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Big Family-Style Wedding With An Intimate Feel

Bride and groom embracing at outdoor wedding ceremony

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.

Elegant white mules with vibrant pom pom flower detail

Bride in lace dress puts on pompom mules before wedding Pastel ranunculus bouquet in a green vase by window

Bride in lace gown holding floral bouquet outdoors

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.

Bridesmaids in dresses pose outdoors with the happy bride Bride and bridesmaids laughing together outdoors in dresses

Bride gently touches her grooms cheek on wedding day

Groom and groomsmen smiling outdoors in suits and ties Rustic wedding boutonnieres with name tags in wood box

Outdoor wedding ceremony seating on a grassy hillside

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.

Outdoor wedding altar adorned with pampas grass decor Wine barrel with wine cup and prayer shawl outdoors

Elegant wedding ketubah displayed on an easel outside

Bride and groom at a Jewish wedding ceremony outdoor

Outdoor wedding ceremony on a sunny day with bridal party Jewish wedding bride drinks wine under flowered chuppah

Bride and groom kiss at their outdoor Jewish wedding

Newlyweds walk hand in hand at outdoor wedding ceremony

Groom lifts bride for kiss at outdoor wedding venue

Happy couple in wedding embrace bride gets cheek kiss Outdoor garden wedding couple walking hand in hand

Outdoor reception seating chart with botanical design

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.

Scenic outdoor wedding reception tables mountain view Scenic outdoor wedding reception table with flowers and lights

Beautiful outdoor table with flowers and mountain vista

Floral centerpiece on wedding reception table outdoor Wedding table number five with floral centerpiece and grapes

Outdoor wedding table flowers and menu for reception

Elegant long tables wedding reception outdoor setting Elegant banksia flower arrangement on a white table

Joyful newlyweds laughing walking on their wedding day

Romantic wedding dance of bride and groom outdoors Happy bride and groom dance at outdoor wedding party with guests

Joyful bride and groom at outdoor wedding ceremony

Joyful bride groom chair dance hora at wedding party

Outdoor wedding reception dinner with string lights above

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.

Rustic pavlova cake with fresh raspberries and flowers

Happy couple feeding cake wedding reception outdoors

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