DIY Destination Wedding in Pismo Beach


"I was very true to what I wanted and my style throughout our entire wedding planning process. I knew I wanted a coastal wedding, and Vince loved the idea the second I mentioned it. He's not the church wedding type either. We knew we wanted to be outdoors. When it comes to styling, I know that less is more a lot of the time. I knew that our colors of blush pink, gold, and white were beautiful for a coastal wedding. My vision was simple and elegant. Everything from the way the chairs were tied, to the pink water goblets and the gold flatware, down to the kids' favors. Everything in my wedding photos shows my vision clearly. All of that was in my head for the past year and a half and somehow, with help, I managed to create my vision."



What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip? When we were planning, I would say photography was most important to us. We knew that the pictures were the only things that we would see all of the time and we just couldn't put a price on that. One of the other things we splurged on was the rentals. Part of my vision was the gold flatware and pink water goblets. We rented all of those pieces for about $1,200 for the wedding. We chose to skip on things like a photo booth as well as traditional videography. We just could not afford an additional $2,000+ on it so we decided to go with a company called Wedit. You rent 5 small iphone video cameras and your guests help you capture the moments. Then you send them back and pay for the editing and they send you back edited videos from your wedding.

It's so hard to think of my absolute favorite part of the day. I was nervous beyond belief when the ceremony music started and I was watching it all start from inside my hotel room with my maid of honor. Overall though, I think my favorite part of the day, was when Vince first saw me as I was walking down the aisle with my father. He's' looked at me a lot of ways over the last 5 years, but on our wedding day, his face was priceless and way he was looking at me with tears in his eyes was in a way he's never looked at me before. My other favorite moment was when we snuck away for sunset photos. After a lot of hectic moments throughout the reception, having 15 minutes of it being just us to share some love with each other after being pronounced husband and wife was so beautiful and special to us. 

1) STICK TO YOUR TIMELINE ( and day-of itinerary)! There is nothing more stressful than being overwhelmed with not enough hours in the day to complete what you need to do before your wedding. If you stick to a guide, it will lighten the load throughout your entire wedding planning process. 2) Try to remember your wedding day is about YOU. You'll be on such a strict timeline throughout the day and may not take enough time to embrace the day. Take as much time as you can to soak it all in because it goes by so fast. 3)Don't allow the happiest day of your life be overtaken by stress. Be on time and follow your itinerary! 10 minutes of delay could cost you big time when it comes to pictures, greeting guests, dancing, etc. 4) Be creative!  If you can make it, do it. It saves so much money. 5) Don't forget about your guests. It's the little things-- a thank you on your menu cards, gum/mints/hygiene stuff in the bathrooms for them to freshen up, etc. that go a long way.


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Photography: Areeg Spencer Weddings* | Ceremony Venue: Shore Cliff Hotel | Reception Venue: Ventana Grill | Bride's Shoes: Kelly and Katie | Groom's Attire: Tuxedo Fashions | Wedding Dress: Lillian West | Submitted via: Matchology