WEDDING BLOG

Impossibly Chic Paris Elopement at The Medici Fountain

June 25, 2019 | Junebug Weddings

With no set plan for the day, Prita and Dan had an unbelievably romantic Paris elopement! Nisha Ravji Photography followed the couple as they wandered through the city of love, ate pastries at tiny cafes, stole romantic moments in front of beautiful architecture, and eventually exchanged private vows at The Medici Fountain. It was like a montage from your favorite rom-com! We love that both Prita and Dan went all-out-chic with their wedding day looks, with Prita donning a Grace Loves Lace gown and Dan rocking a velvet De Fursac tuxedo.

The Couple:

Prita and Dan

The Wedding:

The Medici Fountain and Ellsworth, Paris, France

We decided to make our way to the Luxembourg Gardens to find the perfect setting and exchange our vows. Although this was completely unplanned and unreserved, it seemed meant to be as the people vacated when we arrived at the Medici Fountain to formalize our love in complete privacy.

Every couple has their own needs and desires. You should listen to each other and work towards what will make a perfect day for both of you. Personally, this style of wedding was precisely what we both wanted. With no plans along the way, we stopped, we drank, we ate, and we laughed all day. We even managed to go home for an afternoon siesta. We would highly recommend eloping followed by a party for a few close family and friends on your return.

Our photographer, Nisha Ravji Photography, was incredible. She was attentive yet discreet, and she made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera while we walked around Paris in fits of laughter. She went above and beyond in so many ways but most importantly her photography was phenomenal. The shots she captured will seal our precious memory and be handed down for generations.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Nisha Ravji Photography
Ceremony Venue – The Medici Fountain
Reception Venue – Ellsworth
Floral Design – L’Artisan Fleuriste
Hair and Makeup Artist – Ava Belle
Wedding Dress – Grace Loves Lace
Groom’s Apparel – De Fursac
Rings – Polished Diamonds

Congratulations to Prita and Dan, and a special thanks to Nisha Ravji Photography for sharing this unbelievable Paris elopement with Junebug! Want to more elopement magic? This Sahara Desert elopement inspiration is romantic Moroccan wanderlust wedding goals!

This Wine-Loving Bride and Groom Married in a Rosé Inspired Rose Gold Malibu Vineyard Wedding at Cielo Farms

June 24, 2019 | Junebug Weddings

champagne light pink orange

When you love wine as much as Lauren and Justin do, it’s only natural to have your wedding at a vineyard like Cielo Farms! The venue, which is nestled in the mountains of Malibu, is gorgeous on its own, but the addition of rose gold accents, vintage decor, and muted florals from Best Day Ever Floral Design only made it more breath-taking and expressed the couple’s personalities. We love that the bride went with a vintage-inspired Bo and Luca gown and beaded headpiece and that the groom took a more modern, laid-back approach in his style. Everything about this wedding felt effortless and authentic, and both Wanderlust Creatives and Klassey Productions did a brilliant job documenting it all!

The Couple:

Lauren and Justin

The Wedding:

Cielo Farms, Malibu, California

Location and vibe were key. We wanted our wedding to feel unique and truthful to us. It was so important for us to walk away from our wedding feeling like it was special and everyone had an amazing time. We also wanted people to specifically feel that yes- that day was so Justin and Lauren and no one else could have recreated it in that way. That to me is what makes it so special and important because then it is truly a day that reflects the two people getting married.

I walked down the aisle to “All Eye’s on You” by St. Lucia. Justin picked it specifically, which felt so special to me.

Neither of us is particularly religious, so this felt like the perfect opportunity to really make the day feel personal to us. One of my bridesmaid’s husbands, who is also such a good friend of ours, officiated our wedding. He did such a fantastic job and it made us feel so grateful that he agreed to do it! To be honest, it’s such a great thing to ask of a friend because I know he was so honored that we even thought of him. It really has brought us even closer together as friends knowing we will always share that day in that way!

We both wanted to get married outside, so weather and location were key. We also loved the idea of getting married at a vineyard because we both love wine! With me being from Los Angeles and Justin being from New York and us both living in Brooklyn, we would always spend roughly two weeks at my house in LA over the Christmas holidays. We don’t make it to LA too often, so it’s a good time for us to catch up with family. One year, we decided to go wine tasting in Malibu, and it was one of the best days we ever had! We knew we should definitely do Malibu as our wedding destination. When it came to looking at venues, we only looked at three. We just knew that Cielo Farms, a small vineyard tucked away in the Malibu hills, was perfect for us!

I knew I wanted long sleeves, as it would best fit my silhouette. I only went to two bridal salons and maybe tried on 9 dresses in total, and immediately knew this was the dress. It has hand beaded/sewn detail all over with a sheer high neck in the front and an open back. It also had a slimline on the bottom half, so it didn’t feel too “poufy.” To me, it was the perfect mix of understated sexy. In fact, a lot of people asked me if it was vintage, which I thought was so cool because I think it means the dress is truly timeless. If I have a daughter one day, I’d love to keep it around as an option for her to wear. That would be so epic!

Justin and I rented a vintage 1964 light blue Ford Thunderbird to arrive in. It was great for pictures and our wedding video. The car was seriously so cool! However, it was pretty low to the ground and, as we were being filmed to get into the car and drive to our venue for the day, Justin ripped his pants….right along the crotch! We all just paused and didn’t know what to do. My bridesmaid’s mom was able to sew them up, but she told him “no sudden movements. These might last you for the ceremony and that’s it.” It was so funny watching him get into the car the second time, trying to barely move his body! And, funnily enough, the pants stayed together all night! We brought a backup pair and sneakers just in case. I also told everyone, if he were to change, it would be one of the few weddings in history where the groom does an outfit change and the bride doesn’t!

I can’t stress how important it is that the day is about both of you and not just the bride. I would personally suggest making sure both of you are equally involved in the planning process. That way the day feels like it represents both of you, plus the stress of planning isn’t just sitting on one person’s shoulders.

We did our first dance to “No Hard Feelings” by The Avett Brothers because it is mine and Justin‘s favorite song and one of our favorite bands of all time. Every time we listen to the song we just get all the feels. It’s so emotionally beautiful.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Wanderlust Creatives
Day-Of Coordination – At Last Planning
Venue – Cielo Farms
Floral Design – Best Day Ever Floral Design
Catering – Contemporary Catering
DJ – David Newton
Live Music – Professional Folk
Videography – Klassey Productions
Stationery – Minted
Hair and Makeup Artist – Absolutely Beautiful
Wedding Dress – Bo and Luca from Loho Bride
Bridal Accessories – Luna Bea
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Fame and Partners
Groom and Groomsmen’s Apparel – Suitsupply
Rings – Aprés Jewelry and Everett Fine Jewelry
Getting Ready and First Look Location – Native Hotel
Transportation – Drive Vinty

Congratulations to Lauren and Justin, and our biggest thanks to Wanderlust Creatives for sharing this lovely Cielo Farms wedding with Junebug! Love the idea of getting married at a vineyard? Then you have to see this modern chic British Columbia vineyard wedding at Poplar Grove Winery!

After Weeks of Rain, the Sun Shone on This Boho Maleny Retreat Wedding in Queensland

June 23, 2019 | Junebug Weddings

black coral kelly green light pink sage green

The sunshine is always the most beautiful after a rainstorm, and Eliza and Michael’s Maleny Retreat wedding weekend was no exception! The couple took full advantage of the break in the weather and the venue’s incredible location for an outdoor ceremony with a view of the mountains. For the reception, the couple set up tipis and decorated with garlands and pretty blooms designed by Heavenly Blooms that truly made the bohemian feel come to life. Eliza also channeled that boho vibe into her look with a two-piece Karen Willis Holmes ensemble and jaw-dropping bouquet. Between the beautiful landscape, the romantic moments, and all the pretty details, this wedding was a total dream. Juddric Photography did a brilliant job capturing it all!

The Couple:

Eliza and Michael

The Wedding:

Maleny Retreat, Queensland, Australia

Ensuring that our guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves was central to every planning decision we made. We wanted to create an event that wasn’t just about us; we wanted our wedding to also be about the guests. Everyone we invited had contributed to our lives in some way and this was our chance to give thanks. Therefore, the entire day was centered around a super relaxed vibe, where everyone felt comfortable to let down their hair and have a really, really good time!

Seeing each other for the first time as we met at the aisle was the most memorable part of our day. The weather had finally cleared after weeks of non-stop rain, our venue’s breathtaking views were finally on display, and the entire crowd was cheering for us. It was such an incredible atmosphere — especially seeing all of our family and friends together. It will forever be one of the happiest moments of our lives!

At the brilliant suggestion of our celebrant, we held all of our speeches during the ceremony. We invited our siblings to be the speakers for us and, as such, the speeches were a perfect mix of insanely hilarious and deeply personal. It was such a special part of the day for us and really set the tone for the entire event.

Working with our photographer, Judd, was definitely a highlight of the entire wedding experience. Both Michael and I are incredibly awkward in front of a camera, yet Judd’s professionalism and supremely relaxed nature allowed us to really enjoy the process. We wanted our photos to be as real and as raw as the day itself, and Judd captured this perfectly. We cannot thank him enough!

Working with like-minded people was really important when planning our wedding. Neither of us had ever planned an event like this before and we really wanted to ensure that it reflected us as a couple. We took our time and spent months searching for suppliers before reaching out to anyone and looking back it was absolutely the best thing we did. In the end, we were incredibly fortunate to be able to work with not only an amazing group of professionals but also some of the very best people we’ve ever met.