Southern California weddings are the stuff that dreams are made of – and Andrea and Wesley’s wedding was all that anyone could ever dream for – and more. This stylish California couple began their love story with a long distance romance. When Wesley popped the question Andrea knew that a classic church ceremony in La Jolla would provide the perfect setting for saying “I do.” Andrea got all the little details right – including a sophisticated & stylish decor that included DIY and vintage accents. (I just LOVE the antique shutters displaying the the table assignments!) If you are looking for wedding inspiration that is elegant and timeless you’ve found it…congratulations to this beautiful couple!
Andrea & Wesley | July 11, 2010 | La Jolla, California
How he proposed
The first 2 years of our relationship was long distance. I was living in Los Angeles, and he was in San Diego where he grew up. Although the distance wasn’t that long, the drive during Friday night traffic definitely was! Therefore, our time together was spent only on the weekends.
I had a feeling the proposal would be coming within the upcoming couple of months due to hints and clues here and there. So of course I began plotting out all of our events each weekend, trying to figure out exactly when the question would be popped! His biggest goal was to make this a surprise, and with me, that is tough thing to do!
We spent a typical great weekend together in San Diego, said our goodbyes for the week early Monday morning at 5:00 am, and I made it to work by 9:00 am. A normal Monday work day passed, and we had our regular phone conversation on the drive home. Me sitting in LA traffic, and him in SD traffic….or so I thought!
I walked in my apartment after getting off the phone with him, opened my bedroom door, and there he was! Laying there with the goofiest and most excited smile! By the look on my face, he knew he had surprised me! The room was decorated with flowers, candles, champagne, and my gorgeous ring.
And that was it, a typical Monday afternoon turned into one of the best (and surprising) days of my life!
The ceremony
It has always been my dream to get married in a church, and have a lovely outdoor reception. Before we were even engaged, I knew exactly where I wanted to have the reception, so I began looking for churches in the surrounding area for the ceremony. We were so blessed to find La Jolla Christian Fellowship, just around the corner.
We wanted the ceremony to be classic and intimate, and with this church, we got just that.
We kept the flowers to a white and ivory palette, with hints of peaches and corals. The stained glass brought in just enough light, with flickers from candles in the background. My cousin played all of the ceremony music, which was so special.
The moment Andrea will never forget
The amazing feeling of love and support that I had once the church doors were opened and I saw every person that is important to us, looking back at me with a smile and genuine joy for Wesley and I. There was a long moment where my dad and I stood arm and arm in front of the Pastor and Wesley, before my dad handed me over to him. Wes and I shared a long moment staring into each other’s eyes, and it was just like “this is it”! All of this work and anticipation leading up to it, and there we were. I’m with everyone that I love and care for, and am marrying the most amazing man! I felt so loved and blessed, I will never forget that feeling.
The reception
Our reception was at The Darlington House in La Jolla, California. It is a historical mansion, once lived in by the socialite, Sybil Darlington. It is now owned and managed by the Women’s League of La Jolla.
The house itself is just gorgeous, and the outdoor patios where most events take place, are absolutely breathtaking.The patios and courtyards were designed with a Spanish influence, with gorgeous tiles, arches, and fountains. The main reception took place in the rose garden, which was in full bloom this summer.
The house is just a block from the beach, so we were able to have the cool ocean breeze and the sweet aroma of the ocean and surrounding roses.
The house was left just as Mrs. Darlington lived in it, so the whole feel of the decor is very antique and vintage. To go with this theme, I collected all sorts of decor from vintage shops all over California the year leading up to it. Our flowers were done in antique jars and vintage vases. I had an amazing antique chandelier hanging over the cake, antique shutters for our seating arrangements, a vintage birdcage for our cards, and just so much more!
I was a 100% do-it-yourself bride, so seeing the final outcome of everything come together was an amazing experience. We were so happy to share such a lovely atmosphere with our friends and family that evening.
Splurges and Savings
The most important things to me were the photography and videography. The day went by SO fast, that I am now so thankful that we really invested in great photos and an awesome video. It is so fun to look back at those now and see everything that we missed out on that day, while we were off spending time with guests and of course, enjoying one another.
As far as savings, I wanted to save on everything! So I dedicated A LOT of time to researching all sorts of vendors, and making sure I got the absolute best deals on everything. I took advantage of all sales, package stimulus, you name it! In the end, all the time on the computer and phone the year before the wedding really paid off (no pun intended).
What made her wedding dress “the one”?
The Sophia was one of the very first dresses that I tried on. It was SO far from what I always imagined my dress to be. I absolutely loved it when I tried it on, but decided I should keep looking, just in case! I ended up trying on about 20 more dresses within the following 6 months, and nothing compared to the Vera Wang Sophia. I just couldn’t get her out of my head.
I loved that the dress has a classic and vintage look to it with the hand-sewn corsage flower, but at the same time, had a high-fashion flair to it. It reminded me of something Carrie Bradshaw wore in the SATC movie, but with an antique touch to it. I loved all the little details of the knot buttons, and the a-symmetrical back. It was simple, yet funky. Just perfect 🙂
Her advice for other brides
The best advice I received regarding the wedding day was actually from one of my husband’s friends. The day before our wedding, he told us to lock arms, and stay locked throughout the whole wedding night. It sounded weird, but once we had our rehearsal dinner and we didn’t take his advice, we realized that we HAD to do this for our wedding. At the rehearsal dinner, everyone at the party wanted to talk with us, and we were pulled into different directions and conversations literally the entire night. We finished the evening and thought, wow, I haven’t see you all night!
So for our wedding night, we were sure to stay with each other the entire time. And I am SO glad we did that. The night goes by so fast, but the most important thing is to enjoy it with one another, as that’s what the whole affair is all about 🙂
Andrea’s Wedding Dress: Vera Wang, Sophia
Photography: Jill Thomas Photography
