Michelle is from Rancho Santa Fe, she met Hyatt while at Yale and was living in the south while the two of them worked on graduate degrees.  Michelle wanted to find a venue that could accommodate up to 300 people, since they expected family and friends from all over the country, where everything could be outside.  So she hired the help of wedding planner,  Cynthia Katkin Events.  She pictured an outdoor ceremony, with a big wooden cross as a focal point, and a tented reception with hanging chandeliers.  She also pictured a décor that mixed in vintage elements with a very upscale look.  Michelle wanted vintage but not country!  The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe  had the outdoor space to accommodate her wishes and the venue carries a wonderful sense of high end comfort and care. 

Michelle and her beautiful bridesmaids and below, Hyatt and his team of groomsmen. The super hero shot is seriously one of my favorite wedding photos ever.  So fun!

The vintage-themed welcome area, with a birdcage for cards to the bride and groom, trunks to hold gifts, a basket of sunscreen since the ceremony was outside, and a vintage medicine trunk for programs.  Cocktails would follow on the adjacent green lawn so we had a gold and ivory bag toss game made to look like the couple’s invitation.  Also, to ward off the sun, we placed paper parasols in dark pink, light pink, and ivory on the ceremony chairs.

Below, the gorgeous ceremony on the lower lawn with the tree and wooden cross, constructed by Indulge Weddings and Events.  Michelle and Hyatt really wanted to do a unity candle ceremony but we tend not to do them for outdoor weddings due to wind.  Michelle and her mom cleverly figured out they could use lanterns, and did a mock up with a fan blowing on the lanterns, to ensure that the plan worked!

Below, the beautiful and super fun bride and groom and their wedding party!  We decided on blush pink dresses for the girls with mixed bouquets of pink tones and ivory.  For the guys, Hyatt really wanted a classic, modern look and the black tuxes were perfect.

The cocktail hour was an easy place to add in some vintage elements so we created a fun seating area from Found Rentals, a place card table of mixed vintage boxes and lanterns, and (my favorite), we had Its A Party Photo Booth provide their open air set-up and we rented a vintage settee and had Indulge provide old fashioned hat, parasols, fans, and mustaches to create a vintage style photo booth.  It looked amazing and everything was so fun!

The tent was absolutely my favorite part and where we got to truly create the upscale vintage feel that Michelle wanted.  We had Classic Party Rentals drape the ceiling, add the chandeliers, and provide 10 real wood tables, with mahogany chivari chairs.  The rest of the 16 tables were round with 2 different styles of candelabras (8 of each)–1 was a domineering metal piece, that Chris from Indulge adorned with crystal strands, and the other was a pure crystal  candelabra.  The rectangular tables had a runner that matched the linen on the round tables and collections of mismatched vintage glassware and florals.  Nic Roc Designs provided all of the custom place cards, table numbers, and menus to complete the look, fashioned in the same colors and fonts as the original invitations.

Finally, it was time to party!  Hyatt and Michelle started off the evening with their own choreographed dance routine. Then, Hyatt and his mom started out the mother-son dance in a typical slow song format, then cut to a hip hop dance they had choreographed.  Best mother-son dance ever.  Ever. J Soul kept the dance floor full the entire night.  We sent off the bride and groom through a glow stick arch and into a vintage car for their grand exit. It was truly a magical evening!   We love you guys!!!