#BillYouMarryMeLauren
It's officially been 365 days since Bill and I tied the knot and I can't think of a better time to share some of our wedding photos and experience of planning our wedding day.
When it came time to start planning our wedding, I quickly pulled up all the Pinterest ideas I pinned years before I had even met Bill. I have to admit, my taste definitely changed, but among the not so great ideas, I found a pin showcasing a gorgeous Spanish style courtyard that I knew we had to visit. Lucky for us the venue was just an hour south in Orange County and we set up an appointment the next weekend. I quickly fell in love with the ceremony location – who wouldn’t want to get married in front of a fountain covered with lush flowers and then dance the night away under the twinkling market lights and glittering gold chandeliers? I couldn’t picture a more perfect place for us to say I do!
With the venue secured, we turned to booking our photographer, Rich Lander of CHARD Photographer, and our wedding planner, Meghan Dubitsky of Green Apple Event Co. A quick glance at either of their Instagram accounts is reason enough to schedule meetings with these talented vendors. When Bill and I met with Rich, we instantly felt comfortable with him and knew that every detail of our day would be perfectly captured and we would hopefully have a few photos with that insane golden hour light that only Rich can master. Likewise, when I met with Meghan, I knew she was the one to who could make our wedding dreams a reality. Not only was she knowledgeable about our venue and provided amazing vendor recommendations, she nailed down my vision: timeless, romantic and seemingly effortless, before I even had an idea of how to describe it.
With Meghan’s help, we honed in on important elements and details that would enhance the Serra Plaza’s classic beauty and not distract from it. We wanted our wedding to feel intimate and we wanted to incorporate personal touches throughout the event. For example, we opted for a guest globe instead of the traditional guestbook so we could put it on display in our home after the wedding and remember what a great time we had celebrating with family and friends. In addition, we framed photos from our parents’ and grandparents’ wedding days and displayed the memories throughout the cocktail area, paying tribute to our family members and their special days. Lastly, each table setting had a laser cut wooden place card, which doubled as a fun and personalized favor!
My advice for future brides is to trust your gut when hiring your vendor team. I know reviewing proposals can be stressful and make you want to double your budget, but do your research and stick to your guns. When the day comes, sit back and relax knowing you hired the best vendors and let them do what you hired them to do.
