A Whimsical Storybook Wedding: Lauren + JR

bridesmaids in sunglasses

Lauren + JR wanted an intimate celebration with their closest family + friends. They really wanted to be able to celebrate with those that helped them become the people they are today. One of their best friends officiated the ceremony and another friend sang at their reception. They are also both avid readers and had lots of sweet details from children’s books like “Where The Wild Things Are” (the gold paper crowns + animal figurines) and “The Giving Tree” (they were married under a beautiful oak tree). They also incorporated their favorite novels by using them as table names, and seat assignments/guest gifts were a combined element of individual succulents in gold pots. I love that they described their theme as “Wild Things At a Garden Party.” Thanks to Kate Harrison for the lovely photos.

first look

bride in one strap wedding dress

groomsmen

wedding arrow sign

What song did you walk down the aisle to? Our wedding party danced down the aisle to “Animal Arithmetic” by Jonsi (the lead singer of Sigur Ros), a tremendously joyful and ebullient song. Next, Jason walked down the aisle with his parents, and then Lauren did the same — the procession music for both of us was the song “Take Care” by Beach House. The entire wedding party danced away from the ceremony and towards cocktail hour to “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes.

bride walking down isle

outdoor wedding

bride and groom ceremony exit

bridal party pyramid

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

Our truly brilliant photographer, Kate Harrison, pulled us aside part way through the reception and led us to the top of a rolling hillside of grapevines. She wanted to take some pictures of us as the sun was setting over the valley. But more than that, she also wanted to create and help us preserve a particularly special private moment. The day had gone by fast and was only going by faster.

Up on the ridge, with our arms wrapped around each other as husband and wife, we looked down on the awesome site of our families and friends dancing the night away together… Never before have we ever felt so warm, so content, so fortunate, so happy. The joy of the event — of being able to celebrate and toast with the most important people in our lives, and being able to do so in such a beautiful setting — was overwhelming. We soon rejoined the party and had a lot of fun on the dance floor… And at the dessert bar… And with the photo booth. But the most memorable moment of our wedding day was probably when Kate had us step away from all the revelry and take in from a slight distance the entire scene we worked so long to help create.

bride and groom

succulent escort cards
gold crown place setting

We were mindful about making our wedding an opportunity to celebrate love, family, and friendship. We consider ourselves to be the products of the people we hold most close to our hearts, and we spent a lot of time thinking about how we could intimately involve those who have helped to make us the people we are.

One of the first decisions we made was to have one of our best friends serve as the officiant, and we invited some of our most cherished friends to recite poems and readings during the ceremony. Another dear friend of ours performed an amazingly beautiful rendition of Feist’s “Past in Present” on his ukulele for our first dance. In terms of themes, we knew we wanted to have a dance party in a barn!

outdoor reception

title table numbers

title table numbers

hula hoop

gold animal pieces

bride and groom in gold crowns

pie and ice cream bar

bride and groom first dance

Check out these rad films from Shark Pig!

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Enjoy it! Planning our wedding gave us an excuse to do something creative together every weekend, initiated many interesting and important conversations about how we want to reflect and communicate our values, and allowed us to collaborate with some brilliant, dedicated, wonderful people. (A number of vendors became our close friends over our year of planning.) Also, take advantage of the opportunity to go to tastings! There’s lots of scrumptious food out there!

photography: Kate Harrison // venue name: Healdsburg Country Gardens // wedding dress: "Hello Gorgeous" dress by Ivy & Aster // music: Austin Hendrix Productions // caterer: Grapevine Catering // event planner: Sitting In A Tree // favors and gifts: The Blue Orchid // video: Shark Pig // specialty foods: Kozlowski Farms

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