We have a VERY special wedding to share today! Emily, the lovely bride, is the talented wedding photographer behind Anna Delores Photography, friend to GWS, one of our adored Preferred Wedding Vendors. Her work has been featured all over Green Wedding Shoes and now, the spotlight is on her! Emily married her love, Jeremy, at Riata Ranch in Santa Margarita, California and did it all in a gorgeous black wedding dress which YOU KNOW we love.
“I’ve always been excited to plan my own wedding, and I think Jeremy understood that pretty early in our relationship! When we got engaged (he surprised me during a trip to New Orleans), a big priority was to make design choices that were special and different, but also wouldn’t read too trendy later on. We wanted the aesthetics of our wedding to be a little unexpected and unique, but still timeless.”
Emily and Jeremy worked with Array Creative Design, a decision she found to be invaluable. Let’s have a look at how it all came together!
All the Details
The day’s design unfolded with a pretty minimal invitation suite by Lazy Creative Designs.
Girlfriend rocked some blue Christian Louboutins — you know they deserved a styled flat-lay!
Can’t you just smell the sweetness of this bouquet by Coco Rose Design?!
Emily absolutely stunned in her black wedding dress by Sottero & Midgley!
The bridesmaids wore long off-white gowns from Lulu’s and Show Me Your Mumu.
Keeping it Authentic
E + J kept some traditions that felt right to them (like repeating traditional vows instead of writing their own) but others, they skipped: “We didn’t make a big deal of not seeing each other before the ceremony. Jeremy had already seen my dress, so that wasn’t a big secret, and we kept our first look “reveal” pretty low-key. We didn’t feel like many of the traditional or dramatic overtures that might be ‘expected’ were authentic to our relationship, so we skipped anything that didn’t have special meaning or otherwise resonate with us.”
The Outdoor Ceremony
Emily walked down the aisle with her dad to “Canon in D” by Benny Martin & The Wong Janice, the same song her mom walked to almost 40 years prior. Of course, tears were shed!
Yay!
The Newlyweds
How epic is that dress!!
Carousel
Carousel
Emily has been in the wedding business for over 9 years, so she knew exactly what she wanted in a venue:
“We selected our venue based on its intimate layout, the quality of the on-site accommodations for me and Jeremy, and the overall aesthetic of the property. Being able to stay on the property at their spacious ranch house was a HUGE selling point for me when we were venue shopping – as a wedding photographer, I’ve done a lot of weddings that required travel to multiple locations for ‘getting ready,’ ceremony, reception, portraits…I wanted everything to be in one place. It was a non-negotiable for me, and every venue we visited in person had the option for us to stay on property.”
New Orleans-Inspired Alfresco Reception
The groom’s signature cocktail by Liquid Cult, the Bourbon Street Smash, was a reference to the most famous street in New Orleans where E + J got engaged—and enjoyed many a Bourbon Smash cocktail during their stay in the city after!
Why is food in a cone so cute? Guests enjoyed sweet little bites by Field To Table!
The escort display was also a nod to New Orleans! The Cajun French phrase “laissez les bons temps rouler” is often used in the celebration of Mardi Gras in Louisiana, and the festive sentiment felt like the perfect fit for their wedding day. The English translation “let the good times roll” was printed on the escort cards themselves.
Such a beautiful setting with the neutrals easily reflecting the landscape around the venue.
Who knew blackberries were the perfect design detail?!
Once a wedding photographer, always a wedding photographer!
My biggest advice for couples planning a wedding is to hire a wedding planner. I cannot recommend this strongly enough! I’ve been in the wedding industry for 9 years and I truly thought I knew what I was getting myself into. There were still SO MANY things that popped up about which I was clueless, and my wedding planner (Erika Bellitt of Array Creative Design) brought experience and expertise that were absolutely invaluable throughout the planning process. I couldn’t imagine doing this without her, and while I’ve always told my own wedding clients that a wedding planner is non-negotiable, going through wedding planning myself has given me a whole new level of appreciation for how important it is!
Emily and Jeremy, you are perfect! Thank you for sharing your wedding (and your many talents!) with us — congratulations to you two!
And before you go, check out this sweet little teaser of the day by I Heart Creative!
photography: Anna Delores Photography // venue name: Riata Ranch, Santa Margarita, California, USA // event design: Array Creative Design // planning: Array Creative Design // florals: Coco Rose Design // wedding dress: Sottero & Midgley "Zander" // wedding dress boutique: The Bridal Collection // bride's shoes: Christian Louboutin // bride's ring: Everett Fine Jewelry // bridesmaid dresses: Lulu's and Show Me Your Mumu // hair stylist: Blushing Beauty // makeup artist: Blushing Beauty // groom attire: No. 33 // groom's shoes: Crockett and Jones // groom's ring: Everett Fine Jewelry // videography: I Heart Creative // paper goods: Lazy Creative Designs // calligraphy: Delovely Details // handmade details: Abby Parana // catering: Field To Table // desserts: The Churro Cart // tabletop rentals: Party Pleasers // furniture rentals: Avenue Twelve // linen rentals: La Tavola Linen // specialty rentals: Onyx & Redwood // music: DJ Zeke // officiant: Marlene Bernstein // lighting: Bella Vista Designs // cocktails: Liquid Cult // dress alterations: Sara Rothan
