As you can see by the date in the blog title, I’m just slightly behind in sharing the weddings I’ve been working on. 😉 But in truth, I realized that I’d started this blog post a while back. I was encouraged to publish it finally after last week’s marriage equality ruling. And see? I’m trying to keep my promise for moar!blogging!
Ana and Gina are one of my favorite couples. They have such wonderful energy and chemistry, and I immediately liked them. Mind you, I have a LOT of incredible couples that I like immediately – it’s something I am proud that I can say about just about everyone – but I still remember our first phone call. Ana had just e-mailed me and set up a time to talk. They lived in the Bay Area and couldn’t meet in person. She hadn’t mentioned anything about Gina at all. “My fiancé is here and wants to meet you too!” she said, as we were introducing ourselves on the phone. I heard Gina’s voice, and my heart leapt. It seems a bit silly now, but in 2011 marriage equality was still such an uphill battle. I’d always wanted to do weddings for everyone, but you can’t really pick and choose your clients. So I had to wait for someone to choose me. I remember getting off that phone call and dancing around. They liked me! They really liked me! And I liked them! This was happening!
Over the next several months, we worked together on decor plans for their wedding. We always had the most fun when we were together; it felt comfortable, like we had been friends for a long time. The venue, Hidden Valley Retreat and Spa (which is no longer), was one where literally everything was do-it-yourself. It was lovely, but challenging, especially given their tight budget, so we had to get creative! You can see the results in the photos – lots of paper and streamers… But it was so very lovely. I’m so proud of the way their whole day looked! I loved how colorful it was (they were inspired by a painting they loved), and how many fun details we were able to bring in.
On the wedding day, I had a team of four working from 10 am to 7:30 pm (when the reception was already starting, we were still finishing up the cake table that was, thankfully, in the other room), hanging lights and lanterns, setting up tables and chairs, doing table settings, putting together a DIY Photo Booth, and so much more. We’d have been there sooner to get started, but we were running last-second errands for the wedding! It is actually because of this wedding that I require additional assistants for venues that aren’t “set up” for weddings, since simply placing, setting up, and dressing tables for 60 guests took two of my staff several hours to complete!
At any rate, the wedding itself was incredible. Happy and gorgeous couple, happy friends and family, heartfelt vows, beautiful decor, and a great party! Kaysha Weiner took the most stunning photographs (more on my website). It’s no wonder that Ana and Gina were featured on Equally Wed!
Ana + Gina’s Colorful Rustic Handcrafted Wedding (07*14*12)
- Wedding Design + Coordination: Events by Elisa
- Stationery: Paper Doll Design | Studio
- Photography: Kaysha Weiner Photography
- Cake: San Diego Desserts
- Cupcakes: Calculated Whisk
- Ceremony Music: Ocdamia Strings
- Reception Music: DJ Carmin Wong
- Hair and Makeup: Charlyn Sanchez
Events by Elisa 