Baroque Ballroom Vibes: How This Regal SoCal Wedding Made the Most of a Last-Minute Venue Change

Three weeks before Kelli + Donald were set to say “I do” in Southern California, wedding planning disaster struck. The venue where they’d planned an entire “Royal Garden” inspired celebration canceled on them. 

Not only did this brilliant bride + groom bounce back from the challenge + disappointment of the moment, they also created something absolutely unforgettable as a result. 

With the help of planners + event designers from Sprinkle of Love Events, the couple pivoted the location to Franciscan Gardens in San Juan Capistrano. This beautiful new venue, though, wasn’t set up to support that original “Royal Garden” aesthetic. So they kept things regal by using rich, red velvet drapery to create a “Baroque Ballroom” vibe in the new space.

We can’t get enough of the way dreamy, antique-inspired decadence translated so beautifully to the last-minute configuration. From the sweet courtyard ceremony to the elegant crimson-draped reception, the whole thing felt like an elevated, intimate fairytale. 

“We tried to keep our wedding as intimate as possible by keeping the guest list to a minimum,” says the couple of their guest list size. “We went back and forth on the idea of an elopement, and then decided to do a ‘family only’ wedding to keep things as intimate as possible while still being able to have a proper wedding.” 

Sometimes the worst wedding planning curveballs are actually incredible ideas in disguise, and these photos from Matthew Morgan are the proof.

Wedding Dress Dreams Come True

“I never felt connected to many bridal gowns and designers until I came across Kim Kassas Couture,” says Kelli. “Kim Kassas is a brilliant Israeli designer, and I fell in love with her attention to detail, quality materials, intricacy, and thoughtful story telling behind every piece she creates.”

“I had the wonderful help of Jaxon James Couture Bridal in Beverly Hills help me source both dresses,” says Kelli, “The veil,” she adds, “was custom designed with the help of the Jaxon James team.”

“The satin bridal gloves and pearl choker were by the timeless Maria Elena. And my ‘something borrowed’ were my Grandmother’s mikimoto pearl earrings and pearl ring.”

How sweet are these beautiful light blue bridesmaid dresses! Cinderella vibes for sure!

A Courtyard Ceremony

“Kelli’s grandfather married the two of us,” remembers the couple, “and he was so intentional and poignant with the ceremony.”

“Kelli’s grandfather spent months gathering information from both sides of the family, gave the audience back story on both the bride and groom so both sides of the family got to know them on a deeper level, and weaved in so many incredible jokes,” recalls the couple fondly.

Madison Roulan did a beautiful job with Kelli’s half up half down wedding hairstyle, and that rosy neutral bridal makeup look was created by Courtney León Dapper.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
"Turning Page" by Sleeping At Last (Instrumental)
Recessional
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71, Act 2: No.14a, Pas de deux. Andante maestoso.
First Dance
"La Vie En Rose" by Louis Armstrong

A Post-Ceremony Moment For Portraits

Very into the classically sophisticated aesthetic of Donald’s Italian wool dinner jacket from J Crew, pants from Suitsupply, and shoes from Barker Black.

Loving Kelli’s storybook bridal vibes? Yeah, us too. Check out our collection of fairytale princess wedding gowns for more royalty-worthy style, and look through our fave “Bridgerton” inspired wedding dresses for lots of historically influenced looks!

A Rich, Red Reception

Our Favorite Memory
The ceremony. And the reception reveal. Hands down.

“We had to pivot design plans within four weeks due to our original venue canceling on us a month out from the wedding date,” remembers the couple of their harrowing last minute planning challenges.

“We were so worried that the ambiance was going to be compromised in the new venue because there was a huge brick wall where we were originally planning to have a “Royal Garden” themed dinner and reception space.”

“With the help of our planner Kylie and LuMa Upholstery & Drapery Design, the design was saved. The team captured the exact essence even better than we imagined, and turned the reception space into a baroque style royal ballroom.”

“When we first entered the reception space together, it took our breath away. It felt like we were about to dine and dance in Versailles or Buckingham Palace. Truly one of the most memorable parts of the evening.”

“All of our guests still talk about the draping and tablescape today.”

Tabletop decor from Archive and crisp linens from Stephanie’s Linens created a tablescape fit for a royal feast.

Show Stopping Reception Style

“I just loved Kim Kassas Couture‘s work so much that I couldn’t choose just one of her gowns,” bride Kelli says, “so after going with the ‘Ruth’ from the ‘Your Majesty’ collection for my ceremony and dinner look, I wore the ‘Pearl Mini’ from the ‘Siren Call’ collection for my reception look.”

There are few things we love more than a delicious, nostalgic vintage wedding cake.

“Prior to getting married, we had gone through challenges in our 5 years of dating that many couples don’t experience in a lifetime,” the couple reflects. “Because of this, we wanted to be really intentional about surrounding ourselves with the people in our lives who know what we’ve been through. Our family community was so grounding for us as a couple during these challenging times, so we wanted to celebrate how far we’ve come as a couple, together with family.”

We are 100% obsessed with Kelli’s strappy rosette reception heels by Magda Butrym.

Our Advice
Focus your spending on the things you care most about. Rehearse your ceremony speeches and vows with your officiant during your rehearsal. And most importantly, honor your boundaries with friends and family to protect your peace. This day is about you. It’s the one day you can literally do anything you want, and no one can say anything otherwise! Also, record yourselves in bed the next morning or one day on your honeymoon chatting about the memories and re-hashing the night so you never forget all the little details that fade in memory over time.

Congratulations, Kelli + Donald! You blew our minds with your brilliant last minute pivot to this beautiful Baroque Ballroom design! GWS wishes you both all the very best!