Romantic Pastel Santa Barbara Wedding

Our ultimate weakness here at SMP? Flowers. Bouquets, centerpieces, ceremony arrangements – you name it. So what happens when the incredible talents of Camelllia Floral Design and Joy Proctor Design join forces? We swoon. BIG time. Add in vendors like The Butter End Cakery and Melanie Duerkopp behind the camera, and you’ve got a gallery we’d happily never leave.

From the Bride… I grew up in an extremely small town in Wyoming, where the views were breathtaking, and life was simple. Yet, I craved so much more. The only thing I was sure of when I was young was that the man I would one day marry was nowhere near me. I believed him to be somewhere distant, and that his day-to-day life was very dissimilar to mine. I imagined he loved being where he was, and that things like diversity, energy, and modernisms surrounded him. With my added anticipation of living elsewhere, I immediately left my home state after high school and pushed forward. I knew that I couldn’t go out into the world simply searching for love, but that didn’t stop me from traveling to cities I never thought I would end up in, meeting great people who would influence my life, and entertaining new and exciting experiences. I ended up gaining residency in five different states within ten years. I would truly just go wherever life took me, and I had no problem with it. To me, change was was sensational and I welcomed it.

My last move before meeting my husband, Scott, took me from the city of Atlanta to San Francisco. I had been living there for a few months when I met him through a mutual acquaintance right outside his apartment. A few weeks later we found ourselves at a friendly dinner together, where we talked all night while each of our comfort levels skyrocketed. Scott was from New York, and also had a six-month stay in Chicago before ending up in California for work. I found him equal parts genuine and interesting. A few weeks later we went out on our first real date. He took me to dinner at sunset at the most stunning place outside the city that was nestled along the ocean, and afterwards, we walked along the beach with no one in sight. This was the moment when I first realized that Scott was what life had in store for me all along. It was the night that each of us would fall in love for the last time.

I ended up moving in with Scott after only ten weeks of dating, and our love for each other continued to blossom. A year and a half later, he proposed to me in Healdsburg, CA in the company of our parents while in a small meadow surrounded by beautiful rolling hills of grapevines. What a romantic! In the end, I guess you could say that we traveled the country from one end to the other (and sometimes back!) to find one another at just the right moment.

When it came to planning our wedding, I was clueless. I had only been to one wedding in my adult life! Yikes! Initially, we had to decide on a venue. We have friends and family scattered all over the U.S., and San Francisco didn’t seem to represent us well as a couple. Sure we lived there, but we had always desired to live near San Diego when it comes to having a family of our own one day. It did not take much thought until we formed the idea to get married somewhere between the life we shared together in San Francisco, and the future that life would bring us in San Diego. I immediately thought of Santa Barbara because it is absolutely gorgeous! Saying our vows near the peaceful ocean would best represent that first date we had, along with so many other wonderful memories we’ve shared as a couple. We once stayed at Bacara Resort on one of our many trips together, and we were blown away! Their scenery is absolutely beautiful! We both adored the mission-style architecture and the overall grandness of the resort, and we had such a wonderful experience staying there in the past. We couldn’t think of anywhere better to have the small, relaxed, outdoor wedding, with the ocean views that we desired.

My gown was very romantic and had an overall simplicity to it. I chose a Rosa Clará design in order to represent the Spanish elegance of Bacara. I knew the stucco exterior of the resort would be the perfect framework to this ivory embroidered gown. The gown was soft, and serene, encompassing a sweetheart neckline and the perfect amount of train I had hoped for. What I most admired, however, were the touches of light, whimsical lace, which trimmed the entire gown. This really made it unique and effortless.

I knew we required assistance orchestrating this event, especially living 300 miles away. It took little thought to select Joy Proctor as our wedding coordinator. Everything this woman gets her hands on turns to absolute beauty! I enjoyed that she had such a prominent reputation and overall presence online. Joy was on point from the day we got in touch until the cake was cut.

With Joy’s lead, our hard-working team of vendors constructed our day just as we’d envisioned. Our florist, Camille Panzarello, exceeded expectations by incorporating garden roses, peonies, anemones, and so much more. Combining hues of blush and creams, she nailed the soft, romantic feel that I desired, with just the right amount of organic brilliance. Her flowers were so stunning they even made some women in my bridal suite actually sob! True story! Stone urn arrangements stood at the beginning and end of the aisle, while cream rose petals lightly lay along the sides. Her flowers also existed between the layers of our elegant blush cake, which was designed by Kimberly from The Butter End. If you haven’t tried their amazing creations, you don’t know what you are missing!

The cocktail hour decor was kept minimal as we let the ocean view and surrounding palm trees on the Ocean Terrace speak for themselves. The reception was held upstairs in the Rotunda, where fascinating drapes defined the doorways, and most astonishingly – the round, dome, wooden ceiling. These drapes truly set the scene for romance and highlighted the massive chandelier in the center of the room.

All of this, and more, made for a captivating night to remember. The wedding was beautifully captured by our photographer, Melanie Duerkopp, who we met in San Francisco for our engagement photos. She had graciously accepted to visit the location for our big day, and we couldn’t have been happier to have her there.

Truth be told, if we had this day to live again, we’d do it exactly the same way! It was a seamless rendition of the love that we share: A love that will continue to grow for as long as we both shall live.

Photography: Melanie Duerkopp | Design & Planning: Joy Proctor Design | Florals: Camelllia Floral Design | Cake: The Butter End Cakery | Lighting & Drapery: LBPS Events | Venue: Bacara Resort & Spa

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Post tags: Bouquets, Candles, Centerpieces
Post categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance