• Real Weddings

For all of you couples out there planning a larger than life wedding, we have news for you, your wedding doesn’t have to feel as big as it is! That was the goal for this next lovely couple, and they completely pulled it off.

They focused their attention on what they wanted most: good food, family-style dining, and personal details that really made their Stonewall Ranch wedding in Malibu unique to them. Read more about the brides laid-back approach to planning below, and catch a closer look in the full gallery from OneLove photography.

Choose what's important

From the bride: From the get-go, we knew we wanted the venue to be outdoors and in nature. We love to be outside, so that was critical. Once we found Stonewall Ranch, we knew that all of our other vendors/features would have to work around it! The other piece that was really important to us was the food. From the beginning, we knew that having a family-style meal was a vital component to the feel of the reception. We were fortunate to find Little Nelly, our amazing caterer, for dinner, as well as prioritizing getting bread and desserts from our favorite bakery, Gjusta.

how to make your wedding unique

Our wedding, to us, was really a testament to our loving community, and we wanted guests to feel comfortable and intimate despite the fact that is was on the larger side. Our goal was to create a nice, outdoor dinner party vibe, with excellent food and drink. Throughout the process of planning, we found ourselves trying to stray away from many traditional or typical 'wedding-y' components, instead attempting to achieve an event more representative of us; for example, having Tecate beers and oysters to greet our guests, and Pavlova instead of a wedding cake.

florals to highlight the venue

The venue itself was absolutely stunning, so it didn't require a ton of additional decorative pieces to make a beautiful party. Our florist, The Little Branch, did an amazing job tapping into the natural beauty and creating pieces which accentuated the surrounding environment -- an orchard. She used fruit in many of her arrangements, which we loved. We choose long tables to encourage conversations amongst guests and make the family style dinner a bit easier to serve. Instead of having individual escort cards and paper menus which were likely to blow away in the wind, we had our stationer Lotus + Ash create a gorgeous large seating chart with botanical elements and a few wood-backed menus which were shared amongst the tables.

a laid-back approach to planning

Throughout the process of planning, so many people told me, "this day is ALL ABOUT YOU!" In reality, that couldn't have been farther from the truth. That fact, coupled with my complete lack of desire to become a bridezilla, meant that I took a very laid-back approach in planning. Flexibility was key. There were a few things I decided I really wanted (bread, brownies, and a pavlova from my favorite bakeries!), but remained calm about most everything else. There are so many people to accommodate when planning an event like this, and that's OKAY! If you can acknowledge that, and come to terms with it, then you'll be golden.

• Accessories & Lingerie: Luxury Flush, LLC
• Bakery: Gjusta
• Bar: THE WHALING CLUB
• Cakes & Catering: Joans on Third
• Cakes & Catering: Little Nelly
• DJ: RedShoe
• Event Planning & Design: Frankly Weddings
• Flowers: The Little Branch
• Generated Power: Star Power Generators
• Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Glam Squad
• Lighting: In The Mix Events
• Oyster Bar: Shucks Oyster Bar
• Rentals: La Piñata Party Rentals
• Stationery: Lotus + Ash
• Valet + Shuttle: American Limo Inc
• Venues: Stonewall Ranch
• Wedding Dresses: Shareen Bridal