Dave and Eve were married on La Cuesta Ranch in San Luis Obispo, California. Growing up in New York, Eve’s dream was to have a wedding in a wide open space and completely removed from civilisation. La Cuesta Ranch gave them that and so much more!
“We loved our venue so much”, she wrote “Also, the famous Madonna Inn is only five minutes away. It’s where we had our rehearsal karaoke night, where our guests stayed and where we got ready the day of the wedding. We are big on kitsch and felt extremely at home amongst the style of the Madonna Inn.”
“The venue was the biggest expense of the wedding but being so picturesque meant we didn’t need much in terms of decorations”, she continued. “Our theme was rustic, yet elegant. We really wanted to compliment the nature all around us and so our colors were muted earth tones, and the flowers were all local wild flowers. Our décor was pretty understated. In terms of DIY we made our own seed packet favors and stationery. The garlands on the golf carts were made with fabric and twine. I also hand beaded the top of my dress, made the groomsmen ties and vests, and painted the sign outside of the barn. My mother made the bouquets and boutonnieres.”
“One of my best moments from the wedding was the ceremony”, she said. “Our groomsmen, Josh and Steve, both happen to be amazingly talented musicians so as a surprise for Dave, I had Josh sing ‘The Rainbow Connection’ as I walked down the aisle, while accompanied by Steve on guitar.”
“The only thing I’d change about our wedding would be to have someone else do day of coordination”, Eve concluded. “I thought I would be able to handle all of the last minute details myself but there were so many things on my mind that day, that I forgot huge elements of our wedding! Every couple should have someone working for them that day. Even if your venue has a wedding planner, you should still have your own advocate, that knows exactly what you want, when you want it.”
“We actually eloped a year before our wedding and we would also highly recommend doing it! It took so much pressure off the day. There are so many details that need to be attended to for a wedding, and quite often the actual meaning gets lost. We always say – we eloped for us, we threw the wedding for our family and friends!”
