Northern California Wedding Planner | Micro Wedding at Irongate Garden Inn - Taylar & Daniel

Weekends have looked different for many of us in the wedding industry but we wanted to pop in to say that love prevails through it all! Our couples have found creative ways to proceed with their wedding plans even if that meant downsizing their guest count or sharing their day virtually with guests.

Micro-weddings have been a popular trend, and we have to say that getting to see the intimate moments couples can share with their guests is pretty incredible. Speaking of beautiful Micro-Weddings, today we are sharing highlights from Taylar & Daniel’s ceremony at Irongate Garden Inn in Chico. {Photos by Joel Jauregui Photography}

Taylar’s ability to roll with the obstacles and changes throughout her planning was pretty amazing, her focus was on her ceremony and to only put energy into what was within her control. This is so challenging, we know that no couple wants to be impacted by something like Covid-19 but our hearts are so full when we see love win like this! Joel captured their day so beautifully!

Details
PHOTOGRAPHY: JOEL JAUREGUI PHOTOGRAPHY // VENUE: IRONGATE GARDEN INN // DRESS: AE BRIDAL CHICO // FLORALS: LITTLE RED HEN FLORAL & MORE // PLANNING & STYLING THE 530 BRIDE, LED BY MEGAN

Northern California Wedding Planner | 2018 In Review ~ The 530 Bride

If you would have told us this time last year that 2018 would fly by as fast as it has, we couldn’t have believed it! Being a part of each of these incredible celebrations was the biggest blessing, and we feel honored that our clients trusted our team to take the work off of their plates in order to bring all of the details together.

We will definitely be posting some individual blog stories about each of these events as we continue to receive images, but we thought it would be fun to share a little from each wedding all in one post!

Each of these couples had their own love story, their own vision for their day and each wedding had it’s own magical moments that we feel so honored to have witnessed. We’re seriously hooked on weddings, so we can’t wait to see what 2019 holds!

It goes without saying that a successful wedding requires teamwork and communication, so we want to thank all of the wedding pro’s who work so hard for their clients. Stay tuned for the full posts and for a vendor spotlight on the incredible friends we work alongside throughout the wedding season.

Happy New Years & Happy Planning!

Northern California Wedding Planner | The Pressures of Planning

When it comes to wedding planning, there is no shortage of excitement but it also brings unsolicited advice and a lot of opinions. If you are feeling the weight on your shoulders, this post is for you.

Photo by Morgan Chantelle Photography

Plain and simple, it can be hard to please everyone all the time, at some point you may even hurt some feelings along the way. Trying to have every girl you’ve been friends with since second grade in your bridal party will only cause more headaches down the road, so keeping your bridal party super close knit is probably best!

Aside from hurting feelings, could wedding planning hurt your relationship? What if you are bickering about the smallest details like which flatware style to rent or what style limo you want to book.. yes these are among some of the decisions you need to make but try to take a step back and consider what you will actually remember or care about on your wedding day.

As wedding planners we get to know so many different couples and no matter if they have been highschool sweethearts going on 10 years or a shorter engagement; we know that making all of these decisions and trying to stay under budget can add stress to your relationship. What is important is that from day one of planning you set a realistic budget that you both are comfortable with and agree to communicate about the costs. This will help ease both of your minds and reduce the financial pressure even if it means cutting back on some of those wish-list items.

If you feel like wedding planning has opened up concerns in other areas of your relationship, seek advice and be willing to open up so that you don’t carry forward any resentment or stress post-nuptials! A healthy marriage takes a lot of forgiveness, trust, communication and understanding so try to apply these principles in your planning process and just remember that a wedding day comes and goes - but your marriage needs to always come first.

~ Happy Planning!

Northern California Wedding Planner | Wedding Day Essentials

We keep our clients organized with a checklist during the planning process as we guide them to their wedding day, but the goal is to be done with all of those items before the week of the wedding.  So pin this easy list to your boards now, or post it on your fridge to remind yourself to keep it simple!

Despite what you see on The Knot or Pinterest, you don't need to do all the things and buy all the stuff.  Less is more when it comes to a wedding, it's about the experience and making memories with your guests! We keep our clients organized with a checklist during the planning process as we guide them to their wedding day, but the goal is to be done with all of those items before the week of the wedding. 

Here's our break down of the wedding day essentials: 

All of our wedding planning clients get to use our planning dashboard to keep them organized, plus it's so rewarding to check off all of the items on a to do list! We'll be posting tips on organizing your wedding planning so stay tuned!

~ Happy Planning ~ 

Wedding films and happy tears

By Christina Rafael

Much like my love for all things Nicholas Sparks and Adele, I love a good cry.

Though my fiance makes fun of my ability to shed tears at the start of a sad song (or really good Google commercial), wedding films are the icing on the cake to my cry sessions.

Something about the combination of music to the happiness of vows, change of family dynamics and new beginnings always guarantees a lunge for the tissue box.

So grab a Kleenex and take a look at my top 3 favorite wedding films:

Wiley & Mallory -  lifestagefilms.com

I mean, come on…this man's vows win every award! The way he looks at her during her vow reading, the soft "baby" as she finishes and that crying break at 1:27 had me in tears immediately.

I think what I like most about this film is that the love these two have for one another is apparent in every action captured. Their story wasn't convenient and lacked storybook effortlessness but the couple worked hard to stay together, despite all odds, and had their happy ending. His vows were the structure this film needs to pull the best kinds of heart strings.

Jake & Jordan - www.alealovely.com

I think what really gets me in this film is the family dynamics. From the family members featured on her bouquet to the dad/ bride moment, it's all Hallmark gold. I also loved the idea of writing a letter to your bride/ groom to be read before you see each other and might steal it. ;)

As Jordan reads the lines referencing "the mother to my children" and "the grandmother to my grandchildren" I can't help but wipe away some happy tears. What a sweet idea, great groom and amazing words to capture.

Brandon & Stacey - trecreative.com

I'm a bit partial when it comes to this one because it hits so close to home. From the smile she has when she talks about her groom to cry-heavy vows she uses, it's a mirror image of myself. It also doesn't help that this couple's film was shot by a videographer team from Chico (who just got married, congrats Stephen & Chelsey!).

I lose my cool when she tells her groom that when he told her she was beautiful, she finally believed it. It's such an honest sentiment to spill in a vow and really lets the viewer in on their relationship dynamic. The groom's vows are also highlighted when he reveals the best decision he's made: her.

Book a Videographer If you can swing it budget wise, having a wedding film is definitely something to consider for any couple. In addition to being unique each time, a videographer can capture fast-paced wedding day details and emotions in first-person way, so you (and family members who could or could not attend) can revisit your special day as if it was happening again.

Though trecreative.com was highlighted, there are many more local options to explore.

Research online or book us for an hourly consultation to find the best videographer for your special day!