Tell us a little about yourselves!
We met in college, at a party when I walked into a room where Luke had captivated everyone with an intricate story he was telling. I remember asking who he was and declaring to my friend that night “that’s my new crush”.
We’ve been inseparable ever since, making it through years of long distance when Luke graduated and moved out of state for a sales job while I finished up college. Even when the circumstances made it tough, we found ways to be together because we loved being around one another so much.
Luke has supported me endlessly through my career in design and creative direction, always encouraging me to be my best self and go for my dreams. I admire him so much for how empathetic and personable is. Whenever anyone meets him, they love him instantly (including me ofc).
10ish years later, we decided to get married, without a doubt in our minds!
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
After spending all of our lives in Virginia and Maryland, we decided it was time for a new adventure and we moved to Los Angeles last year. We spent our first few months out here traveling a lot, which happened to be around the time when Luke popped the question during a sunset beach picnic.
One of our day trips led us to Santa Barbara and we instantly fell in love. The small town feel reminded us of our respective hometowns. The whole time we were there we kept imagining how much our families would love it too. On top of it all, the architecture sold us (me). There are so many beautiful details sprinkled all around Santa Barbara that give it such a special feel.
We toured the courthouse on a sunny afternoon and loved how casual, yet stunning it was for the ceremony. Even though it’s a public lot, we found a private section under a beautiful magnolia tree, it was perfect…. and free :)
For our reception, we wanted something intimate and homey and settled on The Craft House backyard (where Luke’s family stayed for the weekend). It made it so easy for our minimal event, we were even able to book our catering through them.
How many guests did you have?
13! We wanted something super low key and intimate. The most important thing to us was that the day revolved around our love and marriage and a smaller group makes that much more achievable. We felt like we could really be present for everything and soak in every moment. While we missed our extended family and friends a lot, we found other ways to celebrate with them throughout the year so we wouldn’t feel like we missed out on that aspect of the wedding.
What was your budget?
$15,000.
Tell us about your outfits.
Ahhhhh, this is where things get interesting. I was never that person that had a particular look in mind, which led to a last minute swap. Originally I purchased a beautiful vintage designer set from (the amazing) Happy Isles. Just a few weeks before the wedding, I decided it was completely the wrong vibe for our day (dramatic). I went panic shopping and ended up finding the perfect lace set from Farm Rio. It was so much more laid back and ideal for a courtyard ceremony. The real star of my outfit were my toile printed shoes from Shop-Pêche. I’ve already worn them so much since the wedding.
For jewelry, both my engagement ring and earrings were designed by local designers from my hometown in Richmond, VA. The earrings by Emily Warden Designs were a Christmas present from Luke that matched perfectly. We designed my engagement ring together with Nine Roses, they did such a beautiful job creating something totally unique.
Luke went with a timeless and classic look. Luckily he didn’t change his mind last minute :) His suit was from Jack Victor, shoes from Steve Madden and sunnies were from Moscot.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
The most important thing for us was to have a simple, intimate and stress-free day. We didn’t want anything to take away from being able to enjoy what we were actually doing, getting married! We can’t recommend a simple wedding enough, I didn’t feel an ounce of stress the whole time. Just joy and happiness!
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
The day before the wedding, all the gals got together and we made all the flower arrangements and bouquets. My mom made my bouquet, it was so stunning and special. We decided on all white tulips the week before the wedding and we loved how it turned out, it made such a statement and felt really timeless.
The most important thing to us was being able to spend time together and with our families on the wedding weekend. Working in stuff like the flower arranging was a fun way to get everyone involved.
Something else I really wanted was to enjoy the morning before the wedding and not start getting ready in the wee hours of the morning. I made the schedule so we didn’t start getting ready until around lunch and I think that made the whole day feel so chill. The morning of was lovely, we walked to get coffee, worked out and had time to get excited about the day together.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Simpler is better. When you have so much time before the wedding, it’s easy to get carried away. But sometimes less is more with decor! Let the location be the main focal point, small touches throughout can enhance it.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Absolutely! Our photographers, Kimberly and Raphael from La Fin were so incredible. They felt like our besties from the first time we met them. They didn’t take any cheesy or overly posed photos, they just truly captured real and authentic moments. They complimented each other’s talents and made the whole process of photography so, so fun. They also captured some stunning polaroids that I know we’re going to have framed forever. I highly recommend hiring them, they brought an artistic eye to the memories that’s unmatched!
Also, the makeup and hair team I hired was amazing. Emily Lynn And Company did the most natural looks for us and really listened to everyone’s different requests. Emily and her team fit in so seamlessly with our families on the day and just made the whole getting ready process so fun. Can’t recommend them enough!
Photographer: La Fin @lafinweddings | Flora: Fifty Flowers (arranged by the bride and family)
@fiftyflowers | Ceremony Location: Santa Barbara Courthouse @santabarbaracourthouse | Reception Location: The Craft House @thecrafthouseinn | Celebrant: Patrice Handley
@santabarbaraclassicweddings | Ceremony Space: Santa Barbara Courthouse @santabarbaracourthouse | HMUA: Emily Lynn And Company @emilylynnandcompany | Catering + Beverages: Julian Martinez from Barbareño @barbareno_sb | Cake: Frances Baking @francesbakingco | Stationery: Designed by Paige @paigenuckols | Guitarist: Jason Sulkin
@jasonsulkinmusic | Dress: Farm Rio @farmrio | Suit: Jack Victor @jackvictorofficial | Veil:
Anthropologie @anthropologieweddings | Engagement Ring: Nine Roses @nineroses |
Wedding Rings: Holden @holdenrings | Shoes: Shop-Pêche @shop_peche | Earrings: Emily Warden Designs @emilywardendesigns
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