Rachel and Alex met at work as soon as they’d been every employed as analysts—and had been seated correct subsequent to at least one one other—by the an identical company in 2013. Two years later, their work friendship developed proper right into a relationship, and 6 years after thatAlex proposed. “We obtained engaged on Jan. 4, 2021, on the Thompson Cape in Cabo San Lucas,” Rachel says. “It was actually Alex’s birthday, so I had made the plans. I had no idea he had fully completely different plans instead.”
Their trip spot event in September 2022 was the wedding mannequin of a staycation: The San Francisco couple traveled just a few hours down the coast to Santa Barbara. “We cherished Santa Barabara on account of the events is perhaps shut to no less than one one different and be exterior—and it’s comparatively easy to get to from throughout america,” Rachel says. The vibe? “A really fulfilling social gathering that felt like us,” she offers. “We wished the ceremony to essentially really feel explicit, nevertheless the reception to essentially really feel like the proper social gathering you had been to.”
The aesthetic built-in pure textures and hues impressed by the panorama of Baja California nevertheless with fulfilling, edgy twists. “We employed Erika Bellitt from Array Inventive Design to convey our imaginative and prescient to life and really highlight the entire moments we wished our mates to experience,” the couple shares. “From the personalized Santa Barbara map on our invitations to the mega personalized dance floor that resembled the tile work of Baja, no component was an afterthought.”
Rachel, Alex, and their vendor workers chosen venues all inside shut proximity and booked trolleys to shuttle the 180 mates between the resort and ceremony, reception, and afterparty. Sept. 3, 2022, turned out to be a surprising day—and each factor received right here collectively fantastically. Be taught on to see the attractive particulars.
The Vibe
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From the tan striped pajamas that Rachel’s ‘maids wore making ready, to the palette of deep inexperienced, black, purple, and violet, every component was thought out to reflect the couple’s wedding ceremony aesthetic and theme.
The Paper Suite
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Their invitations began with the customizable Vivanne suite by Carta Plena. “We launched in some illustrations to showcase the event areas that had been sprinkled all by way of Santa Barbara and leaned into our untraditional coloration palette with black accents and funky parts,” Rachel describes. “Our stationer created an beautiful R&A emblem illustration that we used on each factor.” The leafy inexperienced envelope liner was an homage to the ceremony venue and carried through to the menus and drink document on the reception.
A Sparkly Robe
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Rachel wore the Muse costume by Chosen by KYHA, a totally beaded ensemble with a corseted bodice and match and flare skirt. “It felt very cool-girl glam,” she says about attempting it on for the first time. “I saved making an attempt inside the mirror and thought how good I regarded; I felt like an Oscar statuette. I moreover knew [my wedding] will be the one relevant time to placed on such a stunner of a fancy dress.”
The First Look
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She met Alex inside the Lodge Californian’s courtyard for a main look. “I felt obsessed with his response,” she remembers. “It was so good to see him after rather a lot prep and buildup inside the morning.”
A Black-Tie Groom
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Alex’s look fully complemented his bride’s shimmering gown. He wore a personalized black tuxedo from Suitsupply and black velvet loafers.
Sage Bridesmaids
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Rachel pulled from the inexperienced inside the coloration palette to pick a handful of sage bridesmaids’ garments her bridal social gathering may choose from. “I wanted them to look cohesive nevertheless not too uniform,” she says. “I moreover wished all people to be comfortable in a technique of their deciding on.”
Distinctive Bouquets
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The groomsmen’s boutonnieres had been all-white with greenery. The bouquets had been too, nevertheless with a twist: Each bridesmaid carried a mono-botanical bouquet of a singular white flower—orchids, baby’s breath, ranunculus, and so forth. “My bouquet had all of those flowers combined, which was explicit,” the bride says.
The Ceremony Venue
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The couple said “I do” inside the yard exterior the Santa Barbara Courthouse. “We chosen the courthouse on account of it was quintessential Santa Barbara, with the grand Spanish-style construction,” Rachel says. “The gardens with the palms and the developing made for a grand backdrop. We cherished the best way it felt equal parts casual and trendy.”
Daring Decor
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“Rachel and Alex wished to lean into the beauty of the venue nevertheless convey their very personal aptitude to the design,” says wedding ceremony planner and designer Erika Bellitt. “We had a attractive undertone to the aesthetic, so we launched in black chairs with funky floral aisle gadgets that grew up the steps and wrapped spherical our couple on the infamous fiesta stage of the Santa Barbara Courthouse.”
Saying “I Do”
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The bride walked down the prolonged inexperienced aisle collectively along with her dad to “Tenerife Sea” by Ed Sheeran and met her groom on the altar. They exchanged non-public vows they’d written themselves.
Cocktail Hour
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After the ceremony, mates had been shuttled to the Santa Barbara Historic Museum for the cocktail hour and reception. “We favored that it was large, nevertheless nonetheless felt intimate, and that there have been various areas for the social gathering so we would have cocktail hour in a single place and progress onto the precept courtyard for dinner and dancing,” Rachel says. In the middle of the primary half, mates noshed on bacon-wrapped shrimp, pulled pork tacos, and watermelon and goat cheese skewers. The newlyweds curated a Spotify playlist that they nonetheless cue up and take heed to to at present.
An Intentional Drink Guidelines
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“We cared regarding the beverage menu, and it was essential to have mezcal,” Rachel says. “We had a spicy pineapple mezcalito as a signature drink and chosen each bottle of wine equipped. Our cat, Noe, wasn’t present, nevertheless we named a drink after her: The Noe was a shot of ouzo over ice as a nod to Alex’s Greek heritage—and was so successful, we ran out of it!”
A Mod Escort Board
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Printed boards in geometric shapes hung collectively as a deconstructed escort board for mates to go looking out their seats.
Daring Reception Decor
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“We launched in paneled wood accents, black rattan pendants, and loads of daring coloration with the florals,” planner Erika says. “Leaning right into a attractive coloration palette of darkish inexperienced, black, dusty purple, peach, and violet, the layering of textures and coloration made this reception shine. Combined with the pure vines and Spanish construction of the historic museum, all of the design received right here collectively so fantastically.”
Cohesive Menus
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Customized menus matched the invitation suite with a leafy pattern that mirrored the envelope liners. They’d been positioned at each setting atop matte black plates.
An Impressed Dance Floor
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Disco balls had been mixed in with the black rattan lanterns over the dance floor to throw delicate spherical and add a punch of sparkle that mimicked Rachel’s costume. “My sister designed the dance floor pattern to resemble pretty Spanish tiles,” Rachel says. “That dance floor, combined with a ceiling of pendants and disco balls, made for the proper social gathering!”
An Ingenious Cake
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Sooner than points obtained too wild, the bride and groom decrease into their cake, a sculptural two-tier creation that resembled a chunk of up to date paintings.
The Music
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“We wished a dance social gathering vibe nevertheless nonetheless wished a DJ,” Rachel says. “So we had DART Collective deejay the event and launched out two horn players to get all people on the dance floor. With chilly sparklers to kick-start the open dancing, it was the social gathering now now we have on a regular basis dreamed of.”
A Packed Dance Floor
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A large, fulfilling dance floor was the wedding tips merchandise the couple cared most about. The bar equipped espresso martinis to gasoline the social gathering, and mates gathered on the bottom for a spherical of Greek dancing. The vitality and pleasure had been at an all-time extreme—and continued for the newlyweds as they honeymooned in Greece and Istanbul.
Sources
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