What a wedding we have today! This Malibu, California wedding of Michelle and Jon took place at the incredibly beautiful Saddlerock Ranch and was photographed by the one and only Joy Marie Photography. What a combination! We're proud to call Joy Marie a member of our World's Best Wedding Photographers Hotlist as well as a dear friend, so seeing the work she's been creating for couples like Michelle and Jon is such a treat! Read on to learn more about all the wonderful wedding details...
The Goals: Michelle and Jon's outdoor wedding at Malibu's Saddlerock Ranch was a masterpiece of rustic elegance and an event focused on FUN for everyone in attendance. "We wanted our wedding to be fun for our guests! We picked a great DJ who spun vinyl, a great caterer for "foodies" - we had hibiscus tea and peppermint thyme spritzers on the way in and warm churros and hot chocolate on the way out. We had a photo booth for people to show their spunky side and of course, a full bar - all the trappings of a great party!"
The Design: Michelle and Jon chose deep, rich wedding colors like navy, burgundy, fuchsia and orange to contrast the greenery all around them and they used the 100 year old Oak tree that they were married under as inspiration for much of the wedding's decor design. The wedding invitations and paper goods were a really special addition to the day. They were designed by Kristi Rice of Momental Design based on her Vintage Lacy Tree Collection, but personalized just for Michelle and Jon. You can see more of the samples Kristi and her team created for Michelle and Jon during their design process here and more of the final invitation, ceremony program, menu and seating card designs here.
During the reception, guests found their seats via their adorable mini-succulent garden wedding favors. "The succulents were native to Los Angeles and also doubled as our table assignments so it was an environmentally-conscious choice which I loved. Our invitation designer made lollipop-like sticks with a floral design on the front and our guests' names on the back - they neatly popped into the rock garden and off they went!" Long wooden dinner tables lined with flowers from Hollyflora and lit from above by twinkling lights in the trees, set the scene for a family style wedding feast!
The Look: Michelle wanted a simple and elegant bridal look, and she found the perfect wedding dress in Vera Wang's Emily dress. "I loved my dress - there is nothing quite like feeling like a princess in a gown!" Michelle's bridesmaids wore long navy chiffon dresses from Monique Lhuillier and the groomsmen all wore matching navy suits. Jon looked incredibly dapper in a classic black tuxedo.
The Moments: The most emotional moment of the day for Michelle was simply experiencing the ceremony. "When I held Jon's hand for the first time at the ceremony all the nervousness rushed out of me and I felt so in love and so lucky and so happy- it was the best day of my life!" Other memorable moments came during the processional as Michelle walked down the aisle with her father, in the joy of having her 90 year old grandfather fly in from New York for the event, and in hearing the toasts that Michelle's two younger sisters gave that brought the house down!
The Pros: To learn about the whole team of wedding professionals that contributed to this wedding, please see Michelle and Jon's page in our real wedding library.
Thank you so much for sharing your wedding with us Michelle and Jon!
To plan your own Southern California or Seattle area wedding, browse our Plan Your Wedding Hotlists! And to find a dream wedding photographer for your wedding anywhere in the world, be sure to check out Junebug's World's Best Wedding Photographers Hotlist!
