Heather & David at Aliso Creek

Back in September, Heather & Dave hosted a very fun wedding at the Aliso Creek Inn. It was a blast to be a part of! These two are very laid back and sweet and their wedding ceremony & reception reflected that. Here is a sneak peak into their day, with photos by Colleen Rosenthal:

The beautiful couple:

Flowers by our very own Shannon Rojas. How amazing are these colors? Heather knew exactly what she wanted: bright, fun tulips. They were gorgeous against the backdrop of the bold bridesmaids dresses & the sweeping green golf course.

I love this shot of the bridesmaids sitting at the ceremony. In stead of having all of the girls wear the same color, she let them pick any dress they wanted in the color scheme. The result was beautiful eye catching. The couple was also very thoughtful of their attendants, as they had them sit in the front row during the ceremony, rather than stand through the whole thing. From someone who has stood as a bridesmaid in high heels for close to one hour in front of a large group of people many times, that is very appreciated :) If you choose to do this, you will score big points with your attendants and they will get a better view. However, you do loose the classic look of having the wedding party up there with you.
The ceremony:
Shannon incorporated in Eucalyptus leaves, as a nod to Australia, where David is from.

For the sand ceremony, our original plan was to have Heather pour sand from Laguna Beach, where she is from, and David would pour sand from Australia. However, the US customs department did not see the need for David's parents to bring the sand into the country... so, we just pretended!

Their beautiful dog got to be the ringbearer. He even got his own flowers!

How cute is this flower girl? She was supposed to be walking the dog down the aisle, but he ended up walking her down the aisle! Notice how sweet her little outfit is- including the red shoes!

Reception details:
Each table was monochramatic with candles and flowers either orange, red or fushia. We sprinkled also sprinkled some shells that the couple had gathered on each table.

All lit up:

Instead of cake, the couple had delicious cupcakes by Viktor Benes Bakery. The bride and her mother found tiered serving trays and had the serving staff bring one tray of cupcakes out to each table.

For favors, the couple imported Cadbury chocolate bars from Australia. Yes, they do have them here in the states, but trust me- for whatever reason, the Australian bars are soooo much better!

It was really fun to come up with ways to incorporate the couple's personalities and backgrounds into the wedding. Another way we did this was with the programs. Guests received a postcard from either Orange County or Australia, with the order of the ceremony printed on the back.

The reception was set more as a party, with hors d'hovres served throughout the night, an espresso machine open and Y3k, a lively 80's band playing away. The guests danced until the very end. I however, was off my swollen feet early, as I was 9 months pregnant! Thanks to Shannon & Jordan for helping me with this one!

Heather & David (&mom!): It was a pleasure to help make your day come to life. I wish you two the best!

Other vendors:
Ceremony & cocktail hour music: Del Lago Trio
Make-up: Make-up by Berit
Espresso Machine: Brew Ha Ha