"Joe and I always knew that we wanted an outdoor venue for our wedding.We eventually decided to have it in California close to my hometown. A hometown wedding seemed like the right idea. Out of a suggestion from a friend we decided to scout Temecula Creek Inn’s Stone House. We instantly fell in love with the rustic yet romantic stone house and the towering century old oak trees. Joe thought that the lawn bowling court and the fire pits were perks as well. We also knew that picturesque site would lend itself to beautiful wedding photography.Initially, I wanted a more rustic style for the wedding. But after finding our dream venue with many existing rustic elements it was important that I change to a softer more romantic vintage garden party kind of vibe. I also knew that I wanted to incorporate more textures into the space. We ended up incorporating lots of glass, mercury glass, tarnished silver plate and a number of textiles to complement the landscape. Over the next year and a half my mother and I would go on to collect all the décor for the wedding including some very special family heirlooms. One of the smartest choices we made was to take the décor down to the venue a month prior and stage each wedding vignette so on the day there would be no question of where each item would be placed. It was amazing to see it all come together and I’m eternally grateful to my bridesmaids and Mom for setting it up so wonderfully on our wedding day." -Joseph & Jennifer
About their wedding: The most special details of the wedding I would have to say were on our cake table. My grandmother had passed away a year prior to our engagement. After the engagement news my mother was feeling nostalgic and decided to look at their dresses. While looking at the dresses my mother discovered a Ziploc bag with my grandmother’s wedding headpiece with a sealed envelope addressed to me.
Once I opened the card I immediately started crying. It was dated March of 1999. It read, “Dear Jennifer, if on your “wedding” day you should decide to wear this. I wore it on July 28th, 1956 when I married your grandfather Dale. We were married 32 years when he died. I wish you and your love as much as we had and may God Bless you and yours forever. Love Grandma.” It was incredible to get that message after she had passed and although I didn’t wear the headpiece I decided to showcase it along with the note and a photograph of my grandparents cutting their cake on their wedding day on the cake table.
I also decided to use an heirloom serve set for the cake cutting. The knife was used by my grandparents on my father’s side at their wedding. My parents also used the knife at their wedding. My grandparents have been married now for 52 years and my parents have been married for 31 years. We now have all have our names and wedding dates engraved on the knife.
But my favorite moment of the day was seeing Joe waiting for me down the aisle.
About their honeymoon: Stayed at Glen Oaks Big Sur in Big Sur, California. We had an amazing honeymoon and Big Sur was a perfect destination to relax and unwind after a busy wedding week. We loved that we were in the woods and so close to the ocean. We stayed at Glen Oaks Big Sur in one of their Little Sur Cabins. It was the perfect amount of space. Our cabin was situated amongst centuries old redwoods and within a stone's throw of the pristine Big Sur River. We had a private patio and fire pit that they stocked daily with complimentary firewood and fire starter. We would sit out at night by the fire and have smores listening to nature. Pfeiffer Beach was also a lot of fun. The sand is purple and one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
Vendors: Photographer: France Photographers | Venue: Temecula Creek Inn Stone House, Temecula | Bridal Salon: Bonny Bridal | Bridesmaids Dresses: Alfred Angelo | Florals: Enchanting Blooms | Invitations: Minted | Hair Stylist: Hair by Jessy | Wedding Cake: Creme de la Creme Bakery | Handmade Cigars: Mursuli Cigars