Michael and Zara's Wedding in Redlands, California

Being prepared for the weather is important if any part of the wedding is to be held outside. The temp was supposed to be in the mid 50s, and the bride looked at a faux fur wrap which she never bought. The temp turned out to be upper 70s, and no wrap was needed.

The bride's lace dress was only the third or fourth one she tried on--and her dad and I immediately knew it was the dress for our bride. And she always knew she wanted a birdcage veil--even though I had bought a long traditional veil for her--just for photos, so the breeze would catch it . But it stayed hanging in the closet, and honestly, the bride's veil with floral assist from her florist was spectacular. I wasn't sure whether the year that day was in the 1920s or 2019. For the "first look," the bride pinned the groom's boutonniere on his lapel. So glad this moment was captured in photos.

The bride and groom chose not to have a traditional wedding party, so no photos with bridesmaids and groomsmen. The bride's sister, who served as her maid of honor was escorted down the aisle and then sat on the front row. Her 11-year old nephew carried a sign down the aisle reading, "Here Comes the Love of Your Life." Really sweet. At the appropriate moment in the ceremony, he handed the bride and groom their rings on a pillow.

All four parents promised their encouragement to the couple at the beginning of the ceremony instead of the traditional "giving away" of the bride. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the bride's parents shared a blessing that had been responsively read at their wedding 35 years ago.

The amazing florals were provided by Rainy of Lovely Ambiance in Riverside. The bride gave her a list of her desired flowers, described her vision, and Rainy took it from there, going above and beyond. To honor her grandparents, the bride put photos of them in miniature frames which Rainy attached with ribbon to the bouquet.

I have read comments on wedding threads where brides can save lots of money by going simple and inexpensive with their florals because "they just die anyway." But if you wantt those flowers, and they make you smile, go for it. The quality and presentation was superlative--just what the bride envisioned But the icing on the cake was how reasonable our florist was. The arbor swag was placed on the bride's and groom's table following the ceremony, and the aisle flowers arranged in the flower market metal containers were moved inside for the reception as table centerpieces. These were sent home with special guests at the end of the reception.

The bride typed the menu and acknowledgments on an invitation suite she found on clearance at Hobby Lobby. Having the napkins folded to hold the menus was a perfect part of the tablescape.

The bride wanted a photo booth, so the groom built one, which we outfitted with lots of fun props. The bride had a super time taking photos with her guests.

The guest tables were accented with "vintage" lace runners, mason jars decorated with ribbon and burlap. Bells reading "Ring for a Kiss" were provided by the groom's mom. A small wooden frame holding an engagement photo of the couple ended up going home with a lucky guest from each table.

The cake table was strategically placed with the red brick wall of the historic building as a backdrop. The toasting glasses boasted Disneyland's Cinderella's castle and were a gift from the groom's mother. The globe with "Love Makes the World Go Round" was found in a side aisle of Michaels. The "tossing" bouquet was nestled in one of the 1920s farmer's market containers. The cake for the couple to cut was from Stater Bros. Grocery bakery. Desserts were cheescake cupcakes made by the bride's family--pumpkin, cookies and cream, lemon poppy seed, and pecan praline. The dessert table glassware was provided by local vendor Clover and Thistle, who also provided the vintage china, wine bucket, and glassware for the bride's and groom's table. The white "vintage" lanterns were from Hobby Lobby.

Sparklers were not allowed, so the bride and groom opted for small bottles of bubbles to hand out and ribboned and belled wands for guests to wave during the couple's departure. Paper bag luminaries with cut outs lined the pathway.

Another huge wedding expense is photography. If you have a definite idea of your photography style, shopping around is super important. The bride's photographer (a friend) fell through the week before the wedding. Another friend, who is a photographer, stepped in, and a family friend who is a photographer did back-up. The bride liked that her photographer had lots of great ideas for captures, but she was also flexiible with her approach. In the long run, the wedding was more than covered.

Toward the end of planning, with the wedding in sight, the bride wished she had a wedding planner, which I would recommend if you need help with organization and/or are too busy to make vendor contacts yourself. If you have a support team of dependable friends and family who will implement your vision, your guest list is short, and your plans uncompicated, I suggest you skip a wedding planner, and put your dollars elsewhere.

In the end, the bride was thrilled with how all the details came together to make her wedding day just what she had dreamed of.