We can all say that in high school we imagined where our life would be in ten years. Will you be married to your high school sweet heart? Will you have kids? Will you be a fabulous wedding photographer and run a Totally Rad business? In the Boutwell’s case the answer is yes, yes and yes. After ten-years of marriage, two precious babies and a whole lot of love, we are happy to share with Chenin and Doug Boutwell’s ten year anniversary wedding.

Artistically captured by Hugh Forte Photography and stylishly designed by Amanda, In The Now Weddings and Events. To see more you simply must peruse the entire gallery by clicking here.

From Amanda, In The Now Weddings and Events

I was blown away and totally honored when Chenin approached me about designing her event for her and Doug’s 10 year vow renewal. She told me up front how similar she thought our styles were- and she was right! We both tend to lean towards clean, timeless looks with a little twist of modern, but never losing the romantic vibe that should always mingle at events. We started with a semi-masculine color palette [which is always my fave- and Chenin is the same way] of poppy orange, peach, gray, and natural greens.

We also created a “focal point” from the mantle area, creating a custom cover that hung over the existing stone structure; making the site look just-built for the event [my favorite!!]. Every detail was picked by Chenin and Doug by hand- and I truly could not love more how everything came together! This was a group effort, a labor of love, and one of the funnest events I’ve ever been a part of designing. And on the day of the event- magic was in the air! Truly a beautiful, flawless, tear-filled event!

Since 85% of the guest count [maybe more, even] were in the wedding industry, we kept pushing ourselves to find details that would be enjoyable, gorgeous and fun for this crowd to be a part of! Oversized pillows in gold sequin and colored textures, along with custom monogrammed ones, filled our ceremony area [turned-dance-floor, turned-lounge-area] with color and personality.

A bourbon tasting bar was enjoyed by nearly ALL the male guests at the party, a true Doug touch! We custom printed “thank you” notes from Chenin and Doug onto their cocktail napkins so that each guest would remember how thankful the couple is for them.

Since she isn’t into big, formal, fancy arrangements, we knew that the nature-inspired venue would lend itself well to using greens abundantly in her centerpieces. That’s where Megan from Honey and Poppies came in- her textural genius with foliage is something that I feel has no competition in our area. So, she was an easy match for this event! Chenin knew this party would be an intimate event, so we planned for one long seated dining table with strung patio lights above for ambiance. We finished the neutral textured linen with a flashy gold runner for pop!

Assigning the place settings made the party feel even that much more personal- so we took the opportunity to use vinyl stickers of their names that were adhered right to the guests’ plate rim. A gray paper menu wrapped the plate and sat on top of a warm orange napkin to add just enough color to this muted palette. My favorite part was likely the play on ivory and white- something we don’t see nearly enough of [and I looove it when people combine the two at events!!]. Chenin’s event was also one of the FIRST to use these farm chairs [brand new to Signature Rentals for the 2012 season]; a great hint of rustic without giving off a “tired” vibe.

Photographer: Hugh Forte
Cake: Sweet and Saucy Shop
Caterer: Iva Lee’s
DJ: Peter Papadopolous, Vive Inc.
Dress Designer: BHLDN
Flowers: Honey and Poppies
Lighting: Jim Izzo, Honored Occasions
Shoe Designer: Vivienne Westwood
Graphics and Vinyl Details: Creative Media Print
Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen
Bartending: Sunseri’s
Rentals- Signature Party Rentals
Flatware: Classic Party Rentals
Old Fashioned Photobooth: Photoworks Interactive
Venue: Maison Des Oliviers | Officiant: Chenin’s Uncle

Beth and Adam wanted a relaxed wedding day that celebrated who they were and wanted to create a fabulous time for friends and family. They decided to have a rooftop brunch wedding in St. Augustine, Florida at the The White Room Loft & Rooftop. Complete with paper flowers, a favorite local band and mimosas aplenty.

A steal-worthy idea from this relaxed Florida wedding is asking guests to wear hats to your wedding. Especially if it is a sunny affair. Not only will everyone look fabulous, but also makes for a great conversation starter for guests. You can see more pretty pictures like the bridesmaid bouquet with a paper flower in the full gallery captured by Studio222 Photography.

We love that the couple incorporated paper flowers throughout their entire day. They look especially beautiful intermingled with the loose natural flowers. Fits in perfectly with the relaxed theme.

Beth and Adam also utilized our free printables. They took the Bunting Free Printable Save the Date Cards and turned them into wedding programs. Most of our free wedding downloads can be used this way. Since the text can be customized, you really can make anything you want. From free wedding invites to wedding programs and menus – we have got you covered.

Photographer: Studio222 Photography
Venue: The White Room Loft & Rooftop
Cake: Defore’s Cake Design
Caterer: O.C. White’s
Coordinator: Meghan Berman
DJ: Aslyn & The Naysayers
Dress Designer: Sarah Danielle
Flowers: The Conservatorie Floral & Event Design
Stationery: Raintree Graphics
Wedding Programs: Wedding Chicks
Paper Products: St. Augustine Paper Co. | Makeup: Michelle Axtell Hair: Callie Hish (bride’s friend) | Veil or Hair Accessories: homemade |
Favors: Luli’s Cupcakes

Justin Vineyards in Paso Robles is one of those locations that you can count on for an exquisite vineyard wedding. Offering an elegant wine-country style wedding  amidst some breathtaking vineyards. Add in some beautiful florals by one of our Hand-Picked wedding vendors April Flowers and you are guaranteed to have a stunning event. See more of this Justin Vineyards wedding in the full gallery. Captured by William McKee. Be sure to check out more beautiful vineyard wedding by clicking here.

From The Bride On Justin Vineyards & Winery
Our wedding planning happened pretty easily. Jeff and I were living on the East Coast when we met several years ago. Over Christmas vacations, we would travel back to Los Angeles (where I grew up) to visit my parents and escape to the sunshine and warmth. It quickly became an annual tradition of ours to drive up to the Central Coast for wine tasting and relaxation, which is where we first fell in love with Justin Vineyards. When we arrived at Justin for the first time, the grounds blew us away. The location is secluded and peaceful – not only an escape from the big city, but even escape from the small towns in the area! It was a dream and when we went saw it we both remarked what a lovely spot it would be for a wedding. A few years later after Jeff proposed, we quickly knew that Justin would be our spot.

After selecting the location, the vendors were next up. I scoured website and blogs looking for inspiration for my own wedding and trying to match vendor styles with my own. I found April Flowers after coming across a blog that presented a wedding that I fell in love with. The flowers had a sophisticated yet rustic elegance, which was exactly what I wanted. The use of different textures and styles created depth and individuality and I knew then that April is who I wanted.

From The Blog on Her Wedding Vendors

William McKee the photographer was also instrumental in making our day so special. I found the photographer from the same blog where I found April. After several phone conversations and our engagement shoot, William quickly felt more like a friend and helped the day to feel so relaxed. Also, his work is so beautiful that we’re still having trouble deciding which ones to put into a book!
Niki and Jonnell of Events Redefined brought the whole thing together seamlessly. I had several vendors remark how thorough and well-planned everything was. They completely took the weight off my shoulders and made the day stress-free. Overall, we wanted our wedding to be a small and simple rustic wedding at twilight. (In fact, our wedding had only 35 people total, including us!) It was important to me to personalize our big day by handcrafting a large share of the decorations. My mom, bridesmaid, and I spent many summer evenings making burlap wreaths while drinking wine and enjoying girly conversation. Also, I’m a lace girl and looked for ways to incorporate it into the wedding. While not overtly obvious, there were lace-like details on the strung paper doilies around the cocktail/dancing tent and in the wooden clothespin decorations used on the cupcake table.”

Photographer: William McKee
Event Designer: Events Redefined
Stationery: Hello Lucky
Venue: Justin Vineyards
Makeup: The Queen’s Bees – Jessi and Asha
Hair: same as makeup
Cake: Cassie’s Custom Cakes
DJ: Kramer Entertainment
Dress Designer: Angelina Bridal
Flowers: April Flowers
Groom’s Attire: Custom made by My Tailor

It may be the middle of winter, but that will not stop us from sharing a litte more bright and colorful prettiness with you. This time we are headed for San Luis Obispo, California; home to one of our favorite Hand-Picked florists April Flowers. This top notch floral designer is responsible for that beautiful bouquet above and all the sweet and lovely flowers at this crafty fun Caballos Ranch Wedding. You can see so much more from  Samuel Potter in the full wedding gallery by clicking here.

From the bride….
As soon as Tim and I saw the Flying Caballos Ranch portrayed on a wedding blog, we knew it was where we’d get married.  We booked it before we even saw it in person!  With most of our family travelling from out-of-state, we knew we wanted to maximize time with them, so we booked the ranch for the whole weekend so our intermediate family could stay on property with us.  We invited all the out-of-town family to a casual rehearsal barbeque on Friday night as well as a brunch on Sunday morning.  It all turned out so well! Everyone had such a fun time together.
Planning was actually a lot of fun!  It’s kind of amazing to look back and see how it all just came together!  We wanted a fun, festive, this-is-us feeling to exude from the moment our guests stepped on the ranch.  I think we achieved hat through all the crafty projects we worked so hard on – the bunting flags, hand-made napkins, yarn-wrapped wine bottles, burlap table runners.  My Mom was so amazing – she made the embroidered table numbers and the sock monkey cake toppers as well as revamping her wedding veil so I could wear it; that was so special to me.  We carefully chose all of the music to reflect our personalities and were lucky enough to find a fantastic local rock/blues band play at cocktail hour.  We bought all of our wine from the winery where we got engaged in Sonoma. I whole-heartedly believe the whole event wouldn’t have come together without all the help from our family and friends in the days leading up to the big day. And our vendors!  They were all just fabulous!  It was so fun to work with each of them.  They totally ‘got’ us and made very helpful suggestions to help make our day so special.  We live in bustling San Francisco and it was so refreshing to go to San Luis Obispo every other month and enjoy the laid-back attitude and beauty of the area.  Sure there were hiccups during the planning process and, of course, on the actual day, but we were just so happy to finally get married. And to make those vows in such a special place.  It was truly our dream wedding!

April Flowers is one of our exclusive The Hand-Picked Vendors. Hand-Picked Vendors are at the top of their game and provide excellent services! These vendors are chosen because of their commitment to excellence, stylish and fresh ideas, and their overall fresh approach to weddings. To learn more about how our Hand-Picked Vendors are chosen please click here.

Photographer: Samuel Potter
Caterer: Pacific Harvest Events
Lighting & DJ: Kramer Entertainment
Desserts: Eclair Bakery
Venue: Flying Caballos Guest Ranch

We have super fun, modern playful wedding for you. Even better they used a few of our free printables to make their special day even more fantastic. The theme was,”Up In The Clouds.” Of course you need to have your wedding as high up as possible if that is your theme. So, The Pasadena Museum of California Art seems like such a natural choice.

As you can see, everything is simple and modern keeping with the up in the clouds theme. Bridesmaid in bright sky blue dresses, floral arrangements popping with color and a very clever way to portray the sun and clouds and the reception. This Modern Rooftop Wedding was captured by Adrienne Gunde. You can see all the photos in the full wedding gallery by clicking here.

From The Bride:

While planning the wedding, I adored all the wedding creativity I saw on wedding blogs, in particular, Wedding Chicks. We pored over the DIY & Downloads section and were tickled when we came upon the perfect Save the Dates for our wedding: the Airplane Save the Dates. We loved the retro vibe of the customized the Airplane Save the Dates to our wedding colors. To save money, we e-mailed the Save the Dates to our guests.

We wanted our wedding to pop with happy, bold colors. We love color, and our color palette began with a subdued blue and green (more specifically, Mint and Deep Ocean, according to Wedding Chicks color palette for our electronic Save the Dates) and ballooned to include sunshine yellow, hot pink, and bright orange. We also could not resist using varying shades of blue and green throughout the wedding.

The escort cards (printed on cloud address labels) and cheery yellow billy balls sprouted from beds of cotton “clouds” which filled a wooden box that adorned our escort card table.

We found a woodblock print of a cloud, which inspired our invitations. The fun customized invitations featured woodblock print clouds designed by our stationer Papercake Designs and our interpretation of the PMCA rooftop. The RSVP cards gave guests two options: “OH YES. can’t wait.” or “OH DEAR! can’t make it.” The invitation sets were mailed in sunshine yellow envelopes, and we used a typewriter font to print out each guest’s name/address to give our invitations more of a fun, retro feel.
Our amazing wedding coordinator Uyen Nguyen of Sassy Girl Weddings & Events worked with us and with our other vendors to design and incorporate cloud details into the wedding. We had loads of fun with our theme.

Eric crafted the hanging clouds floating over the guests at the rooftop reception. There were individual clouds as well as clusters. To create the hanging clouds, Eric magnified varying cloud designs from our invites, pasted the images on foam board, cut the edges to resemble clouds, and attached each ensemble to fish wire. We interspersed the hanging clouds with yellow lanterns that were an interpretation of the sun.

The PhotoBooth Sign! We printed out the freebie from the Wedding Chicks website, pasted the sign on foam board, and propped it up on a striped green tray.

Photographer: Adrienne Gunde

Event Designer: Sassy Girl Weddings
Venue: Pasadena Museum of California Art
Makeup: Theresa Huang
Hair: Theresa Huang
Caterer: Lawrys Catering
Cinematography: Studio West Video
Coordinator: Sassy Girl Weddings
DJ: Premiere Events Group
Flowers: Commerce Flowers
Lighting: Ambiance Party Lighting
Shoe Designer: Ivanka Trump
Stationery: Papercake Designs
Photobooth: Rockstar Photobooth

Before winter officially arrives, we have to fit in as much fall goodness as possible. So, let’s fly on over to Flagstaff, Arizona for some Rustic Fall Wedding Inspiration. With beautiful Fall colors, sweet DIY details and the perfect mountain setting and all captured by one of our favorite Orange County Wedding photographers Chenin Boutwell. Can’t get more perfect than this.

Be sure to take note of Ashley’s wedding sash, incredibly dreamy and made with love by her mom. See the sash and more rustic wedding details in the full gallery by clicking here.

Chenin Boutwell is one of our exclusive Hand-Picked Vendors. Hand-Picked Vendors are at the top of their game and provide excellent services! These vendors were chosen because of their commitment to excellence, stylish and fresh ideas, and their overall fresh approach to weddings. To learn more about how our Hand-Picked Vendors are chosen please click here.

Photographer: Chenin Boutwell
Deserts: Truffle Truffle

Venue: Forest Highlands Golf Club
Coordinator: Chrisy Speer
Flowers: Jenn Wood
Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas

You can always count on Palm Springs for a stylish wedding. Amy and Ethan had their ceremony at the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway and then headed to the Movie Colony Hotel for their wedding reception.

Keeping everything super Palm Springs, they had an Elivis impersonator as a DJ and as you see, some very stylish retro invites. All designed by the bride. After guests danced the night away, they were treated to custom doughnut boxes from Dough a Deer that matched their wedding stationery. Nothing like a sweat treat to end the night.

To see more of this Movie Colony Hotel Wedding that was captured by Stephanie Tracy  click here.

Photographer: Stephanie Tracy
Event Designer: Sugar Branch Events
Coordinator: Sugar Branch Events
Flowers: Sugar Branch Events

Reception:  Movie Colony Hotel
Venue: Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway
Makeup: Taylor Made Bridal
Hair: Taylor Made Bridal
Cake: Handmade by Brother and Sister In Law
Caterer: Jennifers Fine Foods and Catering
DJ: Phil Shane
Dress Designer: La Sposa
Groom’s Attire: The Suspender Store
Shoe Designer: Kate Spade
Stationery: Mixed Medium Designs
Dress Sash: Glam House
Donut Favors: Dough a Deer
Groom’s Ties: Express
Bridesmaids Dresses:Suzi Chin

We have a treat for you today from Crafthouse Productions and Aaron Shintaku. They traveled to Mexico city to document an over the top Indian inspired wedding. Stay tuned to see the entire feature. Let us know what you think of this extravaganza.

Photographer: Aaron Shintaku
Cinematography: Crafthouse Productions