• Real Weddings

This garden romance wedding at Serendipity Gardens is the epitome of California style! Gaby and Josh opted to keep things simple and romantic for their wedding, but we have to say that this gorgeous day is anything but simple!

After a freak rainstorm, these two managed to throw one gorgeous party with a natural chic design and intimate vibe, and just wait till you read their proposal story below (it’s so darn cute!) See the highlights below from Jennifer Lourie Photography and in the full gallery.

fROM Jennifer Lourie Photography

Gaby and Josh wanted their day to be the definition of "simple and romantic." While I can definitely agree that the day was the epitome of romantic, it might have been lacking the simple! In that rare Southern California fashion, a storm rolled in, with warnings of flood and torrential downpour. 

"On the day of our wedding, to it was pouring rain two hours before we were scheduled to walk down the aisle. We crossed our fingers and hoped that it would clear out by the time we were going to walk down the aisle. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate during our first look so our videographer and photographer did an amazing job in responding to difficult circumstances. By the time we were getting ready to walk down the aisle the weather cleared up and you would’ve never thought it was raining cats and dogs hours before. We couldn’t have thought of a more perfect day for our wedding. "

the cutest storybook proposal  ever

What I love about these two, is how their history plays such an important part in their present. Even elements from their proposal was scattered throughout their wedding details. "Fast forward ten years later, Josh had a one-of-a-kind book made with one-of-a-kind illustrations of a Giraffe and Elephant (the nicknames given to them by friends when they first started dating in high school) depicting Josh and Gaby's love story the past ten years. Josh gave the book to Gaby on their ten year anniversary, and at the end of the book the last page had a Giraffe holding a ring and ask "Will you marry me?""

the venue

The rustic venue was a perfect place for the two to tie the knot, and amidst the rain, there was not a dry eye in the house. "We chose Serendipity Gardens because we were blown away with the scenery and we loved that it had the rustic and intimate vibe we were looking for in a venue. Our color scheme was based off simplicity and we felt the dusty green was a good complementary color with the scenery at Serendipity Gardens.

Budget breakdown

Curious what a romantic wedding like this may cost you? The couple was awesome enough to share their totals with us below! 

 Venue for ceremony and reception, catering, DJ: $24,000
Cake: $525
Florist: $2,000
Photography gifted by parents: $3,000
Videography gifted by parents: $3,500
Hair and Makeup Artist: $200
Wedding dress + Shoes: $900
Rings: $1,500
Favors and Gifts: $300
Total budget: $35,000

• Accessories & Lingerie: Vince Camuto
• Cakes & Catering: Michelle’s Bakery
• Flowers: Martha Scott
• Groom & His Men: Ralph Lauren Corporation
• Hair, Makeup & Beauty: The Bridal Beauty Pros
• Lighting, Entertainment & Photo Booth: DJ Kevro
• Officiants: Alan Katz
• Photographers: Jennifer Lourie Photography
• Venue: Serendipity Gardens
• Wedding Dresses: Mon Cheri Bridal