This is a wedding dreams are made of. With huge open spaces serving as the most beautiful backdrop, and an airplane theme giving this modern affair the perfect touch of personality, you cannot go wrong. This couple did such a great job adding personal touches and making such a great space theirs on their wedding day. From the perfectly sized bridal party, to the couple's romantic fun flair in photos, and everything in between, we just love this wedding.
About their wedding: The one thing I wanted most when I began planning our wedding was a location that would act as a blank slate for my vision. I love an overall clean, crisp feeling with unconventional additions. The hangar at Planes of Fame was the perfect backdrop because it also incorporated Andy's love of planes. He's an aerospace engineer. Our guests got to tour the hangars during cocktail hour and towards the end of the reception.
Although it may seem daunting to some, I was so excited to create the feeling of our space and the day basically "from scratch." I was inspired by blogs and really, just everyday life. I actually dreamt up our ceremony backdrop while I was running at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. I imagined it to be similar to a pipe organ found in a church! Andy insists it is a cosine wave. He and some good friends engineered the backdrop out of PVC pipe and paint. I took my other visions into my own hands by making my own seating chart on self-painted canvas and printing out the menu and crafting invitations personally.
One item I truly treasure and look at everyday from our wedding is our unity canvas. I love art, and I thought a canvas would be a perfect way to show our love and display it in our home afterwards. Before the wedding day, I received so many words of caution and advisement against doing the canvas for fear of soiling my dress. I was so glad we went forward with it. It currently hangs in our bedroom across from our bed so that it's the first thing we see when we wake and the last thing we see before we sleep.
Wedding planning advice: If you are watching your budget closely, prioritize items and look for the up-and-comers. If you look at my vendors, you will think we went all out $$.. but I think we were actually really lucky to catch some of them as they were making their rise in popularity. Don't be afraid to ask about options to lower your cost as well. It won't always work, but sometimes your vendors can work with you. And most importantly, hire vendors you love, for their product and for their individual selves. Make them your "friend-ors"- the day becomes all that much more special.
Honeymooned in: Napa. Andy didn't have enough vacation days at the time for us to take a real honeymoon, so we took a mini-moon to Napa. There is so much good food there, and it is an incredibly relaxing getaway. We ate at Bouchon bakery, Ad Hoc to go and Bottega. And we rode the skytram at Sterling Vineyards. We loved our stay at Vintage Inn as well. They had a full breakfast spread, snacks throughout the day, and even provided us with a delightful bottle of wine. If you don't have time to go on a long honeymoon, a mini-moon to Napa is a great getaway.
We are planning to travel all over France for a delayed honeymoon..likely for our 2-year anniversary since our dear son Axel was born just prior to our 1-year anniversary.
Vendors: Photographer: Annie McElwain | Ceremony Venue: Park on Merrill | Reception Venue: Planes of Fame Air Museum | Wedding Dress: Rosa Clara | Bridal Boutique: The White Dress | Bridesmaids Dresses: Zara | Florist: Flower Allie | Invitations: Handmade by Bride | Hair & Make-up: Kelly Zhang | Wedding Cake: Whoa Nelly! | Wedding Planner: Heather of LVL Events | Rentals: Signature Party Rentals | Catering: Whoa Nelly! | Drinks: Pharmacie | Desserts: Churro Borough LA | Photo Booth: Ka-Booth | Croquembouche: by a friend | Videography: Wes of Imagique Weddings