West Hills California Wedding

Any time we see a wedding photographed by Dave Richards, we know we’re in for a stunning location and a wedding day packed full of gorgeousness. Needless to say, we weren’t let down with Alecia and Tim’s LA nuptials. The bride’s Jenny Packham gown, the oversized succulent bouquet — how do we know where to begin?!

From the bride, Alecia: We really wanted our wedding to embrace all that we love about living in California and share it with our guests. Sunny, outdoors, intimate, non-traditional, glamorous and something our guests had never seen before. We planned our wedding on a full-moon night to make it extra special and to light up the outdoor reception area. We wanted the homemade details to really leave a lasting impression with our guests. We wanted a different kind of wedding with all of the typical traditions thrown out the window. We had a corn-hole tournament during our outdoor reception and a pool table set up under the stars.

Bouquet recipe: Each bouquet had succulents mixed in with peonies, roses, lisianthus, hydrangeas, and ranunculus. My bridal bouquet had the most amazing succulent in the middle. The succulents were then planted in my garden after the wedding.

A few adjectives to describe our wedding would be California, intimate and glam. The entire wedding was a DIY project! Our colors were mint and blush. I spent months searching antique stores for salad and dinner plates that were a vintage floral theme. Each guest had two plates personally chosen for them to eat dinner on. My husband and I made a larger then life “LOVE” vintage marquee sign. It had over 150 bulbs, each letter was 4 foot by 3 foot and not only provided an awesome décor item, but served as our backyard lighting for our corn hole tournament. We had custom corn hole bags made from a friend of ours, and Tim and I made trophies for each of the winners. I hand made flags with each guest’s name on them and put them into a French macaroon as their place setting. I bought about 200 yards of cream colored fabric and hand made each and every chair cover in flowing chiffon. Our French bulldog Duane Lee and his sister Betty were in the bridal party. We had a flower arrangement made for Betty but we handmade a shirt and tie for Duane. We also made a cupcake/dessert display out of a ladder and succulent centerpieces with sand to compliment our centerpieces. Our save the dates and invitations were homemade with the photos from our engagement session with the wonderful Dave Richards. Lastly, there were quite a few DIY projects for our closest friends: Jon got ordained to marry us, Andrew to cook for us, Sy and Shannon to style us, and Josh and Jenny to serve our guests. It really was a family affair.

Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? Don’t be afraid to break the mold and do something different! I didn’t wear white, we didn’t have the typical reception, and our venue was a private estate. We had a very small wedding and didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by not being invited, but looking back it was one of the best things we could have done. We got to really spend time with each other and make lasting memories with each and everyone of our guests. We enjoyed ourselves and it really was the best day of our lives. We are still getting compliments on how refreshing our wedding was because it was not the same wedding our guests had been to over and over again. And lastly, choose your photographer wisely. Choosing Dave Richards Photography was the best decision we made.

See Also

Intimate La Valencia Hotel Wedding Editorial with a Garden Luxe Feel

Wedding Music:
Prelude: Vitamin String Quartet covers
Processional: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
Recessional: “One of Those Nights,” Tim McGraw
First Dance: We decided we wanted to put on a playlist after dinner and whenever our first dance song came on, that is when we would find each other and have the first dance. We didn’t want everyone to stop the fun they were having and gather around to watch us. So when we heard Gary Allan’s “Learning how to bend,” Tim and I found each other had the most wonderful first dance with my parents jumping in at the end, as it is their favorite song as well.

Wedding Location: Los Angeles, CA / Photographer: Dave Richards / Flowers: Amy Shoenbaum of Bride and Bloom Flowers / Venue: Mystic Ridge Estate / Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham “Willow” / Hair: Shannon of Randt Salon in Manhattan Beach / Makeup: Sy Falefitu (sfalefitu @ gmail.com) / Groom’s Suit and Shirt: J. Crew / Groom’s Shoes: Magnanni “Nino” / Rings: 23rd Street Jewelers / Wedding Caterer: Andrew Ross of Spoons and Staches / Wedding Cake: Lido Bakery of Manhattan Beach / Cupcakes: Sprinkles Cupcakes of Beverly Hills / Rentals: Bakers Party Rentals / Corn Hole Rentals: Beach Cities Bag Toss / Pool Table Rentals: Portable Pool Table Rental / Table Linens: La Tavola Linens