Whimsical California Morning Wedding: Hailey + Jonathan

blue bridesmaids

Before we even got the chance to lay eyes on Hailey + Jonathan’s wedding photos, we read the title of their submission: Snow White walks into Woodstock. We were obviously intrigued to say the very least. It sounded like one of the most interesting themes/concepts and when we finally got to the photos captured by Novel Hill Studio, we were so happy to see they didn’t disappoint one bit!

H + J decided on a DIY morning wedding at Santiago Oaks Regional Park in Orange, California. Hailey shares, We knew from the start of our wedding plans that we did not need a dance party to set the tone for our day but rather we wanted the focus to be on the sanctity of the occasion, the beauty of our love story and the warmth of those who have loved us through and through. With that said, we thought that the morning would provide the reverence and whimsy that we desired to convey on our special day. Our wedding took place at 9:00 am, and was followed by a doughnut and coffee hour and breakfast reception.

Sounds like a super sweet celebration, but why the submission title? She adds, My vision of “Snow White Walks into Woodstock” was inspired by our love of all things vintage, woodsy and eclectic. Now we follow! So, let’s see how they brought that super fun idea to life…

spring invitation

wedding dress

blue bridesmaids

How fun is that vintage frame backdrop?! And we’re loving those wildflower style bouquets by French Buckets!

vintage spoon necklace

blue bow tie

groom floral tie

fun groomsmen socks

first look

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

I think our most cherished memories from the day were our first look at sunrise (yes, 6:30 AM!) and the entirety of the ceremony. The purity of the morning air set us both at ease and gave us such a peaceful start to the day. We felt like our first moments together were removed from time and solely ours to experience the joy, bafflement and sanctity of the marriage to take place that very day. Our ceremony blessed us enormously. We asked that two of our family friends open the ceremony in prayer and once they began you could hear a pin drop among our guests – it was so powerful and compelling. We also asked guests to write a word of blessing on the perforated portion of their programs to be collected in a box (wood burned by Jonathan) in lieu of our guest book. After the ceremony, we excused our guests row by row like the old greeting line days so that we could show each loved one how much it meant to us that they came.

Nature Center wedding

Nature Center wedding

Nature Center wedding

daisy bouquet

Again with that bouquet! Right?!?

groom

Nature Center wedding

Nature Center wedding

wedding party

ceremony decor

colorful forest arbor

We love the overgrown + summery feel of the ceremony site.

daisy garland

colorful forest arbor

flower girl with flower garland

Nature Center wedding

Nature Center wedding

Nature Center wedding

vintage trays

Nature Center wedding

coffee mug station

YES to this vintage coffee mug favor display!

vintage can flowers

sidecar donuts

Hailey is a registered dietitian and a total foodie at heart, so planning the breakfast menu was one of her favorite parts of the planning process. She says, We could have easily opted for a traditional breakfast spread (pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit) but I had other items in mind. Jonathan is a waffle man and I, well, enjoy all things granola and fruit so we decided to introduce a couple twists to your typical morning fare by offering waffle sandwiches and açaí bowls. Our guests absolutely loved our menu! And for toasts, we had cartons of orange juice dispersed along the guest tables.

They enlisted some of the best in the breakfast biz, Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee (who served delish peanut butter chocolate, maple bacon, huckleberry, butter and salt, cinnamon crumb doughnuts along with Stumptown coffe), Sambazon Inc. + Waffle-icious!

sidecar donuts

sidecar donuts

sidecar donuts

wedding newspaper

wedding newspaper

wedding newspaper

vintage frame backdrop

Everything about this setting is so on point, don’t you think? If you’re throwing a morning wedding or a celebration with a whimsical + fun vibe, check out our shopping guide below to get the look!

wedding party

colorful reception

The design of our guest tables included islet table cloths (inspired by my mother’s wedding dress that was made from vintage eyelet) and home sewn napkins made by one of my bridesmaid’s mothers. I wanted our theme colors (persimmon orange, curry yellow, turquoise and hints of gold) and textures (wood, eyelet, fresh greenery) to be apparent in the place settings and centerpieces.

woodland tablescape

mirror menu

woodland tablescape

colorful reception

flower garland

waffles for dinner

reception speech

first dance

cheerio exit

cheerio exit

And we could NOT be more in love with this insanely fun Cheerios exit! So genius, H + J!! :)

VW Bus exit

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Enjoy the whole process of wedding planning. There are many times when you will want to be done with it but it was those moments of planning and bonding with my mom and bridesmaids that made for some of the sweetest memories. Soon the appointments, trial runs and late night crafting will disappear before your very eyes and you will return to your daily grind.
Be assertive and own your vision. Your vendors (florists, hair & make-up artists, tailors, officiate, planner) cannot read your mind, so do not assume that they know exactly what you want until you tell them exactly what you want. A vision board and other tangible references are helpful here. I scheduled three hair trials until I was completely confident in the look that would be recreated on the wedding day – you are not being an inconvenience, you are being a bride and your vendors want you to be happy with their work so that you can rest assured on the big day!

photography: Novel Hill Studio // venue name: Santiago Oaks Regional Park, Orange, California // event design: Bride & Mother-of-the-Bride // planning: Bride & Mother-of-the-Bride // florals: French Buckets // hair stylist: Daryl Holliday of Salon Rebelle // makeup artist: Daryl Holliday of Salon Rebelle // groom attire: Hugo Boss // videography: David Orgill // calligraphy: Alexis Ann Design // cake: Purely Delectable Desserts // music: Kevin Toqe // donuts: Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee // breakfast: Sambazon Inc., Waffle-icious // cake topper: bride & BHLDN // rentals: Found Vintage Rentals & Archive Rentals // flatware: Baker Rentals // paper goods: Alexis Ann Design & Hoover Printing // save the dates: Bride & Dana Grogger // bride's dress: Guirland by Cymbeline // bride's shoes: Anthropologie, Steve Madden // bride's earrings: Tiffany & Co. // bride's headband: Vintage

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