This wedding from Focus Photography pairs elegant venue choices with eclectic details (mini mason jar cocktails!); the perfect combination of swanky and sweet for this couple who decided to wed in beautiful Beverly Hills. I love their color palette of soft grays with pops of purple and who can resist striped straws and a mini dessert table? Hint: not this girl! The bride, Caroline, is here to share her planning insight:
What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?
I have to say that the person who helped me the most throughout the entire wedding planning process was my sweet husband. He was the perfect partner – seeing and understanding my vision, giving me thoughtful input, while still allowing me to make most of the major decisions so that I could have my “dream” wedding. He went with me to almost all of our vendor meetings and helped create so many of our DIY items – customize bottle labels, our dessert and guest place cards, our table #’s, etc. Most importantly, throughout the entire process, he was patient and kind and was (almost) always willing to listen to me ask him another wedding question. My MOH had also just gotten married a year prior, so she shared loads of helpful info and was a great sounding board. On the actual wedding day, my day-of wedding coordinator took care of everything so that I could enjoy the day and not worry about all the details and logistics.
What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?
For our wedding, the most important things to us were 1) the photographs and 2) making sure our guests had a good time and were well taken care of. We spent a good amount of our budget in these areas and saved in others. We selected vendors based on their quality and style. It was also really important for us to choose vendors that we naturally “clicked” with and genuinely liked as people.
What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?
Our venues, Greystone Mansion and Il Cielo, really set the overall tones for our wedding. We wanted our wedding to be modern and elegant, but still soft and romantic with a vintage feel. Our wedding colors and style were inspired by our invitations which consisted of purple and soft grays, whimsical, elegant type and twine.
What was your favorite thing about your wedding?
Oh, so many things! Our first look, hearing each other’s personal vows was really touching, watching our same day edit at the end of the night was so sweet and special, being able to see how proud our parents were was incredible, all the heartfelt speeches and toasts – and just being surrounded with so much love and happiness by the people that mean the most to us in the world!
What is your best piece of advice for other brides?
While you are planning your wedding, everything is going to seem important. However, try not to sweat the little things and focus on the things that really matter. Most of your guests will not remember all the little details that you spent hours perfecting. Enjoy your day, have fun and don’t lose sight of the true meaning of marriage. Get a day-of wedding coordinator, I can’t stress that enough. The value and service they provide you will far outweigh their cost. Lastly, do everything you can to hire a videographer. The video is as important as your photographs and will capture memories that will last a lifetime.
I love that this sweet couple offered their guests “welcome drinks” at their outdoor ceremony. So refreshing and a nice gesture to guests who may be sitting in the heat this Spring or Summer. As simple as lemonade or as intricate as a signature cocktail, welcome drinks are a fun way to emphasize the look and feel of your wedding day. How about you? Are y’all planning a fun drink or cocktail for your big day? I’d love to hear your ideas!
XOXO,
Carlee
Vendors who made it all happen…
Carlee
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Thank you so much for the feature! Caroline & James were such an amazing couple! We were so happy to be a part of their day.