Jen + Caleb wanted to create a crafty and rustic ambience that was both interactive + welcoming for their wedding. Vintage goods, a collection of macramé owls, doilies and quilts pay homage to Jen’s at-home studio and style of artistic practice. As an avid crocheter and social craftivist, Jen wanted to compliment the already existing beauty of the Rancho Ontiveros Ranch with her obsession of 1970’s craft. Caleb wanted to represent his personal history with the setting and theme of the day. Ultimately their collective goal for their wedding was to emphasize their love for friends + family and give them a beautiful place to celebrate. Big congrats to Jen + Caleb and thanks to Ken Kienow for the photos!
Caleb: THE KISS and Jen’s vows—the commitment and lifelong promise Jen made to me, and the fact that they were handwritten and this was the first time hearing them, that they were so personal and true to Jen’s personality and essence, made everything else about the day not to seem to matter.
Jen: The ceremony and my borrowed wedding jewelry — retorted by my sister and Matron-of-honor: “When you walk down the aisle, only look at Caleb because nothing else matters,” I did exactly that. The first time I saw him adorned in his wedding attire and looking so incredibly handsome, while I anticipated being nervous and many tears, in this moment I felt overcome by a sense of confidence and excitement. I also loved that we both wrote our own vows – it made the whole experience meaningful and so memorable.
Processional: Wildflowers – Tom Petty
Recessional: Bonaparte’s Retreat – Willie Nelson
First Dance: If I Needed You – Townes Van Zandt
Caleb: Keep it simple and true to yourself. Set goals and deadlines, keeping the bigger picture in mind. Do not feel compelled to use traditions that are not meaningful or important to you. For the day of, get a lot of rest the night before and eat something!! Delegate responsibilities (nicely) to others because you need to make sure you have enough time for yourself.
Jen: Utilize all the wonderful assets and resources of friends and family. For us, the wedding would not have been as beautiful, meaningful and special without the special touches (i.e. ceremony canopy made by brother-in-law Josh Alvidrez, bar and claw foot tub of beer provided by Ontiveros family friends, food area, appetizer design and menu created by Caleb’s Aunt Pat and cousin Brooke, photo booth design and god’s eyes created by Jen and bridesmaids). As reminded by Jen’s mom, do not try to do EVERYTHING but if possible, do as much as you can! Find the balance between handmade and outsourcing. The areas you as the bride or planner feel most connected with, spend your time and energy executing. The other less important areas delegate to others or find frugal yet classy ways to make them work. Remember that all the hard work and planning that leads up to this one day should be kept in perspective; the day is not the end result, it is the beginning of a beautiful life of love and commitment. The day goes by extremely fast, and you probably will forget to eat and drink, and the day/week/month after you still try to piece it together. Try not to fixate on this but rather think about how wonderful married life can and will be, that you have found your lifelong partner. Lastly, make sure to relentlessly thank all of those who made your day so special!!
photography: Ken Kienow // venue name: Rancho Ontiveros Ranch, Santa Maria, California // hairpiece: Whichgoose // bride's shoes: turquoise boots purchased online at Sheplers // hair stylist: Janeen Wallace from Salon 123 // paper goods: All paper goods created by bride + printed locally in Oakland // catering: collection of Ontiveros family and friends for infamous Santa Maria style BBQ // music: DJ Jay Lizo // officiant: Johnny Calkins // floral design: Adornments // wedding dress: Saja, purchased locally at Bella Bridesmaid in San Francisco // bridesmaid dresses: purchased locally in Oakland at boutique "Sway" and online at Lulu's; Matron of honor dress purchased at Anthropologie // make-up: Delia Munoz from Bella Capelli Salon // groom attire: collected assemble of vintage vest from San Francisco vintage store, ivory-colored shirt Van Heusen shirt from JCPenney, Wrangler Wrancher pants from Sheplers, boots purchased in Hawyard, CA from Cobblers, belt buckle purchased from antique store in Texas (gift from Mother-of-bride), tie was borrowed from groom's Poppa Chester's old collection // invitations: All paper goods created by bride + printed locally in Oakland // cake: desserts and pies from Gina's Piece of Cake; bride's cake made by friend and artist Sarah Hart of Calla Lily Cakes in King Salmon, CA
super sweet couple. love that they kept it simple.
Love all the beautiful details and flowers. Congratulations.
Love this wedding!! Such unique & creative decor and Ken did a fabulous job capturing the day!
What a fun wedding! I love the details and the bride’s hairpiece…so pretty!
Looks like such a sunny happy wedding! Love all the details – especially the wedding alter!
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I love her style!
Looks like such a fun wedding – amazing details and colours.
I love all of the unique details they incorporated into their day. Never have seen records hung from trees before – very creative!
Those old vinyl albums hanging down from the tree are so adorable! I also love all the vintage crochet table cloths they used. Really cute!
Love all the gorgeous florals! Beautiful pops of colour everywhere!
any idea where the cake toppers were from?! love them! perfect way to use on the cake as well as in decor later on around the house! dual functionality!!!
Very sweet. And it is very creative. I especially love the wedding cake and the wedding program.
What a unique wedding party. Gorgeous and fun!
I love the final shot with the dance floor! Looks like something straight out the movie The Majestic. If I were to do it all over again this is what I would do.
Wow….All wedding pictures are really beautiful with pretty dresses. Thanks for sharing this great post about wedding. I really like this. Keep it up!