The Couple: Sara & Matt
Wedding Date: September 30, 2017
Photography by White Daisy Photography
Tell us a little about you and your beloved: We met online in 2014. When we met up for our first date, Sara was 15 minutes late, and Matt was early, as always. He waited around to see if it was worth it– and we have been laughing and goofing off together ever since.
Exactly two years later, Matt proposed in the arboretum in Davis, surrounded by redwood trees. Sara’s best friend tricked her into taking a walk in the arboretum, only to find Matt dressed in his finest surrounded with candles, champagne and almond croissants. Sara doesn’t remember anything Matt said during the proposal– simply saying yes, and being in awe of the beautiful ring Matt had made out of his grandma’s diamonds (and eating a whole almond croissant shortly after). Sara’s friend, Samantha Jovan Photography, photographed the whole thing. It was truly magical. We planned our wedding together and with the help of many, many friends over the next 10 months.
What was the most amazing part of your day? The best part of our day was having all of our favorite people celebrating with us. Our wedding was very much DIY, and many friends and family helped out in different ways to make our day come together. It was a blast to eat tacos and dance the night away with them by our side.
Ceremony and Reception Site: A Friend’s Farm
Photographer: White Daisy Photography
Wedding Planner: We had two friends of Sara’s do day of wedding planning. They were amazing.
Caterer: Chando’s Tacos! This was the best choice– everyone at our wedding LOVED the food, and we actually got time to sit down and eat.
Cake/Desserts: We had some family and friends bake special treats and had a dessert bar. The small cake we cut was from Freeport Bakery.
Flowers: We ordered greenery online from Fiftyflowers.com and our bridal flowers were fake, assembled from Michaels. They were beautiful and no one could tell.
Bridal Attire: BHLDN
Bridesmaids’ Attire: Bridesmaids picked out their own dresses from a variety of places.
Hair: Noel from Magnolia 3 Salon
Make-up: Karla from Magnolia 3 Salon
Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas and Etsy
Signage: DIY
DJ/Entertainment/Band: Firehouse Entertainment
Furniture Rentals: America’s Party Rentals
Linen Rentals: Linen Table Cloth
Transportation: We had a hay bail ride from the parking to the farm. Sara is a youth pastor, and some of her high school students organized and drove it.
Honeymoon Location: Catalina Island. This was a magical place to rest, explore, and sight see.
First Dance Song: “No One” by Alicia Keys
Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now? We had a fantastic time at our wedding. As we pulled away, we talked about how we couldn’t believe how well it went and how nothing too crazy happened. You hear all this talk about how stressful the wedding day is, but we just enjoyed being there together with our community. Our DJ really helped set a fun atmosphere (he is amazing), everyone raved about the food, and we didn’t sweat the details day of. If at the end of the day, you are married to your person– it’s a success!
Make your wedding how you want it and don’t worry about others expectations, or stress about the small stuff. Oh, and spreadsheets are your best friend. Communicate clearly to your wedding crew, feed everyone and it will be all good.
Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance? Not a thing.
Photos courtesy of White Daisy Photography.
Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Social Media Maven, Aimee Carroll.
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