Category — venue

Such a gorgeous ceremony. Held at Dove Canyon Country Club, this venue provided absolutely gorgeous backdrops! All photos shot by Matthew Morgan Photographers and edited by me.

Tanya and Tom held their ceremony at the Top of the World Resort and Spa, which was really just a huge estate (one in the same?) on the top of this mountain. It was gorgeous, although a bit windy, as you can see the bride trying to tame her veil The view during the ceremony was gorgeous, but at night it was even gorgeous-er Stay tuned for gorgeous detail shots. All photos from Hugh Forte, an amazingly talented newcomer here in Orange County.

Remember when I said that originally we had planned on doing vintage postcards of the Mission as our Save the Dates, but couldn’t find enough?  Well, this site solves that problem. (found via Simple Lovely) I took this picture of the inside of the church (shot by our friend Roland):

and turned it into this with one click:

Pretty cool… of course this is found after we have already re-designed the save the dates… hmm…

Friday night Bryan and I were driving through San Clemente trying to think of where to go for dinner and as we drove passed VINE we looked at each other and said “let’s get it and split the cost.”  We sat at the bar, watched the Olympics and had an amazing meal! The best fruit and cheese plate, dinners of chicken in wine sauce and probably the best fish and chips ever (it was made with halibut!), finished it all off with a chocolate souffle… mmm I am craving it right now!

We were first introduced to VINE last Christmas when Bryan’s friend Amanda had her wedding reception there. It was there that Bryan and I decided we wanted out wedding to feel like theirs, to be different than what people think of when they hear ‘wedding’, and it was there that we had one of the best. meals. ever.

So good that we went back soon after for one of their Wednesday Night Wine Tasting’s. Four courses, four wines, and the owner personally explains each wine to you. The flavors, the history, everything.

The food is amazing, the wine is just as good, and combined with a staff who is always smiling and the husband-wife owners who are oh-so-sweet, it is one of our favorite restaurants. 

I wanted to tell you all about it, because for a small wedding (less than 50) or for a rehearsal dinner, it is the perfect location. If you are looking for something in the Southern Orange County area for either event, do not forget about VINE. You won’t be disappointed

We did it! We booked our reception venue! WoooooooooooHooooooooooooo! I can’t wait for our wedding! Now the real fun begins There will be many many DIY projects coming your way throughout the next year, and I can’t wait to share them with you!

Have a great weekend and I’ll see you Monday

-Heather

Ok, so we are still about 11 months out from our wedding day and we have the church booked, my dress bought and… our reception venue?!  

It hasn’t been booked yet, but we like it. A lot. The location is amazing, the price is right, and the details work. Where is this wonderful place I speak of? It is Cannons Restaurant in Dana Point. I have seen it a million times, but never eaten there, and I didn’t really think of it as an option until I saw it on the Knot.  We went on Saturday to check it out and besides the amazing view and great menu, they aren’t open for lunch so we would be the only ones there, leaving all of the parking for our guests and a more intimate experience all around. Here are some pics I grabbed from their site (we totally forgot to whip out Bryan’s iPhone and get some pics!)

This is the room that we would rent out (below). It has a balcony out to the left with french doors all along that wall, as well as a bar behind where the picture was taken for people to enjoy some beverages

Well, I am excited about it, and am not sure how many other places I need to see before I choose something.  The real question is… what will I do for the next year with all of the big stuff booked already? Don’t tell me, I am sure I will regret that question in a few months

I’m not sure why you started reading wedding blogs, but I am pretty sure it started like this: “Holy Crap, I’m engaged!!!!!!!!!!! ………… Now what?” And then you turned to your faithful computer, and to the even more faithful google, and typed in “wedding”.  We all started in the same boat, and thanks to the girls over at Elizabeth Anne Designs, that boat just became a yacht with a full bar and shrimp cocktails. Here is a little tidbit from them about their new library:

“We are incredibly excited to announce our new project, The EAD Library.  After months of development and research, we are launching a new resource for brides tomorrow, Tuesday July 22nd.  The Library is filled with hundreds of useful links, from photographers to shops to stationers.  Our goal is a simple, comprehensive list of vendors.  The Library will help every bride, no matter her location, find the vendors and inspiration she needs for a beautiful event.”

This is a very, i repeat, very useful resource! The library is super extensive with lists upon lists of all kinds of vendors from photographers to calligraphers to bakers. Everything you need to plan your wedding! And on top of their new library, the EAD blog itself is full of inspiration. Go check it out!

Some more mission garden images from Eric.

Below is a picture of where the original church in the mission was. It was destroyed by an earthquake but the very end of the church is still semi-intact. You can see the places on the wall where the sculptures of people were.

I’m so excited to be married in such a gorgeous place! Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I did!

Here are some more gorgeous pictures from Eric Stoner. 

And my favorite:

A big thanks to Eric for all of the gorgeous photos!

Since Bryan is Catholic we will get married in the parish he is a member of. Luckily for us, he is a member of the San Juan Basilica Mission Parish. The church is very old, and is located right next door to the San Juan Capistrano Mission (you know, junipero serra…) So yeah, I am pretty stoked. Here are some images from a wedding that the very talented Eric Stoner sent me. Be sure to visit his site, he has a very photojournalistic approach to his wedding photos, which I love!

They recently re-did the flooring and all of the pews (lucky us!). 

And about a year or so ago they shipped the beautiful Retablo in from Spain. It is so gorgeous. They have a ‘no flower’ policy due to the new pews and such, and I really don’t mind. The church itself is so beautiful and ornate it really doesn’t need any decorating. Plus it saves a lot on flowers! 

Once married, you have access to the mission gardens for pictures!  I would highly recommend this church for people looking to get married in Southern California.  If you aren’t a member of the church there is a  much higher ceremony fee (I believe about $1,500) and I believe you can only get married at 10:00 AM on Saturdays in order to save the more ‘desirable’ times for members. (How great would a 10:00 wedding with a brunch afterwards be though?!) All in all, I am very excited about this. Now we just need a reception venue… Any recommendations for the Southern-Orange County area?