Bright Colors + Ocean-Inspired Details for This Funky Ranch Wedding in Santa Barbara

“Because I have seen so many weddings I knew we wanted to do things a little funky,” says bride and professional wedding photographer Lauren of how she approached planning her own big day after having seen so many from behind the camera. 

Groom Chad is a commercial fisherman, and the happy couple loves fishing together, so when they collaborated with Wild Heart Events on a vision for their wedding day, fun + subtle fish-inspired accents were a must. With the use of bright pink + orange florals, the day took on a vibrant nautical aesthetic that was just so unique.

For years bride Lauren rode horses for a living, so the gorgeous Rancho San Roque in Santa Barbara, California was more than just a venue choice—Lauren lived there for a decade and kept her horses there as well, so saying “I do” on the ranch was a meaningful, full-circle moment.

“The most important thing to me was not feeling like I was going to work on our wedding day,” photographer/bride Lauren says, “We did away with a lot of traditions and did some special things to make it feel more personal. We spent the night together the day before and saw each other until we put our outfits on. And my dog Penelope was able to be there the entire day.” 

And this time it was the wonderful Mary Costa behind the lens! And Lauren got her turn in front of it!

Let’s take a look at the pics!

Brass Eyed Buffalo created these absolutely adorable orange wedding invites. The die-cut fish-shaped Save the Date is such a cute touch!

The super cute getting ready looks that Lauren + her crew rocked the morning-of came from Show Me Your Mumu.

This is your reminder: wedding-day-read sets like this one make excellent bridal shower gifts. Check out all of our favorite bridal shower gift ideas for even more inspo!

“One of the most important things was the florals,” says Lauren. “And Native Poppy nailed it!”

We are completely head over heels (😉) for the color combo and bow details of these wedding shoes from Jimmy Choo.

Lauren absolutely stunned in this strapless corset top Berta wedding gown from Mon Amie.

When you’ve got a pup as cute as Penelope, you have to bring her along on your Big Day!

Check out our list of creative ways to include your dog in your wedding day if you’ve got a furry friend and don’t want them to miss out on your “I do’s.”

Lauren’s bridal party found their beautiful blush + orange bridesmaid dresses from Mac Duggal and V. Chapman.

Groom Chad’s sand-tone wedding suit came from The Black Tux. Love the pop of orange from the tie!

We love it when a bride adds some surprise to the day with a special groom gift. “I saved for three years,” Lauren says, “and bought him a Rolex.”

The Ceremony

Okay. We are completely obsessed with this stripy, velvety mismatched guest seating!

How glorious is this hanging installation complete with working pendant lighting from Bella Vista Designs!

Very into the elegant simplicity of this deep navy blue mother of the bride dress and the way it balances the day’s sunny color palette.

Of course Penelope needed a blush leash + collar set to stay on-theme!

Lauren + Chad shared handwritten vows during the ceremony and had everybody reaching for the tissues.

Dive into our vow-writing guide to start drafting something special to share on your own big day.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
"Into the Orange" by Wade Bowen (instrumental version) for girls. The guys walked down the aisle to "Bang."
Recessional
"All the Small Things" by Blink 182
First Dance
"Adore You" by Miley Cyrus

These precious Boozy Burros were a tribute to Lauren’s passion for horses.

Explore our collection of fab floral bridesmaid dresses to go botanical with your bridal party’s looks like Lauren did.

The Reception

Sunkissed Native provided the signage for this super cute reception bar.

Flair Project was on duty mixing + pouring wedding cocktails throughout the celebration.

We are in love with this punny, two-tone orange display by Dark Marquee Designs.

Lauren + Chad’s guests each got a fun little sardine soap-on-a-rope from Anthropologie. What a cute + creative guest favor!

Furniture from Folklore gave the reception its dreamy + eclectic feel.

Linens from Bright Event Rentals tied together the blush tones of the tablescape.

Tabletop decor elements from Casa de Perrin like these woven chargers, the delicate floral dinnerware, and the glass details in different shades of pink made for place settings with a creative, curated vibe.

How delicious does this reception dinner menu from Rare Society sound!

Party Proper was all set up to keep Lauren + Chad’s guest on their feet all night long. That striped table skirting? SO cute!

Lauren’s effortless + elegant half up half down hairstyle by Samara Beauty was made even better by these darling pearly shell-shaped hair accessories from Mignonne Handmade.

Our Favorite Memory
Chad giving his gift to the bride. Bride had a vintage Bronco in her twenties but had to sell it for money. Chad gifted her a 1972 Ford Bronco. The reaction was pretty epic!

“We both got tattoos on the wedding day,” remembers the couple. “Chad got an ‘L’ initial for Lauren on his ring finger, and Lauren got ’till death.’“

“Our favorite tattoo artist came and tattooed almost 20 guests!”

Love this shot of Mary Tattoo Santa Barbara in action, adding some fresh ink to bride Lauren’s collection!

Look through our list of unique couples tattoos if Lauren’s adorable ribcage script tattoo has you thinking of inking something to celebrate your relationship like these two did.

And definitely explore our collection of wedding ring tattoos if you like the way Chad opted for some permanent body art rather than a traditional ring.

This kitschy Toronto wedding and this gothic desert wedding are some other great examples of wedding days that included tattoos!

On top of a traditional first dance, Lauren + Chad opted to add a second dance as well! “Our second dance was the song “Down in Mexico” by The Coasters from our favorite Quinten Tarantino movie with Kurt Russel, Death Proof.” says the couple. “Lauren loves Kurt Russel, and this was a song that he was in.”

Totally in love with this little orange vintage-iced wedding cake from Lelé Patisserie.

And can we just take a moment to appreciate this sparkly beaded reception dress from Netta Ben Shabu that Lauren found at Jaxon James Couture?

The couple created custom pizza boxes to add a Penelope-inspired twist to their late night snack.

Our Advice
Make it you! Don't worry about what everyone else is doing. It doesn't need to be anyone else's style. Hire a planner/designer that really fits your style and let them do their thing. 

Congrats, Lauren + Chad, on your vibrant nautical Santa Barbara wedding day! All the very best from GWS!