Category Archives: red

{Real Wedding} Ashley & Craig: Foodie & Wine Enthusiast Wedding at a Solvang Vineyard

By Chandra Fredrick | Oct 29

rustic foodie and wine lover wedding in solvang, california | Jen Rau Photography / Event Planning: The Green Ribbon Party Planning Co. / Caterers: Whoa Nelly Catering / Venue: The Barn at Coquelicot Vineyard / Cake and Desserts: My Sweet and Saucy and SusieCakes / Floral Design: Brown Paper Design

Today we have another one of those weddings where I wish I could go back in time and become friends with this couple just to be invited. Any wedding celebration that is set up to basically be a food and wine tasting is my kind of party!

Ashley and Craig love food and wine, so they wanted their day to showcase that love. Since they both have a connection to agriculture, Ashley through her career and Craig through his family, The Barn at Coquelicot Vineyard in Solvang was the perfect choice for their venue. Their main focus was to have people try different foods and wines and mingle so there were no assigned seats and the whole event was set up as a food and wine tasting.

Ashley and Craig are huge foodies so finding a great caterer was extremely important to them; they selected Whoa Nelly Catering and it was a perfect fit. Their menu included options such as grilled Niman ranch pork shoulder with spice dried plums, Castelvetrano olives and roasted root vegetables and kabocha squash bruschetta with sheep’s milk feta, pomegranate and dandelion. The guests raved about the food – they were able to go from station to station sampling as much as they wanted and tasting different wines along the way.

Instead of a cocktail hour, Ashley and Craig had a Farmers’ Market hour with people offering tastings of apples, pears, persimmons, cheese and olive oil.

In place of table numbers, there were ‘Ashley and Craig’ trivia cards by Posh Paperie to encourage people to start talking and the flowers in rustic containers by Brown Paper Design really made the tables pop.

I mean, between that delicious fare from Whoa Nelly & the sweets table by My Sweet and Saucy I would have spent this entire wedding eating. Maybe it’s best I wasn’t a guest after all

I’m also in love with the vibrant red florals and simple rustic and festive details. Green Ribbon Party Planning Co. didn’t miss a thing! And the venue? It is a vineyard and a farm with a barn all in one – can you say perfect? Plus, if you’ve never been to Solvang, California you must go – it is the most charming and quaint little town.

Oh, and today is this couple’s one year wedding anniversary, so congrats & happy anniversary, Ashley & Craig!

{Vendors} Photography: Jen Rau Photography / Event Planning: The Green Ribbon Party Planning Co. / Caterers: Whoa Nelly Catering / Venue: The Barn at Coquelicot Vineyard / Cake and Desserts: My Sweet and Saucy and SusieCakes / Floral Design: Brown Paper Design / Stationery & Paper Goods: Posh Paperie / Hair and Make-up: Team Hair and Make-up / Music - DJ Matteo / Linens: La Tavola / Rentals: Santa Ynez Elite Party Rentals

2 Comments

{Real Wedding} Mai & John: Unique DIY Wedding on a Working Organic Farm in New Jersey

By Chandra Fredrick | Oct 16

Happy mid-week my lovelies! Today is my last post for a bit as I take a much needed vacation. I’ve got lots of lovely guest posters lined up, so keep stopping by and leave them some love! Now for today’s wedding…

I love when bride readers submit their weddings to me – it makes me feel special to know that of all the wedding blogs they read when planning their wedding that they choose Oh Lovely Day to share it with the world. And today’s wedding is one of those farm weddings where you really wish you had been an invited guest because it is so cozy and sweet and personal.

unique and personal rustic DIY wedding on working organic farm | photos by Kella McPhee

We wanted our wedding to be a heartfelt, casual and fun celebration with all our family and friends. Since we are CSA (community supported agriculture) members, when we found our location, a working organic farm with beautiful gardens, we were thrilled! Especially when we learned that we could incorporate in-season produce from the farm into our menu.

Since we spent most of our budget on the great food and our venue, we were able to save money by doing a lot of DIY projects with the help of our family and friends. We purchased mini Gerber daisies in bulk from our local supermarket and arranged them in mason jars. John’s dad hand carved birds which held our table numbers. We re-purposed antique bail jars as candle holders and we purchased invitations online and customized them with baker’s twine and kraft paper tags. We also made the kraft wedding maps, programs, and menus to match our invitations.

Another fun DIY project was making pinwheel escort cards, which we placed in antique blueberry crates from another local farm. To keep with our theme, we gave guests honey from a local, chemical-free apiary as favors.

Since John and I both prefer pie to cake, we opted for a pie buffet, serving it with organic ice cream and sorbet from a local ice cream shop that is owned by our dear friends. We were also able to help make the strawberry sorbet for our wedding which made it extra special!

{musical choices}

Processional: “Across the Universe,” The Beatles

Recessional: “Just Like Heaven,” The Cure

First Dance: “Stay Young, Go Dancing,” Death Cab for Cutie

Pie Cutting: “My Best Friend,” Weezer

Thank you so much for sharing your wedding with me Mai & John. In case you couldn’t tell, I love love love it! It is so personal and lovely, and is really the whole package as far as fab weddings go. Besides marrying on an organic farm and using local food and florals, the couple also looked to etsy artists for many of their wedding details (see below for links to all of the artists).

Plus, I spy a baby goat in the background and I really go gaga over baby goats (I totally want to be one of those people one day that move to Ojai and have pigs and goats and chickens and horses and a glamourous barn, ala Reese Witherspoon). So, what do you say? Is your favorite detail all of those perfectly DIY’d craft paper details, or maybe the vibrant red palette, or all of the organic and locally produced touches? I know I’d love to hear, and I bet the happy couple would love it too!
Is anyone else planning a wedding on an organic farm or planning to use only locally grown food and florals? Because this is something I would love to see more of.

{Vendors} Venue: Inn at Fernbrook Farms / Photographer: Kella MacPhee / Hair & makeup: Duette Hair & Makeup Design / Catering, Pies & Desserts: Main Street catering / Ice Cream: The Bent Spoon / DJ – Josh T. Landow of No Macarena / Officiant: Reverend Jill Dillner / Wedding Dress: Aria / Custom Sash and alterations by Ann Hamilton Bridal NYC / Shoes: Miu Miu / Engagement ring & Groom’s Wedding Band: Brilliant Earth / Bride’s Wedding Band: Catbird / Maid of Honor’s dress: French Connection / Groom’s suit & shoes: J.Crew / Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas & DIY / Honey favors – E&M Gold Beekepers, Tinton Falls, NJ {Etsy Artists} Bride and Groom chair signs: Sophia’s Sign Boutique / Wooden wedding signs: True Connection / Wedding Card Box: Go Rustic / Cake Topper: Better Off Wed / Hand Stamped cake forks: For Such a Time Designs

4 Comments

{Styled Shoot} Fall Wedding on a Strawberry Farm

By Chandra Fredrick | Sep 30

I thought this lovely styled shoot was perfect for this fall Sunday. I love the warm colors and rustic textures mixed with the vintage china and linens. Enjoy!

fall styled wedding shoot on a strawberry farm | temecula, ca | faithfully focused photography

Don’t you love? Perfect inspiration for a fall wedding or engagement session.

{Vendors} Photographer: Faithfully Focused Photography / Hair Stylist: a.l.f. Make-up and Hair Design / Event Planner: Gia Zopatti Wedding Coordination & Event Design / Floral Designer: Enchanting Blooms / Equipment Rentals: Teal Green Design & Rentals / Venue: Temecula Valley Strawberry Farms

7 Comments

{Real Wedding} Lindsey & DJ: Rustic DIY Outdoor Wedding with Kraft + Burlap Details

By Chandra Fredrick | Sep 5

Today’s wedding has so much lovely DIY and such sweet personal touches, it has “pinning” written all over it. So go ahead and get started (and don’t forget you just have to hover over the photos and my ‘pin it’ button will show up. It’s that easy!) and be inspired by Lindsey & DJ’s wedding.

rustic DIY wedding with kraft & burlap details | photos by keira grace

rustic DIY wedding with kraft and burlap details | keira grace photography

I absolutely loved my brooch bouquet. Each one of the brooches were given to me at my bridal shower from all of the women. I received dozens of them, many of them held sentimental value to those I received them from. My florist Jill Wallis put this together for me.

Among the many DIY projects were the ceremony doorway entrance and burlap curtains, the kraft paper crossword programs, the seating chart, kraft paper menus, and table numbers.

Don’t you just love these celebratory photos!? These are always my favorite.

It was so special to have my 96-year old grandma in town for the wedding who had traveled all the way from Kansas to be there.

How did you make your wedding YOU?

I have always envisioned getting married outside and when we went to The Farm it just felt like the perfect setting with the lush pecan trees, large grassy areas, rustic romantic elements. I am from Kansas originally so this setting felt very much at home to me. It was charming, simple and elegant. I think DJ really loved the venue for the wide open space and natural setting that didn’t feel stuffy or formal but comfortable and more casual.

I feel like I can tell the type of people Lindsey and DJ are through their wedding. Their personalities seem to shine through. And I love those burlap curtains that were pulled open for the bride’s appearance and walk down the aisle! Any favorite details for you?

{Vendors} Photographer: Keira Grace / Venue: The Farm at South Mountain / Florals and Decor: Jill Wallis / Music: Platinum Day Entertainment / Desserts: Nothing Bundt Cakes / Bridal Gown: Maggie Sottero (Kristie) / Shoes: Francos Sarto (ceremony) & Boots: Target / Hair piece: Bought at Hobby Lobby / Bridesmaid dresses: Dessy Group – After Six – Style 6609 in Marigold / Boots: Volatile “Denver” Boots / Hair designer: L’mage Studios / Makeup: MAC / Suits: Tommy Hilfiger / Vintage Truck: Bride’s Stepfather’s self-restored 1936 Ford

6 Comments

{Real Wedding} Jillian & Stephen: An Intimate Scottish Wedding in Texas with Vintage Touches

By Chandra Fredrick | Jul 4

Ok, ok. So I’m featuring a Scottish wedding on the 4th of July, BUT it is also a Texas wedding and the red + blue color palette was just too perfect. Plus, I’m pretty much obsessed with it, and I couldn’t wait. There are so many great details and personal elements, so I’m going to comment about them throughout the feature and add some words from the bride as well.

Truthfully, some of my most cherished memories of the day are the quiet moments my now-husband and I spent getting ready together that morning. It meant the world to me that I was able to wear my grandmother’s wedding dress and my mother-in-law’s wedding veil, and my husband wore his own kilt in the muted tartan of MacDonald of Clanranald, with cufflinks that were a wedding gift from his grandmother to his grandfather.

We put a lot of time and thought into writing the wedding ceremony itself, incorporating a ring warming ceremony and reading two of our favourite poems: an untitled poem by Rainier Maria Rilke and “TeodoroLuna’s Two Kisses” by Alberto Rios. We both teared up during our vows, but luckily, Stephen had stashed some tissues in his sporran (Scottish for “man-purse”) beforehand.

Stephen and I met almost seven years ago in the Bahamas. After ten weeks spent living in tents, counting fish and falling in love, he went home to Scotland; I, to Texas. For five years, we wrote near-daily love letters from our opposite sides of the Atlantic until finally, in 2009, we both managed to move ourselves to London, and thence to Glasgow. Given the history of our relationship, the vintage airmail theme for our wedding evolved quite naturally; our mutual love of literature and my adoration of antique silver and china neatly rounded out the plans.

My husband and I spent ages designing, printing (on our trusty little iPixma printer), cutting and assembling all of the paper goods for the wedding, including the programs, table numbers and seat assignments, and personalized notecards we gave as favours.

And what advice does this bride have for planning couples? Things will go wrong, so don’t stress. You won’t care, and you may not even know:

The week after the wedding, my new husband and I had a great laugh when we sat down to think of all the things that actually “went wrong” – I realized the day before the wedding that I’d forgotten to rent

tablecloths; our dear friends and ceremony readers had to stay home with a sick child; I galloped barefoot around the garden all morning setting up tables and then forgot to wash my feet before the wedding; my meticulously planned table service afternoon tea had to be served as a buffet at the last minute; we ended up with cakes and desserts that were almost all wrong (and a few hours late); the musicians didn’t learn our recessional; and probably any number of other things about which I never heard! Had anyone suggested to me a month beforehand that so many things would go wrong on the very day I’d been micromanaging for the past year, I probably would have cried. On the day of our wedding, though, I felt as though I was walking on clouds and I don’t think that anything could have dampened my happiness. It was such a peaceful, joyful day surrounded by our favourite people in the world, and all of my memories of the celebration are filled with laughter and contentment.

Isn’t this wedding ridiculously lovely? And literally every detail, element, and decision has a personal meaning behind it: the airmail theme, the attire, the vintage touches. And the couple’s story… so romantic! Oh, and although I never would have done it (or even thought to do it) I sort of LOVE that they got ready together. There is something so romantic and anticipatory about it, don’t you think?

Oh, and happy July 4th! And FYI, no post tomorrow since most of you are probably out enjoying the 4th today and won’t see this fab wedding until the 5th. So enjoy it for two days and come by Friday for some Friday Favorites!

{Vendors} Photographer: Josselyn Peterson / Caterer: Massoud’s Catering / Day-of Coordinator: Embellished Events / Stationery & Paper Goods: DIY by the couple / Bridal Gown: the bride’s grandmother’s gown / Venue: Sycamore Heights Bed & Breakfast / Linens and Coverings: Any Occasion Party Rentals / Jewelry: SabineA / Officiant: We Do…I Do’s

6 Comments

{Inspiration Board} An American Summer Wedding

By Chandra Fredrick | Jul 2

Happy July 4th week! To kick the celebration off early,

I’m sharing some Americana wedding inspiration!

{Inspiration} Americana, July 4th & a summer picnic all rolled into one lovely wedding. Subtle, not tacky, with cherries and blueberries and gingham, oh my!

{Palette} Deep and cherry red, pink, shades of blue, white + kraft paper brown

What do you think? Are you inspired by this non-themey July 4th wedding? I love hearing comments on my inspiration boards – sort of validates all the hard work they take