Sophisticated Calamigos Ranch Wedding

What happens when you get a dream team like Christianne Taylor Weddings, Vanessa Noel Events, and Blomma Bloem Design together? Pure magic in the form of this Malibu wedding, that’s what. Read on for more of Courtney and Aaron’s cute proposal story and an eye-catching ranunculus-filled reception:

From the bride, Courtney: Aaron and I met while we were both serving on staff at Mt. Hermon Christian Conference Center. We endured two years of long distance relationship, sticking together through thick and thin. One weekend last summer, we went to stay at his parent’s house on the almond farm. Early Saturday morning, he begged me to come with him to check the irrigation system, to which I finally agreed after he tried a few attempts! Still in my pajamas, he lead me to a picnic set up under the trees. I asked him if this was for us, and he just smiled at me, continuing to hold my hand as we walked towards the blanket. After a very thoughtful game, he asked me to marry him, to which I ecstatically said yes!

Aaron and I decided we wanted to get married rather quickly, which meant I would finally be able to plan my own wedding, something I have always been very excited to do! Once the venue was nailed down, I was absolutely thrilled to put details of different colors and textures together to make the perfect combination of everything we love. We wanted the wedding to feel very simple, elegant, a bit rustic and yet cozy, all at the same time. A lot of DIY projects were completed, including Aaron and his dad cutting through a fallen tree to make centerpieces for the tables! Other projects included cutting escort cards and tying them all with twine to little glass vases which that were all filled with ranunculus. My friends and I painted all of the table numbers, bought all of the mason jars for the vases, tied them with string, collected lace to be part of the trellis behind the altar. My maids of honor and I spent an entire day making table overlays out of canvas drop cloth and fringing the edges with forks to add some subtle texture to the tables.

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Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? Enjoy the process. Remember the joy you had when you said yes. This should be the driving force behind preparing for your big day. Details will come, details will pass. Let the need for perfection go. Take a few moments during your wedding day to intentionally stop and take mental snapshots. You will only have this day once!

From the event coordinator, Vanessa of Vanessa Noel Events: Courtney and Aaron are one of those couples that make you believe in Nicholas Sparks novels and life-long love. They are both incredibly thoughtful of one another and their families and find so much joy in just being with each other. Courtney has a laid back creativity to her that made her a fantastic bride to work with: easy-going, imaginative, and so open to possibilities. She finds inspiration in a lot of places — like when she called me to say that she had seen the most beautiful sheer fabric flags at a store display in Free People. She was so inspired by them that she asked if she could have them when the store changed their display and the flags became the most beautiful sweetheart table decor! Aaron’s family has been farming almonds for years (and he proposed in the middle of his family’s orchard!) so tying in that tradition was a natural choice. Wood disks for the centerpieces were cut from fallen trees and small bags of almonds from the family’s farm were given as favors. Every inch of the wedding was filled to the brim with Courtney and Aaron’s love, tradition and faith.

Wedding Location: Malibu, CA / Photographer: Christianne Taylor Weddings / Event Design and Coordination: Vanessa Noel Events / Floral Design: Blomma Bloem Design / Venue: Calamigos Ranch / Wedding Dress: Bridal Elegance / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Forever 21, ASOS, Free People, Nordstrom Rack / Groom’s Suit: Macy’s / Groomsmen Attire: Kohl’s / Wedding Cake: Susie’s Cakes / Ceremony Musicians: Friends Of The Bride / DJ: Trevor Welch / Wedding Invitations: Smitten on Paper