California

Shavonda & Naomi both wore white for their elegant but funky wedding in Sacramento, CA. Shavonda actually wore two dresses – the first, a customised gown from WToo (loving the short front!) and for the reception a sexy short number from BCBG Max Azria. Naomi’s suit was a mix of trousers from New York & Co, a vest from Bebe and a shirt from Express.

The wedding was held at Beatnik Studios, an amazing studio space in downtown Sacramento.

“Our wedding was completely and utterly ‘us’,” Shavonda wrote. “The things we agreed upon when we first began the planning process was that we had to have the following criteria: 1. Our wedding must be reflective who we are as a couple. 2. No churches, chapels or traditional wedding venues such as country clubs, ballrooms, etc. 3. We wanted our guests to have a different experience and didnt want them to feel like they’ve already been to our wedding a thousand times before. 4. We wanted to honor and incooperate our support for the LBGT community in as many ways as possible.  5. No weekend wedding. 6. No seating arrangements, sit-down meals, or buffets. 7.  It had to be FUN!!”

“I think we did a really good job of making sure all of those criteria were met.  We ended up with a purely Shavonda & Naomi experience.  Every detail that went into planning our wedding kept our guests in mind.  We asked everyone what their favorite and least favorite parts of weddings are and then we made sure to include and avoid those things. We took all of our photos prior to the ceremony so that there was no awkward time in between the ceremony and reception.  This also allowed people to start eating right away.  We also made sure that guests were greeted with wine and champagne as they arrived so they could unwind after work since our wedding was on a Thursday night. We didn’t have seating arrangements so guests were welcome to wonder and mingle among themselves.  We also included them in our ceremony by have a ring warming so they could bless our rings and feel as if they are a tangible part of our marriage.”

“We live in California so having a taco truck was a must! Plus everyone loves street tacos and they were a huge hit with our guests.  We made sure to have plenty of alcohol so there was beer, wine and 3 different cocktail options.  As an interior design student, the decor and aesthetic of wedding was incredibly important to me.  We wanted things to be very streamlined and modern so we only used one type of flower throughout the venue other than the florals in my bouquet.  I wanted my girls in cute cocktail dresses and awesome accessories.  I gave them 7 dress options to choose from and though they all live in different cities and states, they all chose the exact same dress!  I didnt want them to carry bouquets because its too expected so we went with clutches instead.”

“My dress was my design as well.  I found a style that I liked from WToo and edited to my specifications with the help of the designers at the bridal shop.  I wanted to wear designer jewelry, but knew I could never afford it, so I borrowed it at a fraction of the cost, only $40 for the week from Bag Borrow or Steal!  My wife’s ensemble was much more difficult because she didnt want to wear a man’s suit so it took us a while to piece together her wedding day garb.  In the end our wedding day was full of love, beauty and creativity.  From the venue, to the taco truck, to the attire, to the photography, I’d say our wedding was a breath of fresh air when compared to your traditional wedding.  I’d say that’s pretty darned Rock n Roll!”

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