California Gold Rush Wedding: Jeorgea + Aaron

mountains

Jeorgea + Aaron exchanged their vows in the most gorgeous outdoor setting, surrounded by California’s Seirra Nevada mountain range. But they had more than just an epic location in their favor. The day was heartfelt, relaxed and a perfect reflection of the two of them. From their row boat recessional, to their gold-rush inspired handkerchief invites, to the late night dance party that lasted well into the morning, it’s clear that Jeorgea + Aaron weren’t afraid to do their own thing and celebrate their love in an environment that felt right to them!

From Jeorgea, When it came time to choose our location for the wedding, neither of us could think of a more beautiful place than Sardine Lake, just a couple of miles up the road from where Aaron grew up. We had so much fun with the gold rush history of the area and it became the flavor of our whole party!

Big thanks to the very talented Jonas Peterson for the stunning images and congratulations to Jeorgea + Aaron!

car in the grass

mountains

mountains

lake

custom bandera

bridal party

wedding guests

drinks in boat


Such a dreamy location for a wedding!

ceremony on dock

ceremony on dock

ceremony on dock

ceremony on dock

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

Aaron: The two of us rowing away from a dock (that friends had built for the occasion) out into the lake at the end of the ceremony. It was a beautiful afternoon, and it felt like a perfect end to our ceremony. My view as we pulled away was of Jeorgea looking so amazing in her gorgeous dress with all of our friends and family on the shore in the background.

Jeorgea: We splurged on hiring an 8-piece, spectacular band to play our 3rd venue of the evening - a cinematic late-night dance party! El Radio Fantastique from Pt. Reyes Station played a show above and beyond our wildest dreams. One of my favorite moments of the day was here, at the end of it all... in this 1920's lodge in the woods in the middle of nowhere. At the end of their several sets, they really got down and all of our favorite people were stomping the floor as each of the 8 players paraded through the audience.

ceremony exit in canoe

ceremony exit in canoe

ceremony exit in canoe

woodsy groomsmen

bouquet

birde and groom

birde and groom


Jeorgea wore a beautiful, gold Monique Lhuillier dress (which she paired with some killer steel-heeled boots) and carried a bouquet of loosely tied wildflowers. Love everything about her look!

gold wedding dress

birde and groom

birde and groom

birde and groom

birde and groom

birde and groom

birde and groom

reception

cocktail foods


Their reception was held in the garden of a local saloon. Guests sat on hay bales + mingled underneath the glow of string lights as they dined on seasonal fare. Sounds like a beautiful evening, doesn’t it?

reception

fuits

photo booth

heart engraved in wood

chandeliers

bride and groom

dancing

dancing

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Best thing we did was hire the incredible Jonas Peterson to shoot the day and invest in a local day-of wedding coordinator, Klytia Dutton.

Also, follow your instincts! Take all advice with a grain of salt - I followed my own non-traditional instincts throughout the planning process - everyone understood my vision at the wedding, but not necessarily along the way.

Lastly, we needed a lot of extra help setting up for the wedding. Our moms and a couple of closest friends really made it all come together in the 2 days leading up the the wedding.

photography: Jonas Peterson // wedding dress: Monique Lhuillier // bride's shoes: Guidi steel-heeled boots, purchased at Maxfield // hair stylist: Shawn Burke // makeup artist: Shawn Burke // groom attire: Al's Attire // paper goods: Julie at Addison Endpapers // cake: Instead of cake, we opted for hand-made truffles with gold-leaf from Buckaroo Chocolates // ceremony: Sardine Lake // reception: Sorracco's Saloon + Gardens -- [email protected] // accommodations: Elwell Lakes Lodge // interior: Jeorgea Beck // event: Jeorgea Beck // wardrobe stylist: Jeorgea Beck // event planner: Klytia Dutton // floral design: Jean at Fourth St Flowers // music: Dinner Reception, The Emily Haltom Trio, Late Night Dance Party, El Radio Fantastique // printing for bandanas: Ellens Silkscreening

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