"Tori and Will celebrated the beginning of their forever love story surrounded by family and friends in beautiful San Juan Capistrano, California. Every detail by this stylish bride reflected their laid back California personalities. From Tori's simple yet elegant updo, luscious floral blooms and gorgeous bridesmaid dresses that reflected ocean hues. After the ceremon,y the couple danced under the stars in beautiful San Juan Capistrano and toasted the night away surrounded by family and friends." -Matoli Keely Photography
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding (your vision, color, style, and location choices): Will and I knew we wanted our wedding to represent us and our relationship so nearly every decision we made was based on that idea. We chose to get married in Orange County because we spent a lot of time here throughout our long distance relationship and we wanted to bring our families and friends to the places that were so special to us. Our church overlooked the ocean and provided a picturesque California backdrop for our ceremony. We love the old world charm of San Juan Capistrano and Franciscan Gardens was the perfect fit for the romantic, garden party atmosphere we wanted for our reception.
Tell us about your attire choices: Despite wanting a more casual feel throughout our day, Will and I both wanted to keep our attire traditional. Will and his groomsmen wore tuxedos from The Black Tux, and the bridesmaids wore floor length tulle dresses from Jenny Yoo. I knew I wanted a timeless wedding dress that was light, comfortable and simple but still made me look and feel like a bride - and my dress did just that! The full skirt and train kept my look traditional, while the lace cutouts and open back added modern and romantic details.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip? We were asking nearly all of our guests to travel for our wedding, so it was important that we hosted a fun California vacation for everyone. The Pacific Ocean was the back drop for our guests' hotel and the church we got married in and we took advantage of the beautiful California weather with an outdoor reception complete with a live band. The next day we hosted a brunch at Doheny State Beach to see our guests one last time before everyone headed home or continued on with their West Coast vacation.
What were your favorite parts of the day? (memories and stories): Our ceremony was at one o'clock, but we knew we wanted a later reception so we planned to have a break between. In that time, our wedding party and our immediate families spent time relaxing and celebrating at a house our families were renting for the weekend. In a day that is scheduled nearly down to the minute, we were able to pause and take it all in. This time ended up being one of our favorite parts of the day!
Tell us about your wedding flowers: The flowers were one of the most important details for our wedding and I immediately knew I wanted to work with Lavenders Flowers. Janelle and her team chose an assortment of flowers in the most beautiful creamy and rich tones and really brought my vision of a vintage, romantic color palette to life! The table arrangements, boutonnieres, and bouquets were overflowing with color and perfectly complemented the blues of the bridesmaids' dresses and table runners. The finishing touch was the beautiful Tono & Co ribbons on each of the bouquets!
How did you choose your wedding venue? Will and I attended a lot of weddings in the few years before our engagement so we started by planning our "dream wedding" incorporating our favorite parts of weddings we had been to together. We knew we wanted the entire day to look and feel like a wedding without being too formal and we wanted to take full advantage of the California setting. With a beautiful church that overlooked the ocean and Franciscan Gardens' charming outdoor space for dinner and dancing, we checked every box on our list!
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Photography: Matoli Keely Photography | Ceremony Venue: St. Edward The Confessor | Reception Venue: Franciscan Gardens | Event Planning: Stylish Details | Floral: Lavenders Flowers | Wedding Cake: Susie Cakes | Rentals: 24 Carrots: | Linens: La Tavola Linens | Hair: Kohnur Beauty | Makeup: Kohnur Beauty | Entertainment: Lucky Devils Band | Stationery: Shine Wedding Invitations | Ribbon: Tono & Co. | Groom's Attire: The Black Tux | Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Wedding Dress: Christos (Penny) | Shoes: Valentino | Submitted via: Matchology