Southern Weddings

Beth + Jon were going for earthy and rustic with their West Coast wedding, and I’m willing to bet there are few more appropriate venues than the Rancho Las Lomas.  Other details that helped give their wedding, photographed by Joel Austell and planned by Jesi Haack, a romantic, natural feel: olive-hued bridesmaids frocks (David’s Bridal) and burlap-wrapped bouquets (also Jesi Haack).  My favorite details, though, are the groom’s sweet gum boutonnière and the moss-filled drawer that held the couple’s wedding cake.  For her walk down the aisle, Beth wore the very first dress she tried on: a classic princess gown from David’s Bridal.  Sweet and Saucy prepared the couple’s pistachio crumb cake and drool-worthy dessert table.  We’ll take one of everything, thank you!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  coffee shop + box of white powdered donuts + Jon & Beth = the beginning.
Describe the proposal. Our engagement came as such a surprise to me.  It was a few days before Christmas and Jon was over wrapping presents. My cousin and I had to run a few errands, but Jon insisted on staying behind to finish wrapping presents for friends and family.  When I got home, Jon snuck up behind me and handed a handmade card.  He was sending me on a scavenger hunt! With my family following my every move, I followed his clues all throughout the house. For the final clue, Jon had cut out footprints and I followed them to a ladder in my backyard. So I climbed on up.

I was living ten minutes away from Disneyland, and I have always said I want to watch the fireworks from my roof. He told me my surprise was to watch them.  So we cuddled up for the show. (He had timed everything perfectly down to the very first colorful firework.)  As the fireworks ended, I kissed him and told him thank you for such a sweet surprise.  I stood up to climb down from the roof when I saw the entire lawn below us was lit up in Christmas lights saying, “WILL U MARRY ME?”  I was so excited that I still wonder how I didn’t fall.  Then he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. (I said yes.)
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Earthy, rustic and warm.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Other than starting about five minutes late, the wedding went off without a hitch. Our dream of a warm, rustic wedding was incorporated into every aspect and completed exactly how we had envisioned.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My dress was the first and only dress I tried on.  I saw it online so I grabbed my mom, got in the car, prayed it was a great fit and bought it that day.
Describe your wedding flowers: We used fresh seasonal flowers and other non-traditional plant material in different shades of green and brown. The bouquets were wrapped in burlap and jute twine, and we used real tree stumps as vases for the table centerpieces. The guy’s boutonnières were made from twigs and moss with a spiky seedpod from a liquid amber tree. The whole feel was rustic, as if gathered straight from the forest.
Describe your wedding cake: Picture perfect! We served a pistachio crumb cake that sat on top of a vintage, moss-filled dresser. It was mouth watering scrumptious!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?  When meeting with certain vendors, it was hard not to feel like they thought we were the black sheep of all weddings.  We had our ideas, some of which were not easily visualized, but we stuck to what we wanted and didn’t cave to what other’s thought our wedding should be like.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment was Jon singing all the words of our song in my ear during our first dance.
Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We both wrote our own vows. Without knowing what each other had written, we both said how cool it was to be able to marry our best friend.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? We are really looking forward to our new life together. We plan to do some traveling and to someday start a family.

Three cheers and a lifetime of happiness for the happy couple!  We wish you both the best.