Rancho Las Lomas Rustic Elegant Wedding

There’s an emotional connection for me with today’s featured wedding venue. Rancho Las Lomas is a wonderful Spanish style Southern California venue complete with zoo animals, stunning backdrops and quirky objects like a red phone booth and an orange bathtub set about the property, all which are perfect creating amazing images.

But this venue is also where four years ago during a Jasmine Star Workshop I met a talented person who is so special to me I can easily say she’ll be one of my dearest friends for the rest of my life.

So when Maria and Jon’s Rancho Las Lomas rustic elegant wedding photographed by Lukas & Suzy VanDyke was submitted, the fabulous wedding, stunning photography and my affinity towards the venue made me shout out a resounding YES to featuring this beautiful day!

I LOVE it when all stars align!

Photographer: Lukas & Suzy VanDyke // Other: Chris Ace Films // Cinema and Video: Chris Ace Films // Floral Designer: Enchanted Garden Floral Design // Event Planner: Marisa Nicole Events // Dress Store: Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier // Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Men’s Wearhouse // Event Venue: Rancho Las Lomas // Makeup Artist: Susie Chhuor Hair Makeup Studio // DJ: Vanity Fair the Band // Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Our Love Story:
Jon and I met the very first day of class during our freshman year in high school. We were in the same English class, and like two kindred spirits, we became friends in no time. He started passing me notes in class and whenever we would see each other in the hallway. We never dated in high school, but it turns out Jon had a crush on me the entire time, and I never knew.

Fast forward through college, and we end up reconnecting through the modern technologies of social media. We quickly came to realize that we were moving parallel to each other throughout the years, sharing the same interests, ideas, and dreams. We started hanging out frequently, whether it was seeing a movie, riding roller coasters, or wine tasting. As fate would have it, this happened just months before I was set to leave for New York. There seemed to be something between us, but neither of us said a word, so I left to pursue my new life on the opposite coast. Our time spent together was good while it lasted, but it was inevitably short-lived. But not long after my move, the hand-made letters from Jon started arriving in the mail, and we found ourselves on late night phone calls that lasted hours on end. This was the beginning of our long distance relationship that continued 1 1/2 years, until Jon finally made the move to NYC. After 3 years of dating, he proposed in front of the arches of Washington Square Park, complete with a 12-piece jazz band to serenade us, and 20 of our closest friends fully dressed in 1920’s regalia. There wasn’t a chance in the world I would’ve said no.

Our Wedding:
We wanted our wedding day to truly be a celebration of our love, surrounded by our closest friends and family. We didn’t want it formal or stuffy, or too casual and simple. We wanted everyone to laugh, dance, and have a grand time. We loved the idea of juxtaposing the look of natural elements, such as wood and burlap, with elegant touches of antique components such as pewter and copper. Hence we came up with the theme of “Rustic Elegance.” This is evident throughout the use of burlap runners and wooden tables, which were beautifully adorned with antique vessels and vases.

With Jon as an architect and me working in the fashion industry, our creative minds did not want a one-dimensional color palette. We used the colors of the sunset as inspiration, incorporating layers of dusty purples, mauves, corals, and tangerines. To continue the theme, these colors are accented with metallics such as gold, silver, copper, and my favorite – rosegold. I also fell in love with the look of the dusty miller plant, with its silvery-white foliage covered with a soft, woolly, felt-like texture. Having this incorporated throughout the bouquets and florals added the finishing touch to our memorable wedding day.

Our florist also provided a lot of little vintage trinkets for the tables. She sifted through a lot of antique markets to collect them. She even tracked down a birdcage to put any cards, and envelopes for the couple.

We were really inspired by the venue. Rancho Las Lomas was so fun and quirky with zoo animals, spanish tiles, and random things like a red phone booth and orange bath tub. The grounds were beautiful and in such an idyllic setting. We made a scavenger hunt list so guests can explore the grounds throughout the evening.

We wanted to take advantage of the beautiful SoCal weather so the reception is outdoors in the Grand Patio area. The bridesmaids were all dressed in different colors (Dusty Rose, Dusty Purple, Tangerine, and Coral – sunset colors). The groomsmen were in shades of grey.

There were a lot of DIY projects! We made Lace Ribbon Wands to be used instead of rice. The Bride’s brother made chalk board signs, menu, and table numbers. One of the bridesmatrons made all our banners and signage. For our “guestbook,” we had guests write on postcards from different cities we’ve traveled to and put them in a vintage suitcase! We also set up some framed photos in “Rick’s Cafe” (a building at the venue that guests have to go through to get down to the reception).
And the Bride’s mom made our wedding cake! She worked as a baker for many years and had a bakeshop in the Philippines.

Thanks for stopping by!

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