Lovable Backyard Wedding With A Dashing Alpaca Guest
All hail this lovable backyard wedding with a tuxedo-wearing alpaca! Seriously, we can’t imagine a stronger way to start our week than with these Nick and Kendal’s cheery day. Modern floral hoops bedeck the woodsy ceremony space, a dessert room honoring all the best family recipes plays star at the reception and the couple’s sweet pup, Navy, makes her flower girl debut in all her furry glory. Talk about a wedding that tells a unique story!
Brooke Borough gives us a glimpse into this couple’s effervescent joy in the moments captured here in this gallery. Her bright photos are just what the doctor ordered!
Of course, Details, Darling is the mastermind behind this backyard soiree, coordinating all the sweet personal touches that make this day so unique.
Cutest. Picture. EVER.
This braided ponytail from Lucy Daniels is a hero in its own right!
We love this idea of the bridesmaids writing sweet notes on her bridal shoes before she walks down the aisle!
Shindig Chic gives us blooms aplenty in the protea-filled bouquets, ceremony hoops and even a wreath for the flower pup.
From the bride, Kendal: Nick and I met on Tinder. We grew up down a few miles apart, but never met until we both swiped right. Trying to navigate crazy schedules and a lot of time apart, we fell in love. This summer we went on a trip to Lake Powell, Arizona – somewhere I’ve always wanted to go. He asked a lady to take our photo in front of Horseshoe Bend, and she apologized that she was not good with cameras in broken English. I stood smiling figuring we’d ask someone else to take another photo later until I realized Nick was getting down on one knee. As the lady is yelling, “wait, wait, wait,” he tells me, ” I knew I loved you since the moment you walked out of that portapotty. Kendal Sears, will you marry me?” I said yes. (There is still some debate on which portapotty emergence he was speaking of). He said he had champagne waiting for us back at our tent. When we drove up, to both our parents who had driven all the way from Ventura County waiting to celebrate with us (minus my dad being in the bathroom, it’s a common theme).
The wedding was inspired by our relationship. A fun, and a little unconventional. It featured the people and places that matter to us most.
Ceremony
We got married on the trail I used to walk home from my elementary school on when I was little. We wanted our grandmothers and my mom to be a part of the ceremony so they were walked by Nick’s groomsmen, except the best man who walked our flower girl (our dog, Navy). One of our good friends, we call Hotdog, married us in a shirt covered in sunglasses. Without knowing it, we both talked about Tapitio, Taco Bell, and our beloved dog, Tank, who had just passed in our vows.
This fluid driftwood escort card display Rachel Carl Calligraphy is ICONIC.
Details
The reception was held at my childhood home. Thankfully my dad and Nick are quite the handymen. Each element had a little Nick and Kendal twist on it. The flower vases were pickle jars I had been saving thanks to my dad’s love of pickles. Our flowers had protea to honor my grandfather that lived in Hawaii who had past. The bar was made by my father from the wood that Nick and his grandfather Opapa used to build a tree house when he was younger. Our cocktail napkins captured all these fun facts. My father also built a herringbone wall that featured our first dance chorus. And the habit food truck was the epitome of our wedding’s vibe.
Elegant naked cake from KT Cakes with a topper we’re obsessing over!
Pieces from Party Pleasers create a cozy ambiance with an elevated flair – can all backyard weddings take note?
These acrylic table numbers with calligraphy from Details, Darling are one of our favorite touches!
Dessert Room
The dessert room was a special place for Nick and I because it was the place we first moved in together. We had pictures of our loved ones, such as Tank who had passed, on display to remember in our dessert room. On the other side of the room, we framed pictures of past weddings in our family. These were featured above cookies baked the women from both families along with recipes to take home as party favors. I made a custom flower photo booth and donut wall for the day.
The People
Our band was led by a family friend, Johnny Duarte, who rocked the house and surprised us with a cake cutting song. The tasty appetizers were also provided by another family friend, Abo Pedroza. We were honored to share our wedding date with the birth of our insanely talented photographer, Brooke Borough‘s beautiful daughter. She collaborated with the amazing Rachel Owens to shoot our special day. Our videographer, Taylor Ricketts, blew us away. Our stunning flowers were styled by Angelena Moio from Shindig Chic. The cake was created by Katie Auerbach of KT Cakes. Hair was styled by Lucy Daniels , and Valerie Greene did the girls’ makeup. Details, Darling was our coordinator. We could not have been happier with our team.
I almost forgot the hero and crowd favorite Stewart, the alpaca, who attended the event dressed to the nines.
(PSA: We’re still obsessing over their sweetheart table backdrop with signage from Happily Ever Etched!)
The video from Moonlight Media has us melting!
Currently, Nick is pursuing a job as a firefighter and I’m a first grade teacher. We spent our summer working on our fixer upper house with our two puppies, Finn and Navy. We let people follow our journey on Instagram!
Wedding Vendors:
Photography: Brooke Borough Photography
Videography: Moonlight Media
Event Planning, Design and Calligraphy: Details, Darling
Floral Design: Shindig Chic
Hair Stylist: Lucy Daniels
Makeup Artist: Valerie Greene
Drift Wood Escort Cards: Rachel Carl Calligraphy
Laser-cut Signage: Happily Ever Etched
Catering: The Habit Burger Grill and Abo Pedroza
Cake: KT Cakes
Rentals: Party Pleasers
Band: Johnny Duarte