Aryka & Adrian's Secret Garden Wedding

If you can imagine the warmth of the August sun standing high above an arbor shaded in full draping wisteria, delicate desserts adorning pretty trays that stack atop a rustic door, and boughs of eucalyptus and greenery tightly woven to corral large hurricane vases and candles, then you can see how Aryka's vision of a "Secret Garden" Wedding came true. She put so much thought into tying in all the details down to the pretty place card holders being that of an antique key for each guest to find their table. Oh I just melted when I saw how all her thoughts and design was in place on the day of!

Upon meeting Aryka's husband (then fiancé) Adrian for the first time, I was immediately greeted with a hug and a smile that made me feel welcomed into their planning journey. He and Aryka have been together a long time and you can see the sense of comfort and serenity they share. And the way he looked at her, you could feel the depth of their love for each other. I could tell he just simply adores her with that storybook, grow old together, 'your my person' kind of love. They truly kept their wedding day personalized to their lifestyle including Adrian's love for classic cars. Secret Garden meets classic cars you say??? Yes, you'll see, it truly worked! Their details were not just about the theme, but the feelings of magic, classiness, fun, and love.

On the big day, I arrived and began picking up where the wedding party left off with the decorating. I remember being in the direct high sun trying to PERFECT the guest chair layout for the ceremony in the way that Aryka wanted. She had seen the image of when the chairs arch in on either side and taper off and I was determined to make sure it was picture perfect. Following this, it was just all about making sure her special touches were placed accordingly, including her artfully designed signs hand made by Brittany with Letters and Dust , creating an extra touch of fun and enchanting vibes.

I learned a valuable lesson at the ceremony that I will NEVER mistake again, and that is to verify at the line up that the best man (if supposed to) has the rings! Yes this happened, and I am so thankful that it became a laughable moment for this crowd because, although they were personally given to him by me with the words "are you comfortable with keeping these with you until the ceremony??" I DID NOT double check at the line up. I will never ever make that mistake again folks, because, although the best man took off running back for the rings and this was a moment they will always remember, it is one I learned from dearly.

The remainder of the evening was filled with warm hugs, deep deep sentiment for the couple on their long awaited journey of marriage, good food, good company, and ending the evening with a waffle bar for the B&B guests that remained after final call. I learned so much from them and I will always hold this wedding close to my heart. Not to mention, how freaking cute is it to conga line as your recessional?!? They so did this and it was PERFECT for them and their guests <3.

-L