A sexy bohemian styled wedding with blood orange details

We love taking inspiration from the little things – a meaningful book, a meeting spot, favorite flower – there’s so much you can do in wedding styling with just the smallest idea or inspiration. We’ve gushed over citrus-splashed weddings time and time again (we really do love them) yet never have we seen such a gorgeous ode to the blood orange.

Haily and David designed their October wedding to be appropriately Autumnal. Hardy succulents, rustic bohemian decor & warm colors led by their bold choice of blood orange. From the tropical florals, to the Fall-feeling cake, their juicy invites & fresh cut table decor the blood orange is such a unique & fitting theme for the couple’s bohemian scene.

In contrast to the free-spirited, bohemian decor is Hailey’s sleek & sexy Made with Love wedding dress. Choosing something starkly different from the colorful, eclectic decor, Hailey’s gown shines against each scene of their wedding day (and was one of my absolute favorite gowns when I went wedding dress shopping).

Our Love Story

We met at the video haven once known as Blockbuster. We always joke that our future kids will never know what a video store is. Funny enough, we both worked at different locations, but as fate would have it, staff was short and employees were needed from other locations. As cheesy as it is, we locked eyes and from then on we have been each others person. We talked for hours about everything . . .

(Truth be told Hailey made the first move offering up her phone number in case David “got lost” making his way back to the freeway.)

Our first unofficial date was after work late one evening. Atwater, being the thriving late-night metropolis that it is (definite sarcasm), provided fast food as the only option. There happened to be a Carls Jr. right next to the freeway that Hailey casually suggested. We went through the drive-through and decided to sit on the grass just outside the restaurant instead of sitting inside (waaaay more romantic). As we were eating our burgers and chit-chatting, David laughs, “Wouldn’t it be funny if the sprinklers went off?” I kid you not, about five seconds later that is exactly what happened! We looked at each other standing there mildly wet, with our soggy fast food in hand in silence and then began to hysterically laugh both shocked at the timing.

The Dress & Wedding Style

We decided to match the colors to the time of year. Our wedding being in October, we wanted to utilize warmer colors throughout the wedding. Hailey chose her Made with Love wedding dress because she liked the contrast between the sleekness and simplicity of her dress, compared to the bohemian vibe of the wedding.

The Photography

Our wedding planner, Ashley, provided us with a list of several photographers that she recommended, and Alex’s portfolio aligned with the aesthetic that we were looking for in our wedding photos (i.e. romantic and moody). They came out amazing, and we were both extremely happy with the job that he was able to do.

The Planning

Pinterest was crucial in trying to really discover the vibe that we wanted our wedding to evoke. In terms of vendors, getting a wedding planner well ahead of time is absolutely needed. Our wedding planner, Ashley Monge, helped us develop our vision for the wedding and exceeded all of your expectations on the day of our wedding. She made the entire day easy and really allowed us to enjoy our wedding day.

As far as budget tips go, it was all about prioritizing for us. We realized that it just wouldn’t be financially possible to get every single thing that we wanted, so we decided to spend the most money on the things that were the most important to us. We did a lot of DIY where we could, which included things like making our own invitations, and hitting up the local thrift shops and flea markets for some of our centerpieces. We also opted out of purchasing extravagant floral centerpieces and decided to go the more economical route by using things like succulents and plants from our local nurseries.

Favorite Moments

Hailey: David playing guitar while I walked down the aisle. Our first look photoshoot at the Mission. The sparkler exit as we left the wedding. The music during the ceremony.

David: Getting to marry the woman of my dreams. Looking out into the crowd during dinner and seeing all of the friends and family who joined us on our special day. Our first look photoshoot at the Mission. The wedding night that we spent at a small, historic hotel on the ocean.

The Food & Drinks

We chose to have a Mexican buffet for our dinner, partly due to the fact that it was located in an old mission town in Southern California, but also due to the fact that we just love tacos. Our menu was special because we were able to include a specialty blood orange margarita that tied into our color palette and Hispanic desserts like flan and churros that made our menu memorable with our guests.

Advice to Other Couples

The greatest on the day advice that we can both give is to make sure that you enjoy every single detail from that day. It goes by extremely quickly, and it will be over before you know it. Make sure to go out of your way to thank everyone who attended, especially those who may have had to make a long journey to attend. Thank your vendors for their amazing work.

The Honeymoon

We went to Belize a few weeks after our wedding and stayed at the amazing Hamanasi ecological resort. We would absolutely recommend it for other couples who are looking for a little more adventure on their honeymoon. In addition to the traditional relaxation and margaritas on the beach, we were able to do things like snorkel, hike through caves and jungles and jump into waterfalls. We both had an amazing time there.