Calamigos Ranch Boho Carnival Wedding: Tanja + Zan

Southern Carnival Wedding

Tanja + Zan love adventure + spending time outdoors so, not surprisingly, these California dwellers count coastal Big Sur as one of their most favorite places. But they wanted their wedding to feel like they were in the middle of nature, without asking their loved ones to make the long trek up north and, luckily, Malibu’s Calamigos Ranch ended up being the perfect compromise.

Tanja tells us, Festivals are also a big part of our lives, so having an amazing classic ferris wheel at the venue was really special and reminded us of some of the festivals we love. We added lawn games to give it a more vintage, carnival feel as well and to complement the ferris wheel. And a huge focus of the day was the music, live music in particular. We both work in the music industry and have a huge passion for live music, especially funk, jazz and just anything that incorporates horns. Having the brass band, trumpet player and a DJ that could spin vinyl was very important to us.

Thanks so much to Pretty Planner Weddings & Events for the gorgeous event production + to Gina & Ryan Photography for the beautiful images in the feature below!

invitations

T + Z sent out the good news of their nuptials with one of our most favorite wedding invites, the Gilt Agate suite from Minted!

jewelry

blue suit groom

first look

Southern Carnival Wedding

Southern Carnival Wedding

Southern Carnival Wedding

The wedding party’s style was on point. We love the guys’ blue suits and girls’ mismatched neutral dresses. For couples who love this look for their big day, too, check out our shopping guide filled with similar finds below:

Southern Carnival Wedding

pastel bridesmaids

Southern Carnival Wedding

vintage rug aisle

wedding signage

candles

Southern Carnival Wedding

Southern Carnival Wedding

Southern Carnival Wedding

Southern Carnival Wedding

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

There are so many!! One of the most memorable moments was right after our first kiss as man and wife, when the brass band came out and surprised our guests. They played "Signed, sealed, delivered" and we (our wedding party) followed them out to the cocktail area singing and dancing along on the way... Another was our version of the hora: our friends danced like crazy and raised us up on our chairs. We opted out of the traditional hora song and used the song "Alive" by Empire of The Sun instead. It was Awesome! Tanja and her mom also danced to a persian song to celebrate her dad's memory and Zan and his mom danced to one of their favorite songs for their mother son dance. Both dances were upbeat as opposed to the traditional slow song.

Southern Carnival Wedding

Southern Carnival Wedding

Southern Carnival Wedding

boho bride

Southern Carnival Wedding

Loving this sweet ferris wheel shot!

seating chart

tented reception

We’re sure by now you’re eyeing the gorgeous green-filled bouquets + floral arrangements. Audrey of Botanica Floral & Event Design is the creative behind the verdant beauty and we think the reception space is where her gorgeous work really shines the most!

vintage tablescape

vintage tablescape

vintage tablescape

vintage tablescape

vintage tablescape

naked cake

naked cake

Southern Carnival Wedding

Our Musical Choices

Processional: La Vien en Rose – Louis Armstrong (played live by a solo trumpet player Josiel Perez)

Recessional: Signed Sealed Delivered – Stevie Wonder (played live by a 5 piece New Orleans style brass band, Brass Monkey Brass Band)

First Dance: That's How Strong my Love Is – Otis Redding

Southern Carnival Wedding

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Tanja: Don't waste time and money on the little things, they are forgettable to you and your guests. I think investing in a great photographer and videographer is really important because the day goes by so quickly, you may not even have the time or ability to see all the details and all of your efforts put into the day. Our photographers were so awesome and made us feel really comfortable throughout the whole day. They also captured the day exactly how we saw it and how we wanted to remember it. Our videographers were great too and were even on the dance floor with us at some points!

Zan: One thing to add on top of Tanjas advice is, to stay present as much as possible on the day, make a point to stop for a second at different times and soak it in, that really helped me savour every bit of it.

photography: Gina & Ryan Photography // venue name: Calamigos Ranch, Malibu, California // florals: Audrey Chaney, Botanica Floral & Event Design // hair stylist: Melina Ruiz // makeup artist: Melina Ruiz // videography: Corey Bienert with Sharkpig // cake: Sweet Lady Jane // music: Wyatt Potts & Spencer Olson with Dart DJ // officiant: Allen Mostow // event production: Hailey Yeager, Pretty Planner Weddings & Events // venue coordination: Samantha Douglas at Calamigos Ranch // trumpet: Josiel Perez // lighting: Adrian de Pamphilis, Fyxx Entertainment // projector: Adrian de Pamphilis, Fyxx Entertainment // rentals: Town & Country, La Tavola Linens // dessert: Sweet Lady Jane // signage: Jay Wahl Weathered Signs // invitations: Minted // other stationery: Throne Invitations

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