Catching the sunset from the beach in Santa Barbara sounds pretty amaze after scrolling through these photos by Annie McElwain. Liz + Bert both had their own must-haves (him: cornhole, her: gorgeous flowers), but they both agreed that a beautiful, relaxing space for their guests (175 of ‘em) to visit was the ultimate must. We’re thinking the Four Seasons The Biltmore did the trick…
All the palm trees became an unofficial theme and showed up on Copper Willow’s paper goods and monogram as well as the custom brass ornaments Liz’s dad’s company made.
Liz is an interior designer so she had super clear vision for the day: classic, elegant, yet not stuffy or uptight. The green and ivory color palette and big roses and peonies were timeless and modern.
Liz explains, We’re so grateful to Nicole of Green Ribbon Parties for her masterful planning and genius ideas (monogrammed linen napkins we could then keep and use for decades to come) all of which we’re lucky enough to relive over and over again thanks to Annie’s absolutely stunning photos. When it came to creating a thoughtful, detail-oriented event that reflected both of our tastes, felt timeless and polished, and was a downright blast, our talented team nailed it.
All that greenery!
On choosing a photographer + the planning process: We’d really admired Annie McElwain’s dreamy, romantic, but unexpected photos and once we met her we knew we wanted her to be with us all day! A friend reminded me that you end up spending a lot of time with your photographer on the actual day from getting ready to the dance floor—you should definitely like being around them!
Managing the budget, keeping the guest list reasonable, and balancing the wants and needs of divorced parents, in-laws, and other opinionated family members was daunting at times but it’s important to remember everyone wants you to be happy and in the end it will all works out.
For sure. Congrats!
Photographer: Annie McElwain / Venue, Cake, & Catering: Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara / Planning: Nicole of Green Ribbon Parties / Florals: Brown Paper Design / Beauty: Team Hair & Makeup / Paper Goods: Copper Willow / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Linens: La Tavola / Band: de Bois / Officiant: JP Reynolds / Cornhole: West Georgia Cornhole / Bride’s Dress: Winnie Couture / Bridesmaids Dresses: J. Crew in Champagne / Hairpiece: Grace Bridal / Shoes: Kate Spade / Earrings: Kate Spade / Bracelets: Heirloom / Groom’s Suit: Custom / Shoes: Jack Erwin / Ties: Banana Republic
