Welcome to Gianna & Zach’s wedding! We are so happy that we FINALLY got to celebrate with them! After a year of planning, a pandemic, a postponement, an elopement, another year of planning, a venue change, and a broken foot, you can say it was quite the journey! This wedding was a LONG TIME COMING, but even still, I was saying all day how sad I am to not be working with this incredible couple anymore. Gianna & Zach are not only a super adorable, beautiful couple (I mean, hello), but they are also the sweetest people and so much fun! These two definitely know how to party! Gianna broke her foot about two weeks before the wedding, but that didn’t stop them from dancing the whole night. These love birds are meant to be, and it was such an honor to plan their wedding. We are absolutely OBSESSED with how this gorgeous, modern, tropical wedding turned out! We wanted to keep everything very modern, elegant, white, and gold, with subtle pops of tropical color. We had 2 different table designs that alternated throughout the reception space. Having to change venues about 2 months before the wedding threw a pretty big wrench into the plans we had for their layout, but sometimes pivoting can take you somewhere even better! In this case, it definitely worked out in our favor. The entire wedding reception had a view of the band, with the lake as the backdrop (it can’t get better than that)! All of Gianna & Zach’s signage was made of white acrylic with gold lettering. To say I was obsessed with the palm leaf table numbers is an understatement! I loved these small, cohesive details that perfectly accented our design. We also got to have some serious fun with their escort display and created the colorful, tropical, ombré, shot glass escort display of our dreams! The STUNNING, colorful, tropical florals among the white and gold wedding displayed that perfect blend of tropical, modern elegance we designed it to be! Adding florals in unlikely places, like behind the cake and in front of the stage, really elevated the design that much further. Stepping outside the box and do something different is always worth it. If it makes you happy, it’s always the right decision. Gianna loves pink (and so do I), hence the fabulous pink accents (like the custom decal on the bar)! We also added some fun elements like marquee letters, a popsicle cart, a photo booth, and a cigar lounge that made the wedding that much more enjoyable! With how stunning this wedding looks, you’d never know it took place on the actual hottest day of the year (I wish I was kidding). When we arrived on site at 10:00am, it was already 90°, it quickly got up to 114° (where it stayed the entire day), and it was still 98° when we left at 11:45pm that night. Y’all know I am always 100% honest and never sugar coat anything, so I’m going to give you a little peak behind the glamourous façade of wedding planning… Setup took twice as long because we would have to sit down and drink water about every 5 minutes to avoid passing out. Glasses were exploding, candles were melting, an entire case of vodka exploded, the farmhouse tables started leaking sap (which I didn’t even know was possible), we were ringing out cold wash cloths from the ice bin on our faces all day, and one of my team members almost had to go to the hospital with heat stroke. They were BRUTAL conditions, but we pride ourselves on delivering the best wedding and best experience possible NO MATTER WHAT! However, there was one little, hilarious slip up (which, of course, I’m going to tell you)… So Gianna & Zach had a fake cake. Yep, made of styrofoam with fondant on the outside. Only 1 tier of the cake was real, and they had hidden sheet cakes to cut and serve to guests. With the scorching temperatures outside, we couldn’t have the cake outside AT ALL. We had the fake cake and sheet cakes stored in a cool place until it was time to bring them out. BUT, my team and I had all been exhibiting symptoms of heat stroke all day, and my brain was simply checked-out. Never, in my 5+ years of doing this, have I not prepared the cake table with the cake-cutting/serving utensils, cake plate, 2 forks, and a napkin in advance. But there’s a first time for everything, right? (especially when your body is shutting down on you). Did I remember to get the cakes from the cool place? Yes. Did my team’s golf cart break down on the way back from the cool place and send them hurtling into the side of a hill (with the cakes on their laps)? Also yes. My team and the cakes survived, but then the cake-cutting knife was missing. In the scramble to find the knife, and quickly get some forks and a plate, I COMPLETELY forgot to tell my sweet couple which tier to cut (another thing I’ve also NEVER forgotten). Remember, only ONE TIER was real. They had a 1/5 chance, but you guessed it… they started to cut a styrofoam tier instead. Everyone got a good laugh (including Gianna & Zach), and I crawled into a hole and died. Despite the heat, I have to say this was one of my favorite weddings to date! Cheers to Gianna & Zach – I’m wishing you two the happiest ever after! XOXO

Venue: Willow & Oak Estate | Design, Planning, & Coordination: Elyse Events | Photography: Kelley Williams Photography | Cinematography: Steven Garzas Studios | Florals: Huckleberry Blooms | Catering: Flora & Fauna Fine Food | Cake: Autumn Cake Design | Paleta Cart: Paleta & Co | Entertainment: Ben Mallare Entertainment | Photo Bus: The Beach Bus Photo Booth | Rentals: All About Events | Specialty Rentals: Avenue Twelve | Linen Napkins: Blush Fine Linens | Calligraphy & Signage: Fete & Quill | Marquee Letters: Alpha-Lit Central Coast | Beauty: Beauty Goes Everywhere & Paris Does Beauty | Favors: Winengear | Bridal Gown: Lihihod | Bridesmaids Gowns: Needle & Thread | Menswear: The Black Tux & Hey Gorgeous Formal Wear | Invitations: Minted Weddings & Lettering By GRG | Transportation: SLO Safe Ride & SLO Party Bus