We kind of can’t stop thinking about the modern, eclectic magic of Abby + Ray’s vineyard wedding day ever since we got a glimpse of Claire Schaper’s dreamy photos.
What gave this wedding its captivating charm? You can just feel that Abby + Ray’s excitement as a couple was the intention behind it all. “The best advice we were given was to try and think about our wedding day like a party being thrown for us, rather than a party we were throwing for our guests,” say Abby + Ray. “That advice really gave us room to make each decision with the mindset of: ‘On the best day of our lives, what do the two of us want to eat/drink/dance to/etc.?’”
Surraya Event Planning + Design helped Abby + Ray realize their colorful, contemporary-yet-timeless wedding vision amidst the lush trees and vineyard rows of Lavender Oak Vineyard in Buellton, California—just up the coast from Santa Barbara. There were whimsical grassy floral arrangements, chic + vibrant wedding party looks, and an absolutely irresistible sunset dinner party complete with candles, cakes, and twinkling string lights.
There’s so much to see, and the romantic Super-8 film footage of the day from Courtney Paige Photo is absolutely not to be missed, so let’s get into it!
The retro, minimalist hand-drawn invitation suite that Rebecca Lozovinskiy created for Abby + Ray completely captured the chic + eclectic spirit of their big day. We are obsessed with those illustrated details.
Abby had all of her besties rocking the adorable Contrast Heart Pocket Pj Shirt & Pants Set from Nasty Gal while they got ready.
PJ sets make such a fun + practical bridesmaid gifts. Who doesn’t love stylish sleepwear?!
Abby’s bridesmaids and their colorful bridesmaid dresses set the tone for the day’s elevated-yet-playful color palette with these mismatched bridal party looks.
Wild West Florals embraced the romance and whimsy of the vineyard venue with dreamy + wild creations like this pink, purple, and ivory bridal bouquet.
Can’t decide whether your wedding is a giving suit vibes or tux vibes, menswear-wise? Check out our men’s A to Z formalwear guide to narrow it down or follow Ray’s lead and rock a classic tux while your groomsmen go for sharp + simple black suits—best of both worlds!
What a chic + colorful crew!
“Ray slid into my Instagram DM’s after a friend posted a video of me on my birthday in 2021,” remembers Abby of how their love story began. “After much debate with his friends of what to send, Ray’s opening line was “👋.” People always ask me what about that message prompted me to respond and the answer is just that he looked cute.“
Ja’Nice Ramos created Abby’s gorgeous, wavy half-up half-down bridal hairstyle with face framing pieces and her romantic, deep neutral makeup look.
LOVING the classic silhouette and gathered skirt of Abby’s strapless, elegant wedding gown from Fleurish LA. We are absolutely obsessed with that bridal scarf.
The TRAIN 😍
The Ceremony
The light wood ceremony guest seating from Party Pleasers totally popped among all the lush vineyard greens.
Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding Writing and reading our own vows. Ray's dad married us and we got to read our vows aloud at the ceremony. It was so special to get to hear love letters from each other and share with our friends and family why we love each other so much. And now we get to keep the vows framed in our home forever to read again and again.
“We created a winding aisle with various grasses and blooms that would seamlessly come up from the lawn,” remembers planner Natalie of Surraya Event Planning + Design.
Gotta love a mid-aisle kiss! The PERFECT ceremony photo op.
Our Musical Choices Processional: "The Blessing" by Kari Jobe (instrumental version)
Recessional: "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates
First Dance: "Right Down the Line" by Local Natives
First things first once you’ve said “I do”: show off that brand new wedding band!
The Reception
“Abby wanted her day to have a mix of modern trendy touches, with an air of timeless elegance,” says planer Natalie. “We layered in a mixture of vintage and modern pieces for the table with custom stationery and newly released linens. We kept a fun poppy pastel palette for the day, using florals as our main source of color.
Grab some brass candlesticks and sage green taper candles to recreate the whimsical, elevated outdoor dinner party magic of Abby + Ray’s reception setup.
Delicious white + blush mini cakes from Frances Baking were worked into the reception banquet table’s tablescape.
“Initially, I was really caught up in wanting to create a wedding that I would love for the rest of my life and that was ultimately ‘timeless,'” remembers Abby. “But at some point someone told us that there is no such thing as timeless—everything goes out of style. Once we realized that there is something so fun about leaning into the zeitgeist of the era in which you got married (like my mom’s poofy sleeves or my Aunt’s wedding hat from the 80s) we felt more freedom to make decisions based on what we like right now and later we can laugh about how “2023” our wedding was with our kids.”
Completely obsessed with Otis & Pearl’s modern + eclectic tabletop decor touches. That ribbed stemware!
And the blue pinstripe napkins + crisp white tablecloths from BBJ La Tavola? Vineyard picnic perfection.
String lights from Santa Ynez Valley Elite Events gave the evening its intimate, romantic glow.
Our Advice To Those Planning Now Make sure each part of your wedding feels like and is a reflection of you and your partner. If you need to, just think "on the best day of our lives what would we want to happen?" and then go with that.
Abby wowed everyone with an evening outfit change into this off the shoulder reception dress by Vivienne Westwood.
“I found a Vivienne Westwood dress I LOVED but it was outside of my price range so I didn’t end up getting anything that day, but couldn’t get the dress out of my head,” says Abby of her meant-to-be dress shopping experience. “Then a couple months later I saw a girl selling the EXACT dress in my EXACT size online and figured it was fate and bought it second hand. It was perfect.”
This Super-8 film footage from Courtney Paige Photo completely captured the romance of this dreamy day. We can’t get enough.
Congratulations, Abby + Ray!! Your timeless-yet-contemporary vineyard celebration was a colorful, eclectic dream come true. GWS wishes you both the very best!
photography: Claire Schaper Photography // venue name: Lavender Oak Vineyard, Buellton/Santa Ynez Valley, California, USA // event design: Surraya Event Planning + Design // planning: Surraya Event Planning + Design // florals: Wild West Florals // wedding dress: Fleurish LA and Vivienne Westwood // hair stylist: Ja'Nice Ramos // makeup artist: Ja'Nice Ramos // videography: Courtney Paige Photography // paper goods: Rebecca Lozovinskiy // catering: Trumpet Vine Catering // cake: Frances Baking Co. // desserts: Frances Baking Co. // tabletop rentals: Otis + Pearl // furniture rentals: Party Pleasers // linen rentals: BBJ La Tavola // music: LeFunk Sounds // lighting: Santa Ynez Valley Elite Events // cocktails: Simply Cocktails
There are so many things I love about this wedding! The colors, the huge wedding party, the winding aisle and the long table at the reception. Beautiful in so many ways!