Katie and Aaron's California wedding was filled with pretty pastels, vintage books, whimsical florals and lots of lace. As well as sentimental touches celebrating the role their family and friends play in their lives.

A few things to watch out for when you scroll through these beautiful photos by Melissa McClure Photography are bridesmaids in mint green lace, Katie's stunning lace gown with cut out back and the intricate, DIY lace hoops suspended around the ceremony and reception area. They add such romance and whimsy to the celebrations!

From Katie, the bride:

Aaron and I decided we wanted to see each other for the first time when I walked down the aisle, which was magic. What I loved was doing the first look with my dad right before the ceremony. It gave us a chance to tear up and hug before he had to walk me down the aisle.

The Ceremony

During the ceremony we did a ring warming. It’s where you pass around your rings to have your guests say a special wish or prayer for the both of you. When people walked in, we had our rings in an apothecary jar on the table and all of our guests wrote little notes for us. But during the ceremony itself, before we exchanged we passed our rings to our parents, grandparents and bridal party.

I love that everyone was included in our ceremony, it acknowledged how special they’ve been in our lives and how they have played such important roles in our relationship.

Décor & Details

I wanted happy and eclectic. I could not make up my mind on a palette, so I picked anything that made me smile. It turned into blush pink, mint, yellow, etc. I wanted a feeling more than a style and I think all of our guests were able to pick up on it.

For the decor we had lots of DIY, the lace hoops, the signage, you name it, we made it. We just went with our gut! However, my favorite was the pictures of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents from their wedding day on the reception tables. It felt so united as family and our parents and grandparents loved the memento. And it made for a great conversation piece!

Flowers

The boys had succulents and billy balls. The girls bouquets and centerpieces were a surprise! I told Starla (of Enchanted Fine Florals) that I wanted something with a little whimsy and she made it happen. She is so talented and they turned out better than I could have imagined.

The Photography

Mandi of Melissa McClure Photography had an exceptional portfolio and meeting with her was just amazing. She timed everything just right, she was practically my coordinator! She kept me on time and she captured the most special moments. I’m really awkward when taking pictures because I never know what to do, but she made me feel so comfortable. She was my rock. I couldn’t have done it without her!

The Wedding Music

The procession and recessional was Little Garcon by Born Ruffians, it’s a song we’ve always listened to since we started dating. Our first dance was A Kiss to Build a Dream On by Louis Armstrong. The Father Daughter dance was very important for us and it was a wonderful memory.

During the reception, our DJ was amazing. Adam got everyone on the dance floor, I couldn’t believe it! He had the perfect balance of oldies, new, dance. It was everything I wanted to hear on my wedding day. And he was so nice when we had weird requests (for example, no Enrique Iglesias and more Hot Chip), he went out of his way to make sure that we had the songs that we loved for our wedding day.

What was your favorite moment?

The letter Aaron sent me right before the ceremony. We sent over little gifts for each other (he surprised me with the pearls!) and he wrote a little love note that was just perfect. We opted out of writing our own vows during the ceremony, but that letter said everything.

Katie's advice for other brides and couples:

Get through the craziness of the wedding planning and just be with your partner. When things get stressful, laugh at how much time you spend in the wedding section of Michael’s or that you never thought you would have such heated feelings about tulle. Laughing and being thankful for each other makes a world of difference.

Congratulations Katie and Aaron, hope you're enjoying married life! Thanks also to Melissa McClure Photography for sharing these beautiful images with us today.

So who else is LOVING those lace hoops?!