There's something about rustic ranch weddings that sends my heart all a'flutter.
I think it's the combination of spectacular scenery, wide open spaces and horses.
(I do love a horse at a wedding.)
Add to that a beautiful couple who can't take their eyes off each other, a bright, fresh colour scheme and photography by Driver Photo.
And I'm officially smitten.
Driver Photo describe Alex and Taylor's big day perfectly:
Alex and Taylor's bright & cheery rustic wedding took place on a beautiful spring day in March in Ojai, California. It was held at a private ranch house, complete with a spectacular mountain view as the ceremony backdrop, blue skies, and lots of fun bright florals. The ceremony was incredibly emotional and personal as it was officiated by the groom's father, who is the pastor of a church in Ojai.
The bridesmaids wore different dresses in various shades of pink from blush to coral. Bright, springy flowers suited the day perfectly with roses and gerber daisies in shades of pink, coral and ivory. There were so many personal touches throughout the day – from the groom's father officiating, to the bride donning her great grandmother's pearls, to all of the local hand-selected vendors.
From The Bride…
We had a rustic, springtime wedding on a ranch in Ojai, California. Our colors were spring colors – corals and pinks, yellow, green and ivory. Many of our decorations included lace, burlap, twine, and mason jars. Our reception was around a pool overlooking a stunning view of the mountains.
The Flowers
Our bouquets included Gerber daisies in pinks and corals, green cymbidium orchids, peach ranunculas, billy balls, white freesia, coral and ivory roses. The boutonnieres were billy balls and a coral spray rose with a twine stem wrap. Centerpieces had coral and light pink gerber daisies, yellow solideaster, and montecasino in a mason jar wrapped with burlap, lace and twine.
The Wedding Attire
My dress was made by Allure Bridals. It has a sweetheart neckline and a trumpet silhouette, and is covered in lace appliques. My shoes were David's Bridal Maribelle in Coral Reef and my jewelry was mostly family heirlooms. My bridesmaids chose their own coral colored dresses (I gave them a paint swatch for reference!) and gold or nude shoes.
Taylor wore a grey plaid Perry Ellis suit and black Vans Authentics. His groomsmen wore the same Perry Ellis vest and shoes. They rolled up their sleeves to their elbows and didn't wear jackets.
The First Look…
The Ceremony
The ceremony was officiated by Taylor's father. It was extremely personal. As we took communion, my cousin read Song of Solomon 8:6-8 (The Message):
Hang my locket around your neck, wear my ring on your finger. Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing – it sweeps everything before it. Flood waters can't drown love, torrents of rain can't put it out. Love can't be bought, love can't be sold.
The Wedding Music
Our processional was Pachelbel's Canon in D played on classical guitar. Our first dance was to Adele's “Make You Feel My Love.”
Décor & Details
Our garden/ranch setting needed very little decoration! We added hanging and potted flowers, and even planted some that matched our color scheme. Our gift “table” was a rustic-looking desk and dresser with open drawers, some old luggage, a watering can and some mason jars. We hung pictures with twine and clothespins on a drying rack. I decorated the mason jars we used for centerpieces with burlap, lace, and twine. We spread some of our favorite candies out on each table.
The Refreshments
Wood Ranch catered our reception. We had buffet style BBQ. Our wedding cake was a pretty display of three flavors of cupcakes: Ojai pixie orange, lavender brulee,and chocolate with Twix bars (our favorite candy bar!).
The Photography
Driver Photo did our photography and they did an amazing job! We got to know them personally a little bit and felt really comfortable with them. They are professional, artistic, and very talented!
We also had a photo guest book by ThoughtBox Photo Booth. This was a really fun detail that the guests enjoyed! They got to put on goofy costumes, tape a copy of the photo strip into our guest book, and take one home as a favor.
Unique & Special Touches
The guys being in Vans, plaid, and sunglasses was very “Taylor,” as well as the shotgun shells that were hung from the back of our getaway car! We picked cupcakes that we love and that represent our town, and we had coffee from the coffee shop where we both worked as teens.
Advice for Other Couples
I used The Knot's app a lot. Having guest information on my phone was really helpful.
Don't get overwhelmed with all the details! They seem really important at the time, but at the end of the day all that matters is that you are married to the one you love.
Thanks so much to Alex and Taylor for sharing your beautiful wedding with us – wishing you all the best for your adventures as Mr & Mrs.
Thanks also to Driver Photo for these gorgeous photos – I found it so hard to narrow down my favourites!
