Before they married in the coolest, most unique venue we’ve seen recently, Cara + Adrian had to meet and fall in love, of course. Though they’d had similar friend circles, it wasn’t until one fated night when Cara, despite losing her voice, decided to go out for a friend’s birthday. The word she uses is “infatuated,” and they saw each other almost every day after. Jump ahead 5 years: C + A are with family in Italy, and Cara’s got a ring on her with their motto, “whatever forever,” inscribed on the band. She proposed…and he said yes! We asked Cara about their inspiration behind the wedding day and here’s what she had to say:
I am an Art Director and had a lot of fun finding inspiration for the vibe and décor…almost too much fun. I really needed to edit down all my themes, and finally finding the location helped me do that. We didn’t want a traditional wedding venue, and when we found out we could get married at the Honey Run Covered Bridge, we were so excited. As a child, Adrian had spent his summers swimming there and the hint of nostalgia made the location stand out even more for us. I drew a lot of my inspiration from the bridge and the surrounding area, and mixing all those natural elements with our personal style. I think everything we did felt like a visual representation of us.
C + A called on the oh-so-talented Jacki Potorke to capture every little detail—let’s have a look!
The King of Bouquets
Cara says she isn’t much of a flower person but wanted king proteas because they look “tough while being beautiful,” which is literally the best description ever. One of her bridesmaids, Caroline, happens to own the catering + event planning company, Fogcutter, so she helped bring Cara’s floral (and food) vision to life!
Couple Style
Cara wore a Sarah Seven dress paired with some rad Jeffrey Campbell Hunt the Plains Boots, while Aidan rented a killer suit from Menguin.
Love + Leather
How great are these custom leather jackets from Understated Leather?? Cara gave us the scoop:
I wear and own a lot of moto jackets and, as a joke, someone suggested I would wear a motorcycle jacket down the aisle. I ended up taking that suggestion seriously. I surprised Adrian with his jacket before the wedding by having his best man drop it off for me. I had “whatever forever” stitched on the back of mine and on the inside of Adrian’s. I am so glad I have something so beautiful and well-made that will last forever. I also got all my bridesmaid jackets from Understated Leather as gifts. They were a huge part of making the wedding unique to us.
The Ceremony
WHOA, those massive king proteas are incredible!
I was terrified of my vows. I was so scared that I was going to be uncomfortable and it would end up feeling stiff and boring. They ended up being the complete opposite and one of my favorite memories. Our really close friend, Molly, officiated and she blew everyone away with her jokes and kind words. I also vividly remember how much laughter there was throughout the ceremony.
While we were taking our photos with Jacki, our amazing photographer, we walked down along the creekside. It was golden hour and completely picturesque, but as we turned a corner we ran into a couple of old guy’s gold panning, drinking tall cans, and smoking cigarettes. It was such a funny moment, I think back on it and laugh all the time!
The Bridal Party
The bridal party wore black (one of Cara’s favorite colors) to juxtapose the natural background and amazing florals.
The Reception
Take your time with planning and make sure everything feels like you. Try not to get caught up in the pressure, from yourself or others (even though you probably will). Try to start your DIY projects early (even though you probably won’t). Take at least 10 minutes to have some one-on-one time with your partner on the wedding day. It goes by so fast.
C + A wanted the food to feel like a family Italian meal, passing plates around the table, and Fogcutter nailed it!
Cara drew most of her inspiration from the wood of the bridge itself: From that, I played with different textures and colors of woods, and mixed them with greenery and grass that felt like a natural part of the park. I kept everything fairly neutral with pops of silver metallic and black, since I really wanted everything to compliment the location.
Carousel
Carousel
Cara’s maid of honor + her boyfriend built the escort/welcome display! Cara also made all the signage out of cut plywood and silver vinyl stickers.
The Honey Run Bridge
Cue: the dreamiest reception space ever. So amazing how C + A found a unique venue that also has a lot of significance to Adrian!
Twinkle lights forever!
Cara’s parents bottled olive oil with sprigs of rosemary from her garden as favors. So cool! She also made all the napkins from raw-hem washed linen and wrapped them with leather and rosemary, while Cara’s sister designed + printed all the paper goods. Doesn’t it all look divine?
Cheers!
Processional: Party and Groom: Modern Soul by James Blake; Bride: Pitter Patter Goes My Heart by Broken Social Scene
Recessional: I Just Want to Celebrate by Rare Earth
First Dance: Pink + White by Frank Ocean
We love this day so much! All our congrats to the happy couple!
photography: Jacki Potorke // venue name: Honey Run Covered Bridge, Chico, California, USA // event design: Bride DIY // florals: Fogcutter // wedding dress: Sarah Seven 'Sulligan' // bride's shoes: Hunt the Plains Boot // bride's ring: Groom's Grandmothers, vintage // getting ready robes: Lulus // hair stylist: Markie Sheffield // makeup artist: Powder Room Beauty Bar // groom attire: Menguin // groom's ring: Designed and made by a friend // paper goods: Designed and printed by bride's sister // catering: Fogcutter // cake: Upper Crust Bakery // music: 24 7 DJ Services // ring: Trip Out Vintage
How cool !
Love this !!