Pop Open Your Parasols For This Sunny Coastal California Garden Party Wedding!

It’s an undeniably special thing to marry your middle school sweetheart. And since Kacee + Zak’s love story starts all the way back in 7th grade, their coastal California wedding was built entirely out of super thoughtful and meaningful moments. 

“The feeling of the day was important to us,” Kacee + Zak say. “We purposely included meaning in everything we did.”

The couple knew that celebrating somewhere scenic would drive home the significance of the day, and Ecomama Farms—a rose garden and animal sanctuary just north of Santa Barbara with gorgeous views of the Santa Ynez mountains—was exactly what they’d been looking for. Kacee + Zak gathered their friends and family in Ecomama’s gardens and filled the day with bright vibrant colors and a chic, effortless vibe.

One of our favorite touches?? The white paper parasols that brought so much garden party whimsy to this sunny springtime wedding!

We’re so glad that Raegan Buckley was there snapping some iconic photos of this dreamy, meaningful day!

Obsessed with Kacee’s gorgeous marquise cut engagement ring!! Grab your own three-slot oval ring box in blush to recreate this romantic ring photo.

Get hyped, cause Kacee rocked multiple stunning bridal looks throughout her big day. This floral embellished mermaid silhouette Martina Liana gown with a structured bodice and plunging neckline was the first one up. Kacee was familiar with the designer, having worked with them before as a creator. When she tried on a handful of options at Bridal Elegance Studio in Torrance, CA, this romantic look was one of the winners!

Kacee’s glamorous waves were the work of stylist Jessica Kiefe, and Patricia Castro created Kacee’s glowy nude lip makeup look.

“I’ve always liked the idea of nontraditional, mismatched bridesmaids dresses,” Kacee says, “so our color scheme was born from the dresses we picked.”

So fun that the whole wedding’s color story emerged from these bright and floral bridesmaid dresses from Free People and Anthropologie.

The Ceremony

Kacee’s mom’s stylish ochre dress is mother of the bride perfection. Check out some of the mother of the bride dresses we love!

Our Musical Choices
			
Processional: "Goodness Of God" by Jenn Johnson + "Gratitude" by Brandon Lake
			
			
Recessional: 
			
			
First Dance: "Photograph" by Cody Fry
			
		

Kacee + Zak included tons of unique touches in their ceremony like a group vow and the fact that they flip-flopped the traditional groom-on-the-right and bride-on-the-left setup. Also, they kept their parents super involved in this portion of the day: Zak’s dad officiated, and Kacee wears her mom’s own wedding ring!

The Wedding Party + Parasols

Didn’t we tell you these white paper parasols would be absolutely dreamy!?

We ADORE that Kacee switches to this elegant low bun before the ceremony! Way to go, Jessica Kiefe!

Nothing better than a voluminous veil photo. Take a look through our collection of the best wedding veils for every bridal style to explore all the length and embellishment options out there.

Our Advice To Those Planning Now
Be incredibly mindful of who you bring into your wedding day--guests, vendors, wedding party, etc. We kept to a petite guest list of people who have faithfully supported and loved us over the course of our lives--people who encourage and sharpen us. The morning of our wedding, I went on a walk with my cousin while my other bridesmaids were getting hair and makeup done. We walked around the venue reminiscing on childhood memories, and prayed over the space and the people who would occupy it that afternoon. We prayed that they would experience the love and presence of the Lord. This gave me so much peace and allowed me to enjoy the rest of the day with minimal nerves and just pure excitement. Not only that, we picked such a stellar vendor team that truly took care of us. Be PICKY with your team. Lastly, make a list of all the special things you two want to include in your wedding day and make room for it in the timeline. Our favorite moments were the special-to-us things we included. There is a lot of upfront work that goes into a wedding and you can only do so much. Prepare as much as you'd like, but when it comes down to it, release yourself from that responsibility and focus on your spouse and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Oh also, don't listen to anyone that says your wedding has to be timeless ;)

The Reception

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding
Our most memorable moment happened after our first dance. We're Christians and enlisted the help of our friend to play guitar and sing some of our favorite worship songs. We passed around communion elements during the song "New Wine" by Hillsong Worship. Our closest friends and family gathered around us, hands lifted to thank God for His faithfulness to us. It was 15 minutes of pure joy. We ended the time with our guests laying hands on us to pray for our new marriage and really build us up as we entered such a holy covenant of marriage. I've never seen worship like that at a wedding, but for us, it was such a natural expression of our gratitude and excitement. The photos make us so happy to look back on.

Another meaningful moment? Kacee + Zak cut these adorable small wedding cakes with the cake knife from Kacee’s parents’ wedding!

Look number TWO! For the reception, Kacee switched into some stunning bridal separates and wore the “West” dress from All Who Wander! (Another designer Kacee had worked with as a creator.) Fun fact: Kacee was the first bride ever to wear this look at her wedding!

Haute Sugar Co. supplied fun vintage inspired desert vibes with their ice cream truck!

Loving Kacee’s second look as much as we are? Check out our fave two-piece wedding dresses and bridal separates and our list of the best wedding reception dresses.