Rancho Dos Pueblos in Santa Barbara is absolutely breathtaking. Between the bluffs, beach, woods, and the rustic barn, there is so much beauty in one place! Reis + Jaymee only saw their venue once before they got married – and that was 2 months before the wedding! They knew right when they walked up to the bluffs that the ceremony had to take place up there, with its spectacular view overlooking the ocean. Just look at that view! Perfection. You can skip on over to see full gallery of images right here! And all captured beautifully by Annie McElwain Photography.
In planning the decor/aesthetic, my main goal was to “brand our wedding.” In designing our logo, invitations, weekend itinerary, menus, welcome boxes, newspaper programs, custom pencils, coffee bag favors, table numbers, & stamped coffee to-go cups, it was really important for all of the little details to be cohesive as they set the tone for the whole day. We also had a lot of fun sending out our save the dates – a letterpressed jewel case housing a short video of us we made in hawaii – seen here and here!
Since the exterior of the barn was rustic in nature, I wanted the interior to be classy and modern, with a vintage twist. The back of the barn needed something BIG that would be a major focal point, as well as create a certain ambience for the night. It was also the first thing people would see upon entering the reception site. I told my parents the idea and they made them from scratch…and I am forever grateful for their precision and perfectionist ways because the letters came out exactly how I had envisioned!
Planning our California wedding while living in Hawaii was quite challenging (and at times, very stressful!). Thanks to our amazing family and friends, everything came together, as a result of hundreds of phone calls + e-mails with my mom, hours of internet research, a heavy dose of late nights, lots of crafting, and several 36-hour weekend trips to LA, jam-packed with dress-fittings, hair/make-up trials, vendor meetings, invitation assembly, and a bridal shower! I would design mock-ups of certain DIY projects I wanted to do, e-mail them to my parents, and they made them come to life. My dad handcrafted the Edison light bulb chandeliers and my mom spent endless hours making my dress until it fit me to perfection. She also created the marquee lighting, fringe tassles, lace table runners, the barn entrance curtains, and the list goes on… We feel so blessed to have such willing (and talented!) family members & friends who undoubtedly made our dream wedding a reality.
Click here to view entire galleryPhotographer: Annie McElwain Photography / Venue: Rancho Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara, CA / Videographer: Ryan McDuff Productions / Event Designer: Bride / Makeup: Jaimee Roark from Oasis Salon / Hair: Taryn Bazzell from Mira Bella Salon & Spa, Santa Barbara, CA / Cake + Desserts: Sweet Arleen’s / Caterer: DJ’s California Catering / Coffee Bar: Espresso One / Florist: Diane Carvotta, Thousand Oaks, CA / Officiant: Friend of the couple, Christian Pereirra / Ceremony Musician: Jonathan May (Pianist) / DJ/Band: DJFX Entertainment / Wedding Dress: Designed by the bride and handmade by mother of the bride / Bridesmaids’ dresses: ASOS, Zara, Urban Outfitters, Bebe / Groom’s suit: Ben Sherman / Groomsmen’ suits: H&M / Stationery/Paper Goods Design: JayAdores Design Co. / Calligrapher: Molly Jacques
