"Ivan and Isabella wanted their wedding to be a direct reflection of their faith and love for each other. They discovered a 75 acre avocado ranch in Simi Valley called Quail Ranch and fell in love with it the second they saw it and chose it for their wedding venue. The couple wrote their vows on handmade scrolls and took communion during their wedding ceremony. The ring bearer and flower girls wore angel wings made by the bride’s mother. The seating chart was written by their calligrapher with the guests' names. The tables were named instead of table numbers to reflect aspects of marriage such as hope, gratitude, unity, respect, grace. The appetizers reflected both family cultures Filipino and Serbian. The flowers were gorgeous throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception." -Dennis Roy Coronel
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?The most important to us was keeping our faith and our relationship a priority! Apart from that, it was important for us to be involved in the planning together. Honestly,we were really picky about all of our vendors. We reached out to vendors we knew personally, as well as others that were recommended via instagram. Our biggest splurge was our venue. But still, we found several ways to trim expenses that we thought were unnecessary for us--like the coffee & tea station (we opted to have it available upon request at the bar). We didn't do a dessert table because our cake was delicious enough! Our wedding coordinator gave us great tips to cut costs and our vendors worked with us to provide creative solutions for what we were willing to pay. I would say that our two most critical decisions were the Venue and our DJ--both were spectacular!
What were your favorite parts of the day? (memories and stories)1. Our favorite part of the day was our wedding kiss! It was our first together and long-awaited. As crazy as it sounds, it was what we both wanted to do--wait until our wedding day to share our first intimate kiss! Ivan says it meant so much cause it was the beginning of our forever. 2. I (bride) remember standing in the courtyard near the reception area, waiting with my nieces before my ceremony entrance... a breeze blew by... I breathed in deep, saw all the beautiful flower arrangements, and it felt so divine! That moment I knew in my heart that our marriage was God-given. 3. The sweetest moment was our last dance, to All My Life by KC & Jojo, our family and friends surrounded us in a circle, singing along and dancing with us. So much love in the atmosphere!4. Last but not least, we had all of our wedding party each share a toast during the reception. It was heartfelt and entertaining for us and everyone!
How did you choose your wedding venue?Ivan and I (Isabella) love the outdoors and knew we wanted an outdoor wedding. Quail Ranch was the umpteenth venue we visited and also the last. It was love at first sight--grand yet cozy and unpretentious, lush and refined. We read up on the venue before visiting and loved that it had avocado trees ('nuff said?) we talked about giving avocados away as the wedding favor but decided not to since one of our guests is allergic! We chose Quail ranch because everything about it took our breath away.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?1. Don't let the details get the best of you!2. Plan together. Just like a marriage, it takes two--however way the tasks are shared or split, it'll be an important way to get to know your fiance better--you'll see his/her strengths, understand how they handle new multiple stresses and you'll learn how to work together!3. Decide on what's important early on!4. Be willing to compromise to meet each other's desires. Just make sure it's not the overall budget that you compromise--a wedding is the beginning of a marriage and being in debt for a one-day party is not how you want to start. 5. Keep dating. Make sure that you and your fiance have a designated day each week where you both do not do anything wedding related. 6. Just accept it now that everything you plan for may not go as planned. BUT also know that it's not that big of a deal. What matters is that you receive every moment of your wedding day with joy--love is a gift!
Photography: Dennis Roy Coronel Photography | Ceremony Venue: Quail Ranch | Reception Venue: Quail Ranch | Event Planning: Wheat and Honey Events | Floral: Florals by Isabelle | Calligraphy: yellow and lace | Catering: Command Performance Catering | Wedding Cake: Skiffs Cake | Photo Booth: chic event design | Hair: Chiali Meng | Makeup: Chiali Meng | Videography: Florescio Films | DJ: DJ Mojoe | Groom's Attire: Indochino | Bride's Shoes: Nina | Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal | Accessories: Amazon | Wedding Dress: Pebbles Bridal | Submitted via: Matchology