Chris & Jennifer’s Belmond El Encanto Wedding in Santa Barbara was such an incredible day. I love intimate weddings so much and their wedding was such an incredible celebration of their family and love story. They had dated in their early twenties and ended up parting ways, both starting families and getting married. Years later and both single once again, they reconnected and chose to join their families together with an intimate ceremony at the beautiful El Encanto on the riviera in Santa Barbara.

Design & Planning: Danae Grace Events   |   Floral Design: Camellia Floral Design   |   Venue: Belmond El Encanto    |   Paper Goods: Sophia Loves Letters   |   Rentals: Bright Event Rentals   |   Officiant: Miriam Lindbeck   |   Music: Jason Sulkin Music   |   Hair & Makeup: TEAM Hair & Makeup   |   Linens: La Tavola Linens

A little bit about Colorful Chic Mexico Wedding from event designers Lovelyfest Events:

Courtney & Juan’s wedding was set amongst the rolling hills and grapevines of San Luis Obispo, California at Greengate Ranch and Vineyard. It was a perfect warm July day, with 400 guests at the gorgeous, sprawling venue. When we first met with the couple, they expressed that they wanted to honor their Mexican heritage by using bright florals, bold colors, and tasteful accents. We jumped at the opportunity! They completely trusted us to bring their vision to life, and we ran with the theme of a modern and elegant Mexican fiesta!

The ceremony was set on the south end of the property on a grassy peninsula surrounded by a pond and vineyards. Precious & Blooming floral design used a large, round, wooden arch as the altar and adorned it with bougainvillea and peonies as bright as a summer day. After the ceremony, a mariachi band led guests to cocktail hour. Such a fun touch!

During cocktail hour, guests sipped on margaritas and listened to the mariachi while playing fun lawn games. We created a large escort display wall which held all 400 individual bright pink otomi escort cards and a custom gold foil sign at the top saying “Find Your Seat, Por Favor”. We flanked the wall with authentic equipale tables, woven basket trays, ceramic lanterns and potted cactus.

At dinner, we alternated different sized tables with various linen colors and patterns to break up the sea of tables. We used a beautiful blue shibori linen from La Tavola Linen, as well as intricately handmade macrame runners from Mod Mix Studio. It was the perfect mix of color and texture. For a pop of color and fun, we placed a different colored maraca at each place setting. This served as a favor and a fun way to get the bride and groom to kiss! Guests dined under the waving papel picado garlands and bistro lights, the perfect al fresco fiesta. 

After dinner, guests were invited inside the barn for the reception and dancing. In the ceiling of the barn, we hung more papel picado strands, continuing that fun fiesta vibe. Homemade paletas were served and Paper Cake Events created the most beautifully intricate macrame cake out of fondant for the couple to cut! We placed this cake in front of a wall of sombreros, reminiscent of those you would see in Mexico. A white VW bus was also parked inside the barn and doubled as a photo booth, such a fun addition! It was the perfect, colorful, elegant wedding that honored Courtney and Juan’s Mexican heritage in subtle ways.

Featured on Green Wedding Shoes

Photography: Ashley Ludaescher Photography   |   Design & Planning: Lovelyfest Events   |   Venue: Greengate Ranch & Vineyard   |   Florals: Precious and Blooming   |   Wedding Gown: Allure Bridals   |   Groom’s Suit: Baroni   |   Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Show me Your Mumu   |   Catering: Ribline   |   Wedding Cake: Paper Cake Events   |   Donuts: Sugar Lips Mini Donuts   |   Hair & Makeup: The Blushed Company   |   Rentals: Avenue Twelve, Embellish Vintage Rentals, All About Events   |   DJ: DJ Malik   |   Videography: Yours Truly Media   |   Photobooth: Slo Photobus   |   Paletas: Paletetria Y Neveria la Michoacana

Saint Tropez Fine Art Wedding Photographer: Ashley Ludaescher Photography   |   Wedding Planner: Beautiful Occasions   |   Reception Location: La Plage des Jumeaux   |   Florist: Atelier Blanc   |   Wedding Gown: Judd Waddell   |   Wedding Cake Designer: La Tarte Tropézienne

“Now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read, which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

Jodi & Thomas chose to tie the knot in Thomas’s home country and Austria. With the help of wedding planners A Very Beloved Wedding, they celebrated over labor day weekend with friends from around the world at beautiful Eckartsau Castle.

See more from their wedding on Style me Pretty.

From A Very Beloved Wedding… The couple is the inspiration. Jodi and Thomas had a long, bonding friendship before they realized it was love. They created and now hold an intimate, honest, fun, true, and natural relationship. Together they are the best versions of themselves.

A few words to describe their wedding: historic, organic, true, natural, honest, fun, simple, elegant, accomplice in life, sharing, green, beginning of a lifelong together, a new chapter. Jodi and Thomas’s wedding reminds of the importance and timeless beauty of books and words. Theme that was recurrent throughout the entire wedding. The color palette includes shades of green, grey, earthy tones, blush, and stronger pinks with a bit of yellow and browns.

Schloß Eckartsau is a historical palace situated not too far from Vienna, in the southern Marchfeld region. The palace itself is simple yet elegant and romantic surrounded by beautiful garden architecture and sceneries. The ceremony took place in the woods with the palace in the background, surrounded by nature. There was no artificial arch, but an organic looking garland of greens and flowers as if it would be coming out of the tree. Two urns with flowers and greens were placed at the beginning of the aisle. Guests sat on wooden chairs and tree trunks. Everything was kept organic and in flow with nature. When guests arrived, we handed over a stationery piece. The C. S. Lewis inspirational quote was printed on one side and the dinner area on the other side: Prologue, Story, or Epilogue. Left to the couple, there was a table with wine and 6 wine glasses. An area of remembering the loved ones was placed close to the ceremony with a candle and a stationery piece on a wood branch. The rings were presented in an antique glass box.

After the ceremony, the guests were guided to the ballroom – the artful and historic part of the evening. The dinner area was closed and kept as a surprise. The first toast took place in the ballroom, where baroque antique furniture, flower arrangements, greens, and leaf branches were organically placed. During the cocktail hour, a typewriter on several books was displayed next to the guest book as well as feathers for writing. Displayed was this message: “Your words are part of our story.” The cake was displayed and served during cocktail on an antique wooden table. The cake was a vegan cake, decorated with organic flowers and greens, placed on an antique table in the main salon.

The reception dinner took place in the inner patio of the palace. The table area at the entrance is the Prologue, the couple was the Story meaning the table in the middle, and the third table area near the exit was the Epilogue. Organic and natural tones of centerpieces were displayed along the middle of the tables. On each sand colored linen napkin which was arranged as an old reading tape fabric, we placed the menu with Jodi and Thomas’s logo and the name of the guest. Light bulbs were hung across the area, and candles were floating in the middle fountain to create a romantic ambience.

After dinner, the guests moved to the party at the entrance hall of the palace. The giveaways, which were small Schnapps bottles, were presented on an antique table for the guests to grab before leaving. This is the perfect end of the beginning of a story.

Wedding Planning & Design: A Very Beloved Wedding   |   Florals: A Very Beloved Bloom   |   Wedding Venue: Schloss Eckartsau Wedding   |   Wedding Gown: Alexandra Grecco   |   Schloss Eckartsau Wedding Photographer:  Ashley Ludaescher   |   Videography: Sequence Five