Modern San Diego Wedding

As soon as I saw this bride’s ruffled wedding gown, I knew this wedding was going to be a smash hit — and the floral design and styling from Adorations and Bellz & Whistlez absolutely did not disappoint. Jackie Wonders captured all the details, including the signage and paper goods which are a new favorite of mine!

From the bride, Christine: The one thing we were 100% sure about from the moment we started planning our wedding was that we wanted it to be an amazing experience for our guests and not just your typical wedding that they felt they could have attended before. So what better way than to have a destination wedding?! I have family in California and knew immediately that was where we should do it. Initially we planned on Palm Springs where my grandparents live, but while I was out there visiting different sites, Tropical Storm Irene hit the East Coast and my mom and I we’re ‘stranded’ in California for an extra couple of days. We decided to make the most of it and go up to San Diego and visit her sisters. While we were there they suggested we check out a few sites in SD and we stumbled upon the Andaz on the last day we were there. We walked up on that roof and I just knew this was it. It was a laid back atmosphere but at the same time felt upscale enough for a wedding. It was the perfect place for us to give our Connecticut friends and family a little dose of SoCal.

The vibe of the wedding was definitely California cool. The roof of the Andaz is beautiful and the downtown views speak for themselves so a lot of decor wasn’t necessary. Everything was black and white, which I picked up from our invitations (which I was, and still am obsessed with) except for the flower arrangements which were vibrant colors with succulents. We had a lot of DIY help with items at the wedding. The chevron runners were something I really wanted and my wedding planner Charmae did an amazing job custom making them. One of my bridesmaids also made all of the groomsmen’s chevron pocket squares. We knew we didn’t want to be wasteful with paper goods for the programs and menus so Rich’s best man Mark, who is a graphic designer and screen printer made the seating chart and program for us on large canvases that were displayed on easels. He also printed our dinner menu on each of the guests napkins and printed the table signs which were named after some of our favorite restaurants back home. My mother-in-law made the guest book on Shutterfly with pictures of Rich and I throughout our relationship which came out amazing.

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Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? Make it your own and don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing because you’re told you should. This is your day and should be exactly how you want it. Doing things a little different than your “typical wedding” may throw off a few family members and even guests at first, but it’s actually going to be those details that they remember and admire about your day. Oh and if you can swing it, definitely get a videographer. Obviously wedding pictures are amazing and I treasure mine, but there is something about a video that captures the essence of the day like nothing else can.

Watch the video from Etch Films:

Wedding Music:
Processional: “Turning Page (instrumental),” Sleeping at Last
Recessional: “From Now On,” The Features
First Dance: “No One’s Gonna Love You,” Band of Horses

Wedding Location: San Diego, CA / Photographer: Jackie Wonders / Event Design: Bellz & Whistlez / Floral Design: Adorations / Wedding Venue and Caterer: Andaz Hotel / Wedding Dress: Coren Moore Bridal via The White Dress by the Shore, Clinton, CT / Wedding Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Hair and Makeup: Tiffany Monday / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew / Groom’s Suit: Jhane Barnes / Desserts: Sweet Cheeks Baking Company / DJ: Austin Hendrix / Wedding Invitations: Elum / Videographer: Etch Films