Inside Bridal Designer Tara Healey’s Enchanted Garden Wedding

Ever wonder what a wedding dress designer wears to her own wedding? 

Well, you’re in luck cause GWS has an exclusive peek for you inside the stunning Santa Barbara “I do’s” of bridal designer (and co-founder) Tara Healey of Tara Lauren, and yes, the dress is as uniquely bespoke + beautiful as you’re hoping it will be. (The rosettes!! We’re so obsessed.) 

Beyond what a spectacularly lovely bride Tara makes, we can’t stop thinking about her day’s soft + dreamy garden fete design. The sunshine! The ivories, delicate pinks + powder blues! The climbing vines!

“I always knew I wanted to have an outdoor wedding, and Santa Barbara is a place that holds a lot of special memories for Alex and me,” Tara says of how she and groom, Alex chose Rancho San Julian in Lompoc (just northwest of Santa Barbara) as their location. “We spent our first anniversary there, got engaged there, and shared countless weekend trips there, so choosing to host our wedding in the Santa Ynez Valley felt completely natural.”

Together with Cynthia Signorelli Special Events, Tara created a garden celebration inspired at its core by family get-togethers and intended to be first and foremost an unforgettable gathering place for their loved ones. Mel Toms was there snapping gorgeous pictures, so you’ll see all of the wild + romantic florals and dreamy design details that gave the day its distinctly elegant take on countryside charm.

“My vision was heavily influenced by the things I love: French country design, wrought iron garden elements, untamed overgrown florals, and vintage sourced tableware,” Tara shares. “My goal was to bring an elevated yet whimsical touch to the more casual, rustic setting on the ranch and I’m so happy with how naturally it came together.”

“It was truly a magical evening,” Tara says, “and it felt one of a kind to who we are as a couple.”

These delightfully ornate invites from Pink Moon Designs established the event’s storybook romance vibe. That swirly script! The darling, antique spirit of the colors + design!

“As a bridal designer for the past ten years I of course had a heavy hand in the design of my wedding gown from start to finish,” Tara shares. “I really surprised myself in the sense that my gown was vastly different from what I always thought I would wear on my wedding day but it speaks to how much my style has evolved as I’ve grown up.”

“I turned to a lot of classic 90’s bridal inspiration and couture detailing when dreaming it up. The result of months of fabric sourcing and fittings was a drop waist corseted French lace gown with dramatic silk taffeta pickups on a billowing skirt adorned with delicate handmade roses. The textured, bespoke details of it had an almost vintage feel which I adored.”

Also, can we talk about these impeccable wedding nails?! White french tip nails are having such a moment, and the soft simplicity of this mani lets that gorgeous emerald cut engagement ring SHINE.

“I finished the look with a simple single layer antique ivory cathedral wedding veil that I later swapped for corded lace bridal gloves during the reception.”

“Our core belief at Tara Lauren is that bridal should be playful and true to you,” Tara adds. “I loved my gown and loved that it so beautifully captured who I am at this moment in time.”

The day’s flower arrangements from Gather Floral had such a whimsical, wild-grown romance to them.

Groom Alex blended Old World sartorial charm and contemporary style with this amazing tweed wedding suit.

And that western bowtie? A perfectly antique-inspired touch.

A Garden Ceremony

Our Favorite Memory
There were so many special moments I wish I could relive. We honored both sides of my heritage with an Irish handfasting to end the ceremony and a Filipino money dance to kick off dancing at the reception. We had the time of our lives during the money dance. Family has always been at the center of our relationship and having that precious one-on-one time dancing with all our guests that traveled near and far to celebrate us was priceless.

If you love the idea of a handfasting ceremony, we put together a how-to guide for your handfasting ceremony.

We’ve huge been Tara Lauren fans for a while now. Check out the lacy high-slit bow-shoulder number from this dreamy + intimate backyard wedding and the slinky satin high-neck look in this this retro roller skate wedding to see a few of our fave TL looks in action.

LOVING Tara’s breezy, wavy wedding hairstyle by Jinju Bae Hair and glowy, rosy wedding makeup look by Taylor Healey Makeup!

A Secret Garden Celebration

“I grew up surrounded by the large and lively Filipino side of my family where we’d gather for backyard parties almost every weekend,” Tara says, “and I wanted to bring that same warmth into a secret garden setting.”

“I chose the ranch for that reason as well. Not only are the pastoral grounds so breathtaking but it’s seen so much rich history being enjoyed by the same family over eight generations. It’s on a sprawling piece of land that feels like its own little world.”

“The arbor outside the original Victorian farmhouse was what sold me on my first visit, I could perfectly picture what an intimate candlelit dinner would look like underneath all of the dripping ivy.”

The event industry all-stars at Luxury Loos, MarBorg Industries, Bella Vista Designs Inc., Theoni Collection, Ventura Rental, and Otis + Pearl combined forces to outfit this secret garden fantasy wedding with all of its delicate linens, charming Victorian-inspired decor details, and light + airy furniture.

Guests feasted on delicious bites from Valley Piggery and Loubirds while sipping on cocktails from The Petite Fleet.

How PRECIOUS are these monogramed matchbook wedding guest favors from The Match Muse?!

A Golden Hour Adventure

“Like so many great love stories of the modern age we met on a dating app,” say Lauren + Alex, who snuck off into the hills to take these amazing, glowy, pre-sunset photos.

“It was right in the middle of the pandemic when traditional first date options were limited so we met at a local park.”

“We’re both serial hobbyists and were always up to something then whether it was gardening or learning a new craft together. Looking back at that time we never ran out of things to do and that is still true to this day!”

The couple that rocks cowboy boots together…🤍 How cute is it that both Tara + Alex went with a pair of western wedding boots!

Gathered Together

The moment when Tara traded in her veil after the ceremony for these amazing lace gloves at the reception belongs in the Bridal Accessory Hall of Fame – and we found a similar pair if you love them as well!!

Our Musical Choices
Processional
String quartet version of "Mariner’s Apartment Complex" by Lana Del Rey
Recessional
String quartet version of "There She Goes" by The La’s
First Dance
"So Glad I Found You" by Jalen Ngonda

The grandness of this square two-tier white wedding cake by Lelé Patisserie cannot be matched.

Our Advice
Don’t spend so much time mulling over what’s trending or timeless. Let your decisions be guided by your own personal taste and what feels the most “you”. I don’t think weddings are supposed to stand the test of time. I see them more as a time capsule to a beautiful season of life so don’t be afraid to take risks and have fun with it.

You can not miss the wedding video that Boettcher Films created for Tara + Alex. The footage perfectly captures the playful, vintage, storybook-love whimsy that the couple built their day on.

It takes a lot of really creative people to make any wedding come to life. And getting to take a peek when one of those sensationally talented wedding creatives says “I do” themselves is a really special thing. Congratulations, Tara + Alex! Your Santa Barbara wedding was an elegant-yet-rustic garden dream full of bridal masterpieces. GWS is so happy for you both! Wishing you nothing but the best!