Dominique & Sean’s pastel wedding in Vista, California was the perfect mix of DIY and heartfelt moments. The couple infused Americana music throughout their day—from Dominiques’ sisters singing the ceremony processional to various friends and family serenading their guests during the reception. We love when couples bring their personalities into their day like this. If that wasn’t enough, the bride also handmade many of the dresses you’ll see in the photographs Rad and in Love so perfectly captured! We can’t get over the Edwardian-glam vibe of Dominique’s wedding gown with the perfect touches of tulle and intricate lace applique detail. This wedding will surely inspire those who like to march to the beat of their own drum and do things the DIY way!
The Couple:
Dominique & Sean
The Wedding:
Private Residence, Vista, California
Wedding planning advice from the bride:Be you and let your day be original and Only include details that you want and take other’s opinions with a grain of salt. Ask too many questions (save yourself wasted/sneaky charges from vendors) and don’t be shy about asking for help. My sisters, girlfriends, sister in law, brother in law, mother in law, father in law and my mom all jumped in and did so much that I physically wouldn’t have been able to pull off without their hands – we were lucky that they were genuinely happy to have something to do; it felt communal and meaningful designing and bringing the day to life – together.
We wanted to be married on Sean’s family property in Vista, California where he was born and raised, at the home his father built almost 30 years ago, on land that was once his grandfather’s lime orchard. We spent a lot of time there with his family and at the nearby beaches, getting to know each other and it’s just a beautiful place in the world. We knew we wanted Loretta, a mutual friend who introduced us, to marry us and keep it intimate, creating a fun party for all of the people we’re close to to commune and enjoy themselves. We wanted to spend the day outdoors, surrounded by nature, fruit trees, live music and a view of the sunset and the ocean in the distance, under the stars!
Rad & In Love’s reputation precedes them all over San Diego & Los Angeles! I was comforted by Jamie’s calm and comforting patience and her help organizing the large, stoic, family shot we wanted. I LOVED that she brought her brand new, vintage super 8 video camera and captured 8 mm footage throughout the day and night; we later put our own original music to it.
Making my dress with my mom, while visiting her at home in Bangkok, Thailand, was an adventure! We went out hunting for a fabric in a sea of endless possibilities, decided on one, and then found a designer to build it. I asked around, eventually finding a friend of a friend who makes costumes and wardrobe for everything from movies to dance shows. It was a blessing in disguise because we ended up falling on a simpler, more flattering top that suited me much more than my original, busier idea. My mom ended up making her own dress at home with the light blue fabric that never made it into my dress! For my sister’s dresses, I loved the idea of a french countryside look, flow-y yet form fitted, puffy sleeves, similar fabrics but differing pastels to set them apart. I would visit the local seamstresses every day (on my mom’s street in Bangkok) and do fittings, sending my sister’s photos and getting their opinions. When we met up in Vista for the wedding weekend, we made small alterations. It was all a huge learning experience and ultimately worth it and so fun!
All of our siblings (Dominique‘s three sisters and Sean’s one sister) sing, as do their husbands, so we asked them to open the ceremony with a song. Dominique arranged and recorded a four part a cappella version of “All The Right Reasons” by The Jayhawks and all four of the sisters, plus three husbands (on guitar, upright bass and percussion), blew us away with their performance.
The most memorable part has to be the live music in both the ceremony and the reception, played by our friends and family members- special songs chosen by us. We joined in playing and singing on a few. At one point, our sweet friend Glen Phillips led the entire party in an a cappella sing along of “Stand By Me”. The reception was followed by a fireside bluegrass jam and more instruments joined in!
Congratulations, Dominique and Sean, and many thanks to Rad and In Love for sharing their day with Junebug! If you love these pastel wedding vibes, but sure to check out this dusty pastel Dallas wedding at The Place at Tyler.
Jessie and Jack wanted to keep the natural beauty of Garfield Park Conservatory at the center of their urban greenhouse wedding design—and we are obsessed! Planned by the bride herself, this day was filled with little touches of greenery magic at every turn. We’re especially in love with the couple’s “I love you so much” sign by MKNEON and the lush arrangements designed by Steve’s Flower Market. Fun fact: This wedding fell on the hottest day of the year, but the couple was prepared with chic fans for their guests to keep cool during their ceremony. It’s always smart to have a weather plan! If you’ve been searching for all those sweet, greenhouse vibes, these stunning photos Stephanie Nachtrab captured of Jessie and Jack’s day are for you!
Wedding planning advice from the couple:Do your due diligence when finding vendors/partners to work with. Don’t simply look at their Instagram, or hire an acquaintance just because. I recommend meeting with them and seeing how your personalities align, be open to saying ‘no’, and talking to other brides about their experience. These are the people who will be participating in one of the best days of your life, you want them to be the right choice.
From the bride: I truly didn’t think I’d get nervous walking down the aisle, we’ve known each other since we were 15, and I also always told myself I’d smile the whole way down the aisle. Nope, wrong an wrong! But the unexpected reaction actually made the moment one of the best moments – just before we walked down the aisle my dad said “are you ready?” with tears in his eyes and squeezed my hand in a way that made me feel all the love in the world- and I instantly became a mess of happiness, nerves and excitement. I probably cut off his circulation going down the aisle. haha It was one of the most special moments meshed into the next most special moments – seeing Jack‘s face at the end of the aisle. I’m pretty sure I didn’t smile once because I was trying not to cry.
We wrote the majority of our ceremony. While the officiant gave us a baseline – we built most the content because this was one of the most important parts of the day for us. We were very intentional about the ceremony music and readings we chose.
My favorite and most special DIY items was my veil. My mom made it for me and it was an overwhelmingly important and special piece of the day.
Six months later and I still look at our wedding gallery twice a week and get so emotional. My biggest piece of advice is to choose a photographer that is both talented and someone you enjoy as a human. Don’t simply look at those little Instagram squares and say “good to go” – get to know your photographer and their work. Stephanie checked both of those boxes for us, her work was unreal and she’s now one of my favorite humans. We live in Chicago, and had to have her, so we flew her in for both our engagement and wedding photos – and it was one of our BEST wedding decisions we made.
We wanted something minimalist, full of nature and city combined. We’re from Kansas, have traveled and hiked around the world together and now live in Chicago. We wanted to combine those things in way – so we went for an ‘urban jungle/nature’ style. Because our venue was so lush and gorgeous on it’s own, we didn’t want to overpower with a lot of decor – we stuck to the minimalist look, with neutral colors, and little pops of personalized detail here and there.
Our caterer was basically an event planner. She was extremely responsive, worked as hard as she could to give us options for budget and style wants, gave us real advice even when it may not benefit her, the food and service was incredible. They just went beyond their services to make the day easy and pick up slack from others.
Congratulations, Jessie and Jack, and many thanks for sharing your stunning wedding with Junebug! Searching for a wedding venue similar to Garfield Park Conservatory?
If you’re planning a wedding for the first time, you likely feel like you’ve entered uncharted territory. The wedding industry can be a tricky one to navigate—especially with many different vendors who all have different needs and ways of operating! Not to fear, Junebug is here. We’ve put together essentially everything you need to know about wedding vendor etiquette. We hope these tips will help you understand your vendor’s roles a little better and lead to a fruitful and awesome client-vendor relationship!
Starting Your Wedding Vendor Relationship
Question: How do I start my research for wedding vendors? Answer: When it comes to searching for wedding vendors, there are many places to start. Whether you’re using a wedding vendor directory (like ours!) or simply searching on Google, be sure to check for testimonials from past clients. A helpful tip for reading reviews is to look for things that are important to you like great communication or creativity.
Instagram is also a great tool for finding wedding vendors in your area. Pro tip: You can usually get to know a little bit more about the vendors from their Instagram profiles! For example, you can search #portlandweddingphotographer to find wedding photographers in Portland.
Question: Which vendors should I have a phone call or face-to-face meeting with? Answer: Your wedding vendors are going to be the ones that help make your day the dream you’ve been imagining. Making sure personalities mesh is extremely important. We always recommend at least a phone call with your vendors before signing on the dotted line. The one exception would be if you’re working with a planner. You planner will likely have a list of top-notch vendors whom they’ve worked with many times and trust. Even then, it never hurts to get on the phone and chat!
Question: How to I find the right vendor for my personality? Answer: First thing’s first: Take some time to think about each of your personalities. In your every-day relationships, what are some of the things you value? Are you more of a type A person who thrives on organization and timely communication or are you a little more go-with-the-flow? These are important questions to ask yourself and your potential vendors during initial meetings!
Question: I really would love to meet with my vendor in-person more often. How do I express this to them while still respecting their time? Answer: We get it. Meeting with your vendors in-person to go over all the lovely things you’re excited about only makes sense! First, check to see if meetings or planning time was mentioned in your initial contract or package PDF. If not, kindly reach out and communicate how often you’d ideally like to meet with your vendor. Keep in mind that wedding vendors have opposite schedules as most “normal” weekday jobs. Your vendor is likely working on the weekends and taking a day or two off during the week to take care of their personal life. Respecting your vendor’s time and schedule will go along way!
Question: Is it appropriate to text my wedding vendor (especially the photographer, videographer, or planner)? Answer: We don’t recommend texting your vendors unless they’ve clarified that boundary in advance. Wedding vendors likely are using their personal phones for work, so it’s also easier for them to keep track of your request if they’re sent in a formal email that can be flagged for response!
“Generally I would say the most important piece of advice is to be open, honest, and courteous with all of your suppliers. Try to gently remind yourself that the professionals you’re speaking to are experts in their field, and are sources of very valuable knowledge, insights, and tips – so do listen to their suggestions and warnings. They live and die by their reputation, and have probably built their business from the ground up – their agenda is the same as yours, which is to make sure you have the most amazing day possible.” — Valentina Ring, The Stars Inside
Question: How do I tell my vendor I need them to respond in a more timely manner? Answer: If you’re planning a wedding, it’s likely one of the biggest things occupying your headspace. It’s an exciting, and also somewhat stressful, time and you want to make sure you’re crossing all the t’s and dotting the i’s! Remember this: You chose your vendors because they’re experts at executing the vision you have in mind. Even though something might seem urgent on your end, there’s a chance it might not be as pertinat in based on your vendor’s expertise. However, if things seem to be taking an unreasonable amount of time or you’re missing key deadlines, give your vendor a call to see if you can work out a plan.
Question: What do I say if I don’t like something my vendor has created or done? Answer: Speak up! There are many kind, respectful ways to let a vendor know that their deliverable doesn’t match your vision. Your vendors want your day to be everything you dreamed of—and more—so they should have no problem making a change that will make you happy. However, depending on your contract there may be additional fees involved. Check your contract, and go from there! If this happens on wedding day, stay calm. Have a designated person (MOB, maid of honor, etc.) talk with your vendor about how they may be able to save the day and make the correction.
Question: We’re feeling like we need to go in a different direction with one of our vendors. How do we let them go? Answer: It’s never easy realizing that one of your vendors is just not going to work out. As always, check your contract. It’s unfortunate to lose out on a deposit, but we encourage you to think about it from the vendor’s point of view. The deposit reserves their services on your wedding date—and they’ve likely been declining other weddings or events because of your reservation. If you feel that the contract terms have not been fulfilled, there may be room for negotiation, but it’s common courtesy to let your vendor go without asking for the deposit back.
Question: Should we feed our wedding vendors? Answer: Yes! Any vendor who will be at your event for more than five hours should be given a meal. Think about your normal work day: Do you take a break to eat a some point? Chances are the answer is “yes.” Your wedding vendors are working hard and putting in both emotional and physical labor for your day. Fueling them with a meal will help them be able to continue to perform at their best throughout the day! Plus, most vendors require a meal in their contract, so you may be obligated to feed them regardless of wedding vendor etiquette.
Question: Do our wedding vendors eat the same meal as us? Answer: This is a question many couples don’t realize until after the wedding! Many caterers will have “vendor meal” options that are usually less expensive than the meal your guests are eating. Depending on your budget and how “well” you want to feed your vendors will determine what kind of meal to order for your vendor team. Generally vendors are all very ready to eat by the time dinner rolls around. While they’ll eat about anything you put in front of them, a hot meal goes a long way!
Junebug Tip:
It’s a common courtesy to ask your vendors if they have any food allergies regardless of what meal you will be feeding them. This way, they can also prepare to have an alternative meal if there are no options to accommodate their food allergy.
Question: When should our wedding vendors eat? Answer: This is an important conversation to have with your various vendors. If you are hiring a band, they’ll need to work their dinner break into their set. Photographers and videographers will likely prefer to eat when the bride and groom are eating (photos of guests eating their meals are not customary for these vendors to provide coverage of). Planners or coordinators might prefer to eat after all of the guests have been served. If you’re concerned about the timing of your vendor’s breaks, make sure to ask in advance of the big day so you aren’t wondering where they are while they’re enjoying dinner!
Question: Should we allow our vendors to drink at the wedding? Answer: This one is totally up to you. Typically, vendors will not help themselves to alcohol unless their couple has invited them to. So if you want your vendors to feel welcome to a glass of wine or beer on wedding night, make sure and let them know! Your trusted team will likely drink responsibility as to not interfere with them doing their job to the best of their ability.
Question: Should we tip our wedding vendors? Answer:In short, yes. Vendors that expect to receive a tip are: hair stylist, make-up artist, live music performers, reception wait and bar staff. It’s considered optional to tip your officiant, photographer, videographer, planners, and other miscellaneous vendors. Non-monetary tokens of appreciation can also go a long way with these vendors if you’d like to gift them something to show your appreciation. Pro tip: Factor in a budget for tips and vendor gifts into your wedding budget if that’s something you expect to do.
Question: How much should we tip our wedding vendors?
Answer: It truly depends on the vendor. For vendors like your hair stylist and make-up artist, a tip of 10-20 percent is considered custom. Food and drink vendors might add the tip into their package. If you’re planning on tipping your photographer, videographer, or planner, a gesture of $50 – $200 or a nice gift is appropriate.
Question: When should we give our vendors their tips? Answer: If you’ve hired a planner or coordinator, they will be able to distribute the tips for you at the end of your wedding night or when each vendor finishes their time of service.
Question: We would rather give our vendor a gift instead of a tip. What are some ideas for wedding vendor gifts? Answer: Gifts are a great way to show appreciate to your vendors who aren’t expecting a tip! Wedding vendors work long hours, so spa gift certificates or products are always nice!
Question: Should we send a thank you note to our wedding vendors? Answer: Wedding vendors typically put a lot of heart into your day, as they know how important it is to you. While thank you notes to your wedding vendors are not expected, it’s a gesture that will likely make their day!
Question: If we want to submit our wedding to be featured, should we ask the vendors first?
Answer: Yes! If you haven’t noticed, we love featuring real weddings on our blog! We do, however, recommend you reach out to your vendors and make sure they’re OK with being included in the post. Your photographer will also have to provide permission for wedding blogs or publications to use their images. Many blogs, including Junebug, also require exclusivity for features. This means that you should ensure your vendors haven’t submitted the blog for publication elsewhere and avoid any mix-ups in duplicate features!
Question: A brand or business wants to use our wedding photos for their marketing purposes, do we need to ask our photographer for permission? Answer: Yes, yes, yes! Again, check your contract. There’s likely a clause about not using the photos for commercial purposes. To make things easy, simply forward or e-introduce the brand or business to your wedding photographer and let them take it from there!
Question: My wedding vendor hasn’t posted about my wedding on their social media accounts. Should I be upset? Answer: Social media has forever changed the wedding world! We know it can be exciting to anticipate your wedding vendor to post about your wedding, but it’s not required. You hired your vendor to perform a service for you, and if they did that, then that’s what counts! Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see your wedding vendor(s) post about your day. It does not reflect the quality of your wedding or their feelings toward you. Remember that wedding vendors use their social media accounts as marketing tools for their businesses. In a saturated industry, there are many factors that go into the content these businesses post on their accounts. But, in case no one has told you: You rock, babe, and so did your wedding!
We hope you learned all the ins-and-outs of wedding vendor etiquette! Searching for more wedding planning advice? Don’t miss our ultimate wedding planning guide for an easy-to-follow process that makes wedding planning a breeze.
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