California wedding with an old World Romance appeal

California weddings never fail to impress. That magical light, the beautiful venues, the ocean vistas or mountain backdrops… yep they have it all! This gorgeous celebration of Rebecca and William’s is no exception and Northern California wedding photographer SARA WEIR as always did a beautiful job capturing it. PAVAN FLORAL created the most stunning bouquets for the bridal party in ivory and blush with pops of warm golden yellow. Sara has shared some of her thoughts about the wedding with us below…

“The wedding had so many special touches from the combs in the bride’s hair to the beautiful florals in her bouquet and centerpieces. Her invitations say it best; however, with their clean lines and simple modern font. The perfect piece to set the tone for the rest of the wedding!

The Venue is a beautiful intimate location with stunning views of the ocean. The lawn, where the ceremony took place, faced this view for all the guests to enjoy. Inside the beautiful fresco walls add a depth and old world feel. I especially adored photographing the beautiful floral installation from Pavan Floral adorning the fireplace. It added so much to the cocktail and dancing portions of the celebration.”

TELL US ABOUT THE WEDDING DRESS: The gown was a beautiful two piece set from BHLDN. Sara tells us, “My favourite part was how the bride took an entire row in their rented suburban to get to the venue! It was a very full skirt but well worth it as all those soft tulle layers were blown softly in the wind which added so much movement and beauty to the photos. 

WERE THERE ANY DIY ELEMENTS? The bride created beautiful signage for the wedding herself! The signs were created using a laser cutter and acrylic pieces. Pavan floral added florals here and there really tying it all together. 

DESCRIBE THE WEDDING FLOWERS: Brie of PAVAN FLORAL had the bride’s complete trust! She was really able to create something special as she pulled from the bride’s colour inspiration and really made it her own adding investing textural elements. I especially loved walking into the dinner room. It felt bright and inviting, those large windows inviting the outside in.  

FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: The ceremony ended in the most beautiful light as the hardest played during the recessional. Group photos on the balcony followed as friends and family gathered to congratulate the family. It was beautiful to watch all this congratulatory celebration as the sun set against the fiery clouds behind them. 

I also loved the unique way Pavan Floral decorated the cake. Rather than just piling flowers cascading down the cake, she approached it as a sculpture and created a 3-dimensional design. It was a feature all the guests were talking about!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? It’s difficult to ever remember a lot from your wedding, and impossible to remember everything. But there will be wonderful moments you’ll want to take special note of. For me the moments I remember best from this wedding were all the wonderful men and women surrounding the bride as she got ready. It was truly a family event! And I loved that. I also loved that at sunset the couple took a few moments to themselves to step outside on the balcony and enjoy the night scene. Of course it didn’t last long as guests filed out for iPhone shots with the couple, but taking that moment together on that day felt special. 

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? The first look was really beautiful and really special. The wind blew the dress around in the most beautiful way. In those moments of getting ready the nerves can kick into high gear, but I always tell my couples that once they see each other they’ll feel so much better! Never fails! 

Thank you to SARA WEIR (Northern California wedding photographer) for sharing this beautiful California wedding with us today. If you’re a bride looking for a Northern California wedding photographer be sure to check out more of Sara’s work in our Vendor Guide and you might want to check out this Intimate lush Winery wedding in Temecula.