A Spanish Revival wedding venue, reimagined in Californian hues
Ninety seven years ago, the beautiful Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens was born. It was built by the founder of San Clemente, Ole Hanson, to be his home. The Spanish Colonial Revival home not only watched the city grow over the years, but eventually became a historical and beloved landmark to the locals and visitors alike. In the Spring of 2023, California experienced an abundance of rain, ultimately leading to a devastating landslide that would cause Casa Romantica to briefly close its doors. The center acted quickly and began work on preserving the beloved landmark. A few short weeks later, the reimagined and restored Casa Romantica persevered by opening its doors again! To spread the word of its reopening, a team of local industry partners rallied together to show off Casa Romantica’s natural beauty in a styled wedding shoot.
Keep reading to see the coastal palette styled by Monge Amore Events and not one, but five talented floral designers. Captured in photo by Holly Sigafoos Photo and film by Memory Machine Films.
A couple's dream 2020 wedding
The lovely bride and groom pictured here are a real-life husband and wife, Taylor and Daniel, who had actually booked Casa Romantica for their 2020 wedding. Due to the pandemic, their plans were inevitably changed, however this styled shoot was a beautiful opportunity for them to finally get to experience the Casa Romantica wedding of their dreams. From florists creating a uniquely stunning floral arch surrounding the iconic keyhole door, to utilizing the new ocean-view ceremony and cocktail hour space, to the color palette used by Pure Essence Beauty Collective for the bride’s makeup - it’s clear that the venue’s natural beauty still shines brighter than ever and that every challenge brings new possibilities for innovation and creativity at Casa Romantica. With a few new touches, the Reimagined Casa Romantica will continue to be a place for couples to showcase their love and hearts with their family and friends for years to come.
Tropical floral ceremony with an ocean view
Not one, but five, florists made the day overflow with colorful blooms! Lynne Lucente Floral Designs, Fantasy Floral Designs, The Tangled Vine Designs, The Bloom of Time, and Petite Bouquet wove a rainbow of petals throughout the venue - emphasizing the neutral palette of the space. As quoted by Lynne Lucente Florals, “The creative juices begin to flow, and the excitement builds. It’s like being given a beautiful painting and having the opportunity of bringing it to life in order to make it dance!” The entire vendor team was focused on highlighting every detail of the venue so Casa Romantica’s natural beauty could shine that day!”
DIY Welcome Wedding Floral Box
Learn how to build a welcome wedding sign that doubles as a floral box just like this one. Step by step instructions right this way!
Tropical ceremony with an ocean view
Ninety seven years ago, the beautiful Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens was born. Overlooking breathtaking ocean views, Casa Romantica is the dreamiest backdrop for a Californian wedding! The historical significance of the space is easy to see from the rich architecture to the tropical foliage. The center was built by the founder of San Clemente, Ole Hanson, to be his home. The Spanish Colonial Revival home not only watched the city grow over the years, but eventually became a historical and beloved landmark to the locals and truly everyone who has had the privilege to walk its grounds. In the late 1980s, Casa Romantica became a cultural arts center and botanical garden. It was the true representation of the California dream. The center has been home to hundreds of multicultural events, educational programs, weddings, and welcomes over 40,000 guests a year.
The venue offers two different ceremony locations, each with a unique aesthetic! To learn more, donate to their Building Hope, Preserving History campaign, or book Casa Romantica for your wedding or next private event, visit www.casaromantica.org.
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Modern gold cocktail hour bar
Several rentals were provided to create the vintage chic style for the shoot! We love details such as this gold bar, adorned with the cutest pink cocktails. These rentals & signage for the day were from Mikala Ashley Decor, Jen Simpson Design, Create A Party Rentals, and Sundrop Vintage Event Rentals Orange County.
Succulent seafood station
24 Carrots’ raw bar featuring jumbo gulf shrimp, seasonal oysters, and lobster tail was placed in front of the newly-accessible fireplace “Grotto” at Casa Romantica. This served as the perfect space for the food station, including additional catering by Sundried Tomato Bistro. Aw shucks, we love it!
Vintage coastal wedding palette
It was important to the planners and designers of the shoot, Ashley, Mikala and Taylor of Monge Amore Events, to show how versatile Casa Romantica’s grounds are and that the stunning Spanish coastal backdrop that so many brides desire was not lost! The team’s vision for the shoot was “vintage coastal” highlighting the historical coastal components that represent Casa Romantica and the city of San Clemente. The color palette included coastal blues, soft peaches and pinks, ivory and natural greenery playing into the coastal elegance and California dream that Casa Romantica represents.
https://vimeo.com/910886202
Holly Sigafoos photographed this special day noting, “The combination of the ocean view, the Spanish architecture, and the lush gardens creates a truly magical setting for any wedding.” It was an especially memorable day for Memory Machine Films as the venue is “...a stone’s throw from our own home. Casa Romantica holds a special place for us. As one of the warmest, inviting, open and beautiful venues we’ve seen - it quickly stole our hearts after filming our very first wedding there.”
A dessert bar with edible "pearl" bon bons
Plumeria Cake Studio crafted a fabulously vintage cake and dessert station as a sweet end to this lovely shoot! Our favorite touch was the pearl shaped bon bons as a coastal themed treat.
A timeless getaway ride
No vintage inspired wedding would be complete without a timeless getaway ride! Tooker Classics provided this elegant antique car as an excellent wedding day touch.
Thank you to Monge Amore Events for sharing this gorgeous editorial and highlighting the reimagined Casa Romantica! Be sure to check out the full gallery of photos from Holly Sigafoos Photo below.
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- Wedding Dresses: Styled by TC
- Cakes & Catering: Plumeria Cake Studio
- Cakes & Catering: Sundried Tomato Bistro
- Cakes & Catering: 24 Carrots Catering and Events
- Signage: Mikala Ashley Decor
- Flowers: Lynne Lucente Floral Designs
- Flowers: Fantasy Floral Designs
- Flowers: The Tangled Vine Designs
- Flowers: The Bloom of Time
- Flowers: Petite Bouquet
- Dress & Apparel: David Jones
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Pure Essence Beauty Collective
- Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Jen Simpson Design
- Wedding Photographers: Holly Sigafoos Photo
- Rentals: Create A Party Rentals
- Rentals: Sundrop Vintage Event Rentals Orange County
- Travel & Transportation: Tooker Classics
- Wedding Films: Memory Machine Films
- Event Planning & Design: Monge Amore Events
- Venues: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens