Classic California Cool (At-Home) Wedding with Timeless British Touches

Today's wedding in two words? Beyond cool. Courtney and Jonathan did a superb job of blending the bride's Cali roots and the groom's London upbringing, creating an Old Hollywood glam shindig with timeless Bond-inspired touches. The ceremony was hosted at the brides's family home in coastal San Clemente (le sigh!) and the reception at La Casa Romantica. California cool at its finest, loves - enjoy! / Photos by Henry + Mac.

Says Courtney, "I was so excited when I got engaged that I promptly demanded we jump into the sea to celebrate. That was easy to do since my husband proposed to me on a boat off the coast of Italy (and my ring was secure). The dive into engagement territory was effortless, but when faced with the very real elements of wedding planning we quickly became slightly overwhelmed by all of the different styles and options available. I am from a small beach town in Southern California – San Clemente – and I always knew that I wanted to be married there. However, Jon and I live in London and he is British, so we knew we wanted to incorporate elements from both of our cultures in our wedding day.

Photography was one of the very first things we considered; we knew that photos from our wedding day would give us a lifetime of memories and it was important that we found a photographer whose images could capture that magical essence we hoped to have. Luckily for us, one of my good friends had gotten married a year before and we fell in love with her pictures – those of Henry + Mac. When we approached this Boston-based duo about photographing our wedding in California we couldn't have been more thrilled to hear that they were willing and able to shoot our wedding. Our pictures have since been exactly what we imagined; the perfect memories to a gorgeous, celebratory day.

 

I decided that my gown would be from a UK designer. When I first tried on my Jenny Packham dress I realized that it was perfect for me. My dress had the glamour of the old Hollywood movies that I love and which always remind me of California, and it moved like a dream which was important as I knew I wanted to dance the night away. Jon opted for his groomsmen to go for the classic Bond look; both British and timeless, and my bridesmaids wore aubergine twobirds dresses which I liked for their drape and versatility.

We decided to hold the ceremony in my family’s garden. It’s my favorite view of the ocean and I love being home when I have the chance so it was a special place for us to be wed. My cousin was the officiant and our flowers were soft pinks and creams – I loved them!

After the ceremony we had a champagne toast in the courtyard. Jon and I stood on the balcony for the toasts and I loved seeing all of our guests toasting Jon’s and my future together. It felt so special. Following the toasts and bouquet toss we were showered by petals and cheers from our guests and then headed to the Casa Romantica for our reception.

Our wedding was an absolute dream. From the cocktail hour to dinner and then to dancing, the day could not have been more fun. It was exactly what we wanted and felt perfect for us! It’s prolonged through our recollections of the day; in essence the feeling of being surrounded by so many people from all over the world who came to help us celebrate our wedding is probably one of the most special memories of all."

Thanks so much to Courtney and Jonathan for sharing their beautifully cool California wedding with us! And to Henry + Mac for sharing such gorge photos! xx.

Courtney leaves us with some parting advice, "I would recommend not being afraid to do something different on your wedding. Weddings are inspired by so many dreams. Make sure that your day is perfect for you and your husband-to-be but also realize that with so many different people and parties involved there is absolutely nothing that you can control at the end of the day. So with that in mind, soak it in, enjoy being with your friends and family, relish the feeling of your fiance’s eyes on you while walking down the aisle and remember the romantic exuberance of your first dance. These are the aspects of the day that will feel like punctuation points; that make you remember laughing or dancing or trying your delicious first bite of your wedding cake."

Credits: Photography: HENRY + MAC / Venue: CASA ROMANTICA / Coordinator: Melody Walker / Dress: JENNY PACKHAM / Bridesmaid dresses: TWO BIRDS / Groom suit: HACKETT LONDON / Catering:  24 CARROTS CATERING & EVENTS / Florist: COLLECTED WITH LOVE

Intimate At-Home Summer Wedding in Indiana by openField Photography

Bob and Chris celebrated their union on the Fourth of July with a church wedding followed by an at-home reception with close family and dear friends in Carmel, Indiana. They kept things sweet and simple and the result was a beautiful day full of meaning and love. I'm pretty sure this wedding will put a smile on your face - it did mine! / Photos by openField Photography. 

Chris + Bob's Love Story:

Bob and I were introduced by mutual friends, the parents of one of my daughter-in-laws. They have known me for 25 years since my Brad and Anne were high school sweethearts. And they were friends with Bob and his wife, Pat, for 30 years. When Bob's wife, Pat, died of cancer in 2011, they played matchmaker for us. I had been divorced for 10 years and they thought we would be perfect liking the same things and both active. We love to walk and bike and golf and travel. We fell in love right away and knew it was right.

Bob and the boys wore fun ties from Vineyard Vines (white hearts on aqua background) and pink Brooks Brothers shirts. All the guys wore their own khakis and blue hopsack jackets.

Interesting fact: One of my sons wore a jacket that belonged to my deceased Dad...his Grandpa.

I wanted daisies in glass jars and an easy summer feel. I wanted one big table for dinner for family and a couple of dear friends that would be intimate and relaxed. Everything was located in the neighborhood so I wanted to keep everything local and support the neighborhood businesses.  

We built our house together with our four children and grandchildren in mind plus the location for our active life right on the Monon trail. We both loved the thought of sitting on the front porch swing entertaining neighbors family and friends. We wanted a Fourth of July wedding so the four kids and six grandkids could get to know one another and enjoy the Carmel parade, fireworks, family cookouts and ice cream walks to Huddles and Bub's.

This year July 4th will be our one-year anniversary and our kids and grandkids from Denver and San Francisco and Indy will return for a celebration and reunion! Hopefully an annual event for all the little cousins to look forward to each year. :-) "

Thanks so much to Chris and Bob for sharing their sweet day and to openField Photography for sharing their lovely photos. xx.

Credits: Photography: openField Photography / Florals: Oberers flowers in Carmel, Indiana / Cake: Rascia's creative cakes. / Caterer: A Cut Above / Bridal dress: Trina Turk