Justin & Leah

 Brrrrr! Justin & Leah's special day was a chilly one! You just never know what you're gonna get in April on the Central Coast! Luckily, both their ceremony and reception were indoors. They got married at Mountainbrook Community Church in SLO (this place is great for large indoor church ceremonies- tons of space!). And their reception was inside the barn at Santa Margarita Ranch. DJ and Officiating services provided by the always charming and professional Andy Morris. The tasty food was provided by Sheila and her well-run crew from Phoenix Fine Catering. We LOVE working with some of the best professionals this county has to offer! But enough about us, let's get back to Leah and Justin....

Leah added a locket and her Grandmother's brooch as personal touches to her bouquet.

The mothers of the bride and groom carried small, simple rose bouquets instead wearing wristlets or corsages...that's definitely a new trend we're seeing more and more of!

The bridesmaids' bouquets included sunflowers, gerbera daisies, white freesia, roses and tulips.

We love the monogram initials on the barn- so cute!

Every time I come to Santa Margarita Ranch, I can't HELP but take a few pictures of the gorgeous property...and the looming clouds made for some fun shots yesterday!

Now we're down at the church in San Luis Obispo setting up one of the longest aisles we've ever done (which I think is great because the long walk gives you more time to really absorb the moment and appreciate the importance of the event)

I had to stop and snap a photo of the view from up there! Mountainbrook is located up by KSBY- amazing views...you are completely surrounded by nature. Very peaceful and private.

We loved the personalized touches of this ceremony....the aisle runner and unity candle both had the "happily ever after" line with their names and wedding date!

Back to the ranch for the reception! The staff on the ranch always does a cute little set up on the vintage movie theatre billboard...love it!

The couple placed photo mobiles in the window arches all around the barn with photos of them as children all the way through their engagement pics. Excellent touch!

The two types of centerpieces were a low round arrangement with the same flowers as the bridesmaid's bouquets, and then glass cylinders with white and yellow orchids and fiberoptic lights. We also added little LED votives around each to give the romantic feel, without the actual flame (which the SMR people don't allow due to fire hazards).

Such a stunning final product!

It was such a pleasure to decorate this beautiful cake. A close family friend made it...who doesn't even do this professionally - can we say mega-impressive?!

Here at Festive Designs, we love to find creative ways so stretch a couple's budget! As you can see, we took all of the ceremony decorations, and repurposed them at the reception. Pay for them once, use them twice! Fabulous.

The End.

...and we hope they DO live happily ever after...