An Estancia Wedding in La Jolla, California
From the Bride, Alanna:
Kevin and I met through my sister and brother-in-law on New Year’s Eve 2010. After talking all night, we had our first kiss at midnight. Kevin is very methodical and rational; I’m a bit more emotional and creative. We just work.
From the start we had two different visions. Kevin wanted classic and I wanted some whimsy. It was important to me that we started our marriage by combining our two aesthetics as they speak so much to who we are as people. Our wedding slowly evolved to be what I like to think of as an indoor garden party. From the farm tables, to the soft color palette, we were able to create the perfect atmosphere. I never felt like I was compromising. By combining our different ideas, our wedding became more than either of us could have imagined on our own.
Initially I wasn’t planning on doing much DIY. I had done a lot for my sister’s wedding, and wanted to simplify. Of course, I ended up adding an extra stamp of us to everything and, in some cases, probably obsessed a little too much over the details. Etsy of course became my best friend. One of my biggest DIY projects was the cake topper. Kevin really wanted a custom topper of us and our dog, Patrick. I looked into getting one made, but found them extremely expensive. So instead, I bought a plain laser woodcut of a bride, groom and dog (off of Etsy), and painted it to look like us.
Other things I did were all about creating the atmosphere we imagined. I bought very classic wedding invitations and ended up die cutting a floral design around the edges to give it a little bit of romance. I did the same thing on the programs I created. For our escort cards, I ordered these beautiful paper flowers off of Etsy in different colors and glued them to Avery business cards. (This let me print them off of my computer after I realized my calligraphy wasn’t the best).
Favorite Moments: This is hard. Kevin and I differ on this. Kevin’s favorite moment was our first look. As he says, “it really blew away any preconceptions I had had. It made everything real.” For me, it was after the ceremony, and after we finished taking all the photos. The photographers left us to go shoot details and we weren’t sure if we were supposed to go towards the cocktail area or wait for someone to come get us. Instead we just decided to take a minute and to sit on a bench and view the cocktail area from afar. It gave us a chance to take it all in. It gave us a chance to joke around. It was really our first moment alone as a married couple.
Advice for other Brides: Also hard. I would say the best advice I got and took, was that as much work as I put into the planning and prepping (over 15 months) I made sure to have a cut-off point and just be a part of the wedding. My sister came to stay with us the Thursday before the wedding and was very insistent that everything be packed and ready to go before we went to bed. Friday was to relax. I felt rushed Thursday, I won’t lie. But Friday came and I was just able to enjoy. Even when little things happened (I forgot the ribbon bouquet for the rehearsal; candles weren’t lit at the reception) I just enjoyed it all.
Musical Choices – Processional and Recessional: My brother, Alex, and his old music teacher played acoustic guitar. | Grand Entrance: Huey Lewis “The Power of Love” – We wanted an 80s rock anthem to set the tone for the night. | First Dance: Jack Johnson “Better Together” – It’s a lovely song. And if you listen to the words it’s the perfect balance of silly and serious. Just like us. | Father/Daughter Dance: Tom Petty “Wildflowers” – This was perfect. I actually remember my dad playing it for me when I was a child. | Mother/Son Dance: Fleetwood Mac “Landslide” – You have to pull at the heartstrings a little.
Kevin’s favorite photo is where I am losing it during the ceremony. He loved the moment it captured.
My favorite photo is the one where we are about to be lifted in the chairs during the horah and Kevin is whispering in my ear. I don’t remember what he said but I love that it’s a special moment just the two of us in the midst of all of our family and friends.
Coordinator: Bre Zimbelman with Joyful Weddings and Events | Venue: Estancia La Jolla | Florist: Modern Bouquet | Cake: Babycakes
Entertainment: Groove Factory | Hair/Make-up: Angela Smith | Bride’s Gown Designer: Pronovias | Bridesmaids Gowns: Jenny Yoo
Groom’s Formalwear: Rocky’s Custom Clothing | Groomsmen Formalwear: Men’s Warehouse | Ceremony Music: Victory Mori
To see all of their wedding photos, visit their full gallery here.
