Muppets, Movies & Rainbows: Melanie & Michael

Kat

I Do

May 17, 2013

A wacky, fun and rainbow themed wedding is always going to be a winner with me, and seeing Melanie & Michael's day, at Cocoanut Grove in Santa Cruz, was no different. I mean what's not to love?! "When we first began planning our wedding, we started with a list of things we didn't want to do", began Melanie. "We had been to enough impersonal ceremonies and stereotypical receptions in the past few years to have acquired a pretty substantial list! We wanted the event to be as engaging for the guests as for us, we wanted it to be silly but meaningful, and we wanted it to be the most fun wedding anyone had ever attended."

Homespun Backyard Wedding: Matt & Dannie

Kat

Dear To My Art

April 4, 2013

Matt & Dannie were married at the groom's Grandmother's house in in the Sonoma Wine Country, California. After a memorable proposal (that was captured on film!) the couple set to planning a day that was a true reflection of them as a couple. "The most special thing for us was our wedding location," Dannie began. "It was at Matt's grandparents house. His grandfather built the house, and he had so many good memories there as a child. It was an honor for us to be able to be married there. His grandfather passed away in early 2011, so it was a very emotional night for his grandmother and family. The house was beautiful and was the perfect location for us."

Rustic Californian Ranch Wedding: Heidi & Nathan

Kat

Made You Look Studio

February 28, 2013

I know having favourites is bad... especially in my game... but, honestly, if I was held at gun point and asking to choose, I might be swayed towards Made U Look Photography. They are, without a doubt, some of the sweetest and most talented babes about. I love them endlessly and their photography fills my heart with joy. So obviously getting a submission from Christina, Alie & Marielle is a red letter day in my book. I feel like all my Christmases have come at once when I first clap eyes on stunning wedding images like this:

Modern, & Colourful Art Gallery Wedding: Manny & Rachel

Kat

November 26, 2012

Manny & Rachel were married in an art gallery in California. Describing themselves as an artsy couple, they knew that they wanted their wedding to be different, quirky and to have some personality. The Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Ana was the perfect place.

A Big Sur Wedding at The Henry Miller Library: Sabeena & Ryan

Kat

October 1, 2012

Ahh Big Sur. In the early part of my wedding blogging career I had no idea what this 'Big Sur' was... a magical sounding place that all the other wedding bloggers spoke of so often. And then finally I realised the obsession. These Californain mountains are picturesque. And overlooking the Pacific ocean. Is it any wonder they're such a popular spot for weddings? Come on English mountains... step it up a bit...

A DIY Science Museum Wedding: Kira and John

Kat

September 17, 2012

On 26th May this year Kira & John were married in Berkeley, California. The Lawrence Hall of Science at The University of California seemed to be the perfect space to host their reception as the bride had attended school there. It was a unique space and has plenty of things for people to look at and play with throughout the party! "Our wedding was held at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley", wrote the bride. "The ceremony was held in a large courtyard called Science Park over a fountain (and exhibit), and the reception was held inside the museum, where all of the hands-on exhibits were open to guests. All of our portraits were taken in the nearby Botanical Gardens. Our officiant was John's law professor. We included a final blessing repeated by all of our guests... 'Live long, and prosper!'"

A Malibu Poolside Wedding: Frances & Arianne

Kat

August 29, 2012

Are you ready to partaaaay!? Well even if your answer is "er Kat, it's a Wednesday, who parties on a Wednesday?" I hope I might change your mind when you see Frances & Arianne's totally rad wedding. These guys make me wanna jump in a swimming pool and dance until dawn!

A Whimsical Alice in Wonderland Wedding: Kristi & Ben

Kat

July 30, 2012

Our Labor of Love, Sharkpig, The Flashdance, Smilebooth.... oh boy did Kristi & Ben have the dream team behind their San Francisco wedding! With an Alice in Wonderland theme and a ceremony at the Golden Gate Park, they really did go all out to make their wedding day extra special. The reception was held at RF-80, a studio space in the city. "Our inspiration was the eclectic city we live in combined with a love for all things imaginative", began the bride. "We wanted a wedding that wasn’t cookie cutter and that reflected both of our personalities. There were a lot of DIY elements involved. I scoured wedding blogs for my ideas. I also got inspiration from magazines and store windows. I would recommend figuring out what is doable within your timeframe or it can all get overwhelming. Enlist your friends, buy or make some cake, pop open some champagne and get crafting. It saves you money and gives such a personal touch to your wedding. I'd also advise other no not listen to the masses, they will scowl at your ideas, mostly because they’ve either never seen anything like it before or can’t get the proper visual. It’s your day, do what you want."

Colourful Californian Ranch Wedding: Jamie & Chris

Kat

July 26, 2012

This colourful ranch wedding winged it's way to me all the way from sunny California. Held at The Holland Ranch, San Luis Obispo, with all the guests staying at the nearby Madonna Inn, the day was one of colour, fun and a rockin' good time! "Our inspiration was to make our wedding as fun as possible and as uniquely 'us'", Jamie, the bride, told me. "We knew we wanted to do it in San Luis Obispo because it's our favorite little town on the coast and would be a destination wedding for our families who live out of town and our friends who live in LA. The Madonna Inn is a special hotel for us and we stay there a few times a year. It's so fun and funky. And we love that every room was different, we knew it would be a fun part of the experience for our guests. As soon as we found the Holland Ranch and saw all the neon signs and taxidermy on the walls of the party barn, we knew it was our place. Plus, it had the gorgeous mountain-backdrop and cool archway for the ceremony. We loved the idea of having our big day all in one location. And the barn was the perfect back-drop for the party! More than anything, we wanted our guests to have fun and from what we've heard, they did!"

A Californian Ranch Wedding: Natalie & Dave

Kat

July 24, 2012

The ranch location of Natalie & Dave's wedding helped to set their theme. With crafty DIY details creating a rustic charm, this wedding was one with a real relaxed vibe. The Californian sunshine probably helped as well! "I am not sure what to call our theme really," began the bride, "because it was outdoors we used berlap, wildflowers and wine barrels which gave it that country feel. But I also liked adding lace, pearls and hanging lights to give it a more elegant look."

A Simple Napa Valley Wedding: Ronnie & Richard

Kat

July 11, 2012

Ronnie & Richard were married at Calistoga Ranch, California. Originally from Taiwan, the couple's families knew each other and had often joked about setting the two of them up, but they'd never met. It was only when they both moved to America (her to New York and him to Austin, Texas) that they started emailing and arranged to meet. The bride readily admits that she's not a very crafty person so DIY was out of the question for their April wedding. She did however fall in love with etsy and used it to source as much as possible for the wedding. "We didn’t have anything handmade ourselves except for the 'here comes the bride' flag which Richard made", she told me. "I am not crafty, but I like the unique touch that comes from handmade products which is why I used etsy so much. I am also very into vintage style clothing and décor. I spent a lot of time researching on the site, searching for vintage wedding dress, bridal accessories, wedding favors and paper goods. At the end, I feel really fortunate to have found things I loved with affordable prices."

Pin Wheels, Paper Flags, Tattoos & Love: Christina & Paul

Kat

June 28, 2012

now. I've tried to quit it but then he keeps luring me back with emails like "Heygirl, you're gonna LOVE this wedding!" and then I'm right back again...all smitten and stuff. That's exactly what happened when I saw Christina & Paul's epic wedding. I've died and gone to Rock n Roll wedding heaven.

A Tropical Paradise, Bohemian Wedding: Linda & Tyler

Kat

May 10, 2012

Linda & Tyler's wedding makes me yearn for long lazy summer nights and scorching beaches. I could drink up this wedding and be satisfied for days...And with the event taking place at a venue called Paradise Gardens, is it any wonder? "Our wedding day was a wonderful accumulation of memories that we will embrace forever," Linda told me. "We’re beyond grateful for the love we have for one another and the natural way it shone through onthat day. I feel that every aspect of the wedding screamed us - from the lotus field, to the sounds of Devendra Banhart wailing, to the venue bathed in tea land gold! Our venue was amazing and we were ecstatic to have found this exotic little gem tucked away in the hills of Oceanside."

An Intimate Palm Springs Wedding with just 10 Guests: Berrit & Daniel

Kat

January 20, 2012

Berrit & Daniel had just 8 (well 10 including their photographer Marianne Wilson and her assistant!) guests for their super intimate wedding in Palm Springs. By keeping the numbers so small they were able to pay real attention to all the wedding details in order to create an utterly stunning celebration. The wedding was held at a private house called Silver Orchid. The couple traveled from Germany, where they live, to be married in California on a Friday evening. They had a florist come in and set up an archway and chair for the ceremony as well as a little dinner set up out on the lawn that was catered (mini milkshakes and all) by Chef KK.

Edgar Allen Poe & A Day Filled with Love: Joann & Jacqueline

Kat

January 11, 2012

A quote by Edgar Allen Poe was the starting point for Joann & Jacqueline's wedding plans. 'We loved with a love that was more than love' made them realise that really, their love was at that mattered. Luckily for these two beautiful women, they were surrounded by the stuff on their big day. "No matter how much planning that went into that day, we were both blown away by the amount of love we received from our family and friends," they explained. "We can’t fully explain or describe how it felt, but hopefully the love and laughter in the atmosphere of our wedding day had everyone just as thrilled and excited as we were. Our wedding was held at Penn Park, in Whittier, CA. The greenery was vivid and lovely just the way fairytales usually are, except this time there were two princesses."

“A Perfect Summer’s Day” – A Californian Vineyard Wedding: Athena & Jonny

Kat

October 19, 2011

Athena & Jonny's Californian vineyard wedding took place in July. I don't usually share the story of how a couple met in these posts but the way Jonny describes his relationship with Athena is so beautiful I couldn't resist.

An Elegant & Funky Downtown Wedding: Shavonda & Naomi

Kat

October 5, 2011

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.

A Sunday Kind of (California) Love

Kat

August 28, 2011

Gareth & I leave Nebraska for California today. See you in the sunshine state!! It was really hard to pick which video to share (there are too many awesome songs about California!) but I know you'll be dancing around your living room to this one...and if you're not then you should be. Go on...you know you want to. I won't tell anyone...

Pyucin & Dylan’s Sustainable, Eco-Vintage Wedding

Kat

July 6, 2011

Pyucin & Dylan were married at Shelldance Orchid Gardens, Pacifica, CA. It was important to them to pick a venue that they didn't have to decorate themselves too much, as Pyucin explained, "When picking a venue, our goal was to keep it sustainable. We didn't want to purchase a bunch of decor that would be thrown away the next day, and we wanted to make sure that the site represented who we are. Thus, we went in search of a unique site that was within our budget, and we were so happy when we discovered this little green house. The Shelldance Gardens is a non-profit organization so we were happy to contribute to a good cause, and, on top of that, the site is so beautiful that it barely required any extra decoration. It is so green and earthy - it really reflected our love for nature and the outdoors."

Jaclyn & Joseph’s Rock Star Wedding

Kat

April 6, 2011

Jaclyn & Joseph's Californian wedding was certainly one with rock star credentials. With colours like bright pink, lime green, gold & cream all mashed together, the result was sure to be a spectacular one. "My inspiration was to create a fairy tale wedding with and Alice in Wonderland twist", explained Jaclyn. I" wanted both elements of shabby chic and edgy to blend together. It came together beautifully. Our wedding was breathtaking. All of the details like the cake, flowers, craft tables and accessories made this wedding become extra stylish. The food was a priority for me too and I think it had a rock star element as well. We served a late night snack bar for our guests as well as a candy bar for take home favors. Each of these elements made our wedding unique and memorable. We had funky furniture for our reception that we rented from Blue Print Studios. This furniture was bold and bright and created a rock star feel for the reception. A one of the best ideas that our guests loved was our photo booth. It was the highlight of the late evening. Our photo booth company had so many awesome accessories for people who wanted to get funky. From boas to beer glasses it was awesome. I wish we could do it all over again!"