February 5, 2021

Kelsey & Justin

Santa Barbara, CA

When a New York girl falls for a Southern Cali boy you can bet their wedding is going to be vibrant and fantastic! To know these two is one truly a gift. They are adorable together and absolutely the kindest souls.

It was a privilege to get to capture such a moving celebration. Thank you to Style Me Pretty for sharing more of their story and vision behind this incredible fete’. You can see more there. https://www.stylemepretty.com/2020/06/24/when-east-coast-style-meets-the-west-at-an-elegant-seaside-bluff-affair-in-santa-barbara/

They chose to wed at Rancho Dos Pueblos on a picturesque November day overlooking the incredible Santa Barbara Shoreline.

Here are some planning tips From Tyler Speier Events “… Kelsey (a New Yorker) and Justin (a California Native) tied the knot at Rancho Dos Pueblos, in Santa Barbara California. They wanted their celebration to be a unique combination of their East Coast and West Coast roots – and the result was stunning! With its rustic barn and private beach, Rancho Dos Pueblos was the perfect venue to host their celebration. Kelsey and Justin are an adventurous couple who love the outdoors and love to travel, so saying their vows on a cliff overlooking the ocean was a fitting place.

With the laid-back nature of the venue, we decided to make their wedding be a black-tie, “east-coast inspired” affair, with crystal chandeliers, abundant flowers, velvet linens, and beautiful print details. Guests rode on vintage school busses to the cliff overlooking the ocean, where a floral aisle led to a custom-built Chuppah. Guests were greeted with champagne, pashminas, and custom Yamakas as they took in the stunning view of the Pacific Ocean. Kelsey and her parents arrived at the ceremony in a vintage car (adorned with silk and greenery). They said their vows under the chuppah with their parents standing as witness. Not one eye was dry. Guests were then escorted down to the private beach for cocktails, where they witnessed an incredible California sunset. “East Coast” and “West Coast” signature cocktails were served to the guests, instead of the traditional “His and Hers”.

When it was time for dinner, guests got their place-cards out of boxes with fresh, locally grown lavender. (Note: all of the stationary was an incredible DIY project by the Mother of the Bride – such a neat, personalized detail!). As the band played, guests entered the barn, which was completely transformed with draping, a 6’ crystal chandelier, hundreds of candles, and abundant, organic floral arrangements. We used mismatched tables to give the space a natural feeling. Half of the tables were exposed wood with natural gray runners, candles, and abundant arrangements of flowers. The other half were round tables with gray velvet linens and tall gold stands with large arrangements of greenery. An arrangement of flowers also “crawled” up the tree in the barn, providing a dramatic photo backdrop for guests. For the flowers, we used peonies, roses, hydrangea, ranunculus, David Austen Roses, Delphinium, and Larkspur. The design was loose, organic, and whimsical. We used ceramic compotes on the rectangular tables and tall gold geometric stands on the round tables. 

The Chuppah was custom built so all the parents would fit underneath, and it was hand-stained to match the ceremony chairs. As the designer, it was so fun to see the laid-back “West Coast Beach Wedding” meet the formality of an “East Coast Black Tie Affair”. From the miniature tacos served at cocktail hour to the multi-course formal dinner, the beach backdrop with the formal flowers, the rustic barn setting with the velvet and chandeliers, the whole design was a unique combination of Kelsey + Justin’s stories. Despite the formality of the event, perhaps the most memorable aspect of the day was the amazing joy felt by all the guests. As a planner, I get to attend lots of weddings, and I walked away with my heart so full after this one. The family and the guests were all so excited to see this couple get married, and the excitement and joy was palpable in the room. It was truly a special day – one of my absolute favorite weddings in my whole career so far!

Event Planning,Floral Design: Tyler Speier Events | catering: Omni Fresco Catering | calligraphy: Jessica Yee Calligraphy | Officiant: Rabbi Janice Mehring | transportation: Jump On The School Bus | Wedding Venue: Dos Pueblos Ranch  | dj/band: American events network | Photography – Assistance: Ariel Min Photography | lighting and draping: Bella Vista Designs, Inc | Specialty rentals : Elan Event Rentals | specialty car: Santa Barbara Speedster | Rentals: The Tent Merchant | custom chuppah: event planting

Wedding on a bluff in Santa Barbara

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