Real Weddings Wednesday: Presenting Ryanne Bradley and Nick Steele

The Couple: Ryanne Bradley and Nick Steele
Wedding Date: July 9, 2011
Photography by Anderson Images
Tell us a little about you and your beloved: We met in high school in 1998 because a friend of mine took Nick to prom. We lost touch about two years later….only to meet at a mutual friend’s (a bridesmaid’s) party in December of 2009.
We started dating three weeks later, in January 2010, and got engaged 4 months later in May 2010, and that’s all she wrote! We moved to San Francisco the next month. We knew as soon as we reconnected, that we were meant to be. We had both attended college and travelled the world, only to end up marrying someone from our small hometown of Hollister, California. We still had tons of mutual friends, and practically our entire wedding guest list was people who had been friends with us since high school.
What was the most amazing part of your day? Seeing my husband right before our ceremony. We did a “First Look” photo session. I also loved our Taco Truck and taking time to hide out together, and watch the party for a few minutes…taking it all in over a cocktail under the hanging lights in the trees.
What else would you like to share about your big day? My older brother Jason surprised me, and showed up to the wedding. I hadn’t seen him in more than 10 years!!!

Ceremony Site: Stern Grove Park
Reception Venue: Trocadero Clubhouse
Photographer: Anderson Images
Caterer: El Tonayense (Taco Truck)
Cake: Bridesmaid, Raina Overman
Flowers: DIY from San Francisco Flower Market
Wedding Dress & Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Hair & Make-up: Ariel Verrissimo, owner of Magically Babelicious
Invitations: DIY
DJ/Entertainment/Band: iPod
Honeymoon location: Halfmoon Bay and Santa Cruz, CA
First Dance Song: “By Your Side” by Sade
Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now? Start planning and budgeting early, get a clear vision of your ideal wedding in your head, and stick to it. Search for ideas that you can do yourself. DIY as much as possible! A wedding doesn’t have to cost as much as everyone says/quotes. Take help from crafty friends and family when it is offered. Don’t let a planner or anyone else talk you out of your vision….make your day totally YOU and you wont regret anything! Stay organized, and stick to your budget.
Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance? Nope. I loved my wedding day and all of its quirks. It had our personalities all over it…and it was obvious to our guests, and they appreciated that.

Photos courtesy of Anderson Images.