Nor Cal Wedding Love

Although this wedding was over a week ago, I think I am still in awe of how gorgeous it was. Looking back at these beautiful and thoughtful elements of what made for the picture perfect wedding for my brother and his new wife takes me right back. 

My sister in law is a Northern California native and wanted a rustic, yet elegant feeling to the wedding. All the events were held in her home town of Los Gatos, a place I had never been. This charming town won me over with its boutique filled downtown and delicious restaurants. The rehearsal dinner was held at California Cafe, whose food and service was the perfect way to start the weekend. 

Succulents were mixed in with hydrangea and roses, wrapped in birch and placed on sequined linens. The sequins were not shiny, which gave off just enough sparkle. An unexpected combination that was gorgeous. 

Large vases were wrapped in birch, filled with roses, or candles to decorate the bar. 

The groomsmen were given cuff links that reflected a memory from the groom like surfboards, cigars, or the sailboats above. The groomsmen wore custom colored seersucker bow ties. 

Apis Floral did all of the tabletop and flowers for the rehearsal and the wedding. 

The ceremony and reception were held at Villa Montalvo, a historic estate built in 1912 by California's first Senator. 

The Bride's bouquet. I was obsessed with the mix of different flowers. 

Two large arrangements for the alter.

Hand painted signs directed you where to head next

Adorable swirly straws with the bride & groom's name

The table arrangements were perfection and the wine bottle table numbers worked perfectly into the decor

The rehearsal dinner flowers were re purposed to decorate up a large room in the villa. Loved the mason jar votives. 

Stately setting with romantic touches

As some of you read in my Movember post, my brother is heavily involved with the cause. His 'stache was paid homage in the groom's cake along with his recent accent of Rinjani volcano. 

A classic, and delicious, wedding cake. 

The bride and groom met at UCLA, so it was only fitting that Joe Bruin make an appearance, get the crowd to sing the fight song, and then lead a Dougie circle.

I could not be happier for this couple that I am lucky enough to call family. Their radiating love for each other was infectious and reminded us all of what marriage is all about. 

xo

Erin 

Photos via Allison Giese & Moi

Wedding Dressing

Here we are in the thick of wedding season and I came across this lovely picture on FB of two gorgeous girls headed to a chic Chicago wedding. 

Christina (left) wears Halston Heritage dress, Vince Camuto shoes, Urban Outfitters earrings, and vintage watch. Marita (right) wears BCBG dress, nude heels from Guess, and earrings from Francesca's 

Christina (licensed professional counselor) and Marita (interior designer) are wearing two of my favorite styles for summer weddings, brights and prints. While we all love a little black dress, a bright or printed dress is so much more fun and a way to make a statement (not taking away from the bride, of course) when attending a summer soiree. 


Shopbop has to be the best place to go online to shop for dresses. With their vast selection, easy return policy, and current summer sale, they are the greatest. 


Their selection of prints is amazing, but as I have said before, prints are personal. The below prints spoke to me, but may not to you. I am also really into sleeves on dresses right now, so I was drawn to the shirt dress styles. 

When it comes to color, the brighter the better in my book. One solid bright can take a classic dress cut to something extraordinary. 

Four wedding invitations sit on my desk next to me and some of the above are in my future. 


What are you wearing to your summer weddings? 


Check out Christina's amazing work on Rare Bird Project. 


And Marita's fantastic blog Kipling House. 


xo
Erin