vendors to make your wedding day beautiful, you should trust them to do just that! Rameen and I spent a LOT of time in the beginning stages of planning researching vendors who fit with our vision and our approach. We were VERY selective about who we chose, and really delved into portfolios of previous work, previous clients’ recommendations and reviews, and any provided proposals. Honestly, about 60% of the time we spent on the wedding was doing this start-up research.
However, all of that selectiveness meant that once we finally decided on someone whom we trusted for each aspect (flowers, cake, photography, etc), we could relax and just let the vendor do his/her thing. In my experience, if you hire professionals who share your vision, and then just give them the space and freedom to do what they do best, things will not only turn out beautiful, but everything will be a lot less stressful for you along the way!
My favorite part of being married is how comfortable it already feels to refer to eachother as “husband” and “wife.” I think I speak for both of us when I say that it is really amazing to settle comfortably into a more quiet sense of being and belonging together– past all of the wedding-planning craziness.
VENDORS // Venue and Catering: Riviera Mansion, Santa Barbara // Dress: Marisa 898 from Panache Bridal of Beverly Hills // Jewelry: Heirloom (Bride’s Grandmother) // Shoes: Prada // Hair and Makeup: Danielle from Bella Amore in Simi Valley // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Watters from Lili Bridals // Groom/Groomsmen Suits: Macy’s Bar III // Groom/Groomsmen Ties: The Tie Bar // Floral: Rockrose Floral Design // Month- and Day-of Coordination: Dana Gabriel at Orange Dove Events // DJ: Paul at Escape Entertainment // Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes // Officiant: Jeremy Bellamy // Rentals (Linen, Umbrellas, and Chairs): The Tent Merchant // Calligraphy: Laura Lavender
MORE MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Blake & I are both artists, and I’m a photographer and a filmmaker so the image is incredibly important to me. I’m perhaps more critical and picky being a photographer than the average customer. I wanted to remember the day as if I had been able to capture it myself. I looked at many photographers websites and fell in love with Sun and Sparrow the moment I saw their work. I loved the way the captured couples in natural and unposed ways. They had an ability to capture the soul of the couple and the spirit of the celebration and the relationship which for us was vital.
My advice to any brides planning there weddings, is to go with your instinct and not what other people tell you. The more people you ask, the more opinions you get and the more confused you will feel. It’s not their wedding day it’s yours as a couple so make choices that serve your fantasy and not someone else’s. // Make things personal, don’t feel like you have to go with the generic choices because it’s what everyone else does or what you saw on some website. The choices you make should reflect you guys as a couple. It will be more meaningful not only to you as a couple on the day, but your guests will feel much more connected to your story and be part of the experience. // Be sure to over communicate and don’t assume, this is true always but I think when so many people are involved and the emotions run so high it becomes even more important.
When things get stressful and emotional just know it will pass, wedding preparation is a very heightened emotional reality so whatever stress you’re feeling just know it will pass. And speaking of emotions running high, I personally found the preparation experience to provide an opportunity for tremendous personal growth and development. Whenever I got stressed or upset about something I pulled back and looked at the situation as a gift and asked myself how can I grow from this and become a better person, what can I learn?
I also think it’s important to include grooms in the process as much as they want to be. I think often they play down how much they want to be involved in the decision making process when in fact those things really matter to them so be sure to include them as much as you can.
My final note is in regards to music. We are both musicians and have very specific taste so we spent hours hand selecting almost every song and met with the DJ to really curate our selection and I’m so happy we did. It really made all the difference for us and our guests.
This Romantic Fairytale inspired Wedding was a perfect start to Nigel and Kethia’s happily ever after
(more…)Nous avons regardé les photos de ton mariage. Tu es super dans ta robe. Nous voyons encore dans nos esprit tes images quand tu étais petite, mais tu es une femme maintenant. Nous sommes heureux pour toi et ton mari. Nous espère que votre amour dure éternellement même dans les difficultés.La vie n’est pas une longue fleuve tranquille, ta maman t’es surement dit également, mais nous croyons en toi, tu as ton caractère, tu es forte, relèves toi….
Nous pensons à toi. Et sois heureuse avec ton Mari NIGEL.
BISOUS, MILLES BISOUS DE NOTRE PARTE
Nous avons regardé les photos de ton mariage. Tu es super dans ta robe. Nous voyons encore dans nos esprit tes images quand tu étais petite, mais tu es une femme maintenant. Nous sommes heureux pour toi et ton mari. Nous espère que votre amour dure éternellement même dans les difficultés.La vie n’est pas une longue fleuve tranquille, ta maman t’es surement dit également, mais nous croyons en toi, tu as ton caractère, tu es forte, relèves toi….
Nous pensons à toi. Et sois heureuse avec ton Mari NIGEL.
BISOUS, MILLES BISOUS DE NOTRE PARTE
AREFEH offers One Of A Kind, Timeless & Elegant Silk Bridal gowns Made in Italy, Designed by Award Winning Wedding Gown Designer Arefeh Mansouri.