Southern Weddings

Happy Monday, friends!  Here’s a sophisticated update to the popular bird theme from Dana Grant Photography.  The bride’s dramatic hairpiece from Blackbird Blue and You (an etsy vendor, natch), the groomsmen’s too-cute boutonnières courtesy of Steven’s sister Amanda Dusch ([email protected]) and lovebirds perched atop the couple’s Santa Anita Gardens cake are fresh and refreshingly subtle.  Brittany, in a lace Pronovias, and Steven celebrated their California nuptials at the Villa del Sol d’Oro with J. Crew-clad attendants.  Love the bridesmaids’ coordinated cardigans from Anthropologie!  Take a peek at the photographer’s blog post here.

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  Steven and I met through a mutual friend and began our friendship mostly via email.  It wasn’t long before we began officially dating, and three years later Steven took me on an early morning date to one of our favorite breakfast spots down the street from my house.  (Side note: Steven later told me he had planned to propose at the restaurant, but decided to wait at the last minute because he knew I wouldn’t appreciate such a large crowd watching… he knows me so well!)  After a walk home in the lovely California December weather, Steven got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  After enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast, a lovely antique ring and a proposal from my very best friend, how could I refuse?
Three adjectives that describe the day are:  Holy, romantic and warm (even though it was raining outside!)
Our favorite detail of the wedding was:  We loved the bird theme we used in our wedding.  Birds were incorporated into our invitations and my bridal shower.  There was a bird figurine on each reception table, and we passed out birdseed heart favors for our guests.  Birds, birds, birds!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  I had always imagined myself in a very simple wedding dress, so it was kind of ironic when I ended up choosing such an ornately beaded lace Pronovias gown.  I found my dress at our first stop, Mon Amie bridal salon in Costa Mesa, CA.   I was torn between two dresses, but I knew this one had to be “the one” when my mom cried the second she saw me in it.  So a big “thanks” to Mom’s tears for making what could have been a tough decision very easy!
Describe your wedding flowers: Oh, the wedding flowers!  We loved loved, loved, LOVED our wedding flowers.  And it was even more special for us because Steven’s sister, Amanda Dusch, did them for us.  She is so amazingly talented and has such great ideas.  We couldn’t have been more pleased.  I gave her the colors (deep rustic purples, dusty pinks, and creams) I wanted to use, and told her I love dahlias and mums, and she went from there!  I also wanted to incorporate rosemary into my bouquet and feathers into my bridesmaids’ bouquets.  My bouquet was wrapped in burlap and lace, while the bridesmaids’ bouquets were wrapped in vintage fabric.  Amanda also created the most amazing flowerless boutonnieres for the groomsmen out of birds’ nests, feathers, felt, wire and twine.  They were probably one of my favorite things about our wedding. 
Describe your wedding cake: We wanted something very simple and clean, but also wanted a cake that would give our guests that warm, homemade feeling.  So Santa Anita Gardens Catering made our apple-spice cake with chunks of fresh apples in the filling and buttercream frosting.  Yum! 
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? There were so many lovely, memorable moments for us: doing the “first-look” with my father, the moment Steven and I first made eye contact as I walked down aisle, having such a holy and beautiful marriage ceremony, and standing outside together toward the end of the evening in the refreshing night air and rain puddles. 
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  We look forward to not having to think about the wedding and all of its little projects anymore!  When we are not busy teaching and designing, we are relaxing!  We look forward to sharing our lives, for the rest of our lives… growing in faith and, eventually, having a family.   

Congratulations, Brittany + Steven!