When you hear the words “backyard wedding,” what do you think? No matter what pictures your brain has conjured up, we can pretty much guarantee that it’s nowhere near as good as this real wedding. Lauren and Blake’s modern outdoor wedding was held in the amazing backyard of his childhood home in Montecito, and they worked to make the space represent their style, feeling more boho and less garden. Read on to find out just how they did that!
Read on for more from the bride:
“When we first started conceptualizing our wedding, our first thought was to make it a weekend event. We wanted all of our friends and family to be in one place and to enjoy the entire experience rather than just the day. We originally started looking into Palm Springs and tried to find venues off the beaten path, but as our guest count kept growing we realized it would be better to keep it our own backyard, quite literally.
Thanks to his mother, Blake’s childhood home has a very beautiful and accommodating backyard. It is also where we met! Since I never imagined having a “garden” wedding, our goal was to transform the space into our own. I recruited all the talented people in my life to contribute. My Grandma hosted a party in an effort to fabricate 140 linen napkins; my mom collected 60 agave plants from friends’ gardens for the tables; my father-in-law and I designed and built the alter; my sister-in-law helped design and create our logo, invites and signage; and lastly my cousin, who owns an incredible San Diego based salon, did my makeup and hair as well as all 5 of my bridesmaids. I put my maid of honor and her event planning skills to work and we were able to bring it all together.
When it came to the rentals, I was looking for furniture and tableware that I would use in my own house, classic with a modern edge, and Party Pleasers had the perfect assortment. I kept the décor minimal but focused on the details: raw edge linen napkins, hand embroidered pillows, our custom altar, and simple yet bold floral design.
The yard has hosted a wedding or two prior, so we aimed to set ours apart. We had our ceremony in the stone parking area where we were able to use the house and cactus garden as a backdrop and asked our friend, who happened to introduce us, to officiate.
To create a more casual and interactive space for the reception, we hired Sidecar Cocktail Co., whose customized trailer was converted into a bar and adorned with the most amazing cocktails. Dinner was a taco bar catered by ValleFresh. They were freshly prepared and made to order, allowing people to get precisely what they wanted.
Last, but certainly not least, the atmosphere was made complete thanks to some well-mixed tunes. We were firm on finding someone who stayed clear of top 40, yet we wanted everyone to enjoy the music. Dart DJ out of Los Angeles nailed it. Every time I turned around I saw my grandparents, parents and friends on the dance floor. To put this into perspective…I have never seen my grandpa dance. And of course, Kristen from Kristen Victoria Photography captured every moment!
Overall, I wouldn’t change a thing. We had less than 6 months to plan the wedding and although it wasn’t easy, it was the best damn party we could have imagined.”
Love Lauren’s dress? She’s selling it on Once Wed! Check it out here .
Photographer: Kristen Victoria | Venue: Private residence in Montecito, California | Day of Coordinator: Becky Close | Dress boutique: Loho Bride | Dress designer: Unbridaled by Dan Jones | HAMU: Marchelle Renee, Bluxom Salon | Caterer: Valle Fresh | Bar: Sidecar Catering | Floral: Fleur de Rye | DJ: Dart Collective | Rentals: Party Pleasers
