"Riane and Stuart's wedding day at Milagro Winery was a SoCal bride's dream! As the fall color was setting in throughout the hillsides of Southern California, Riane and Stuart said their I Do's in front of their closest family and friends under a stunning oak tree draped elegantly with white chiffon. To keep with the season, Riane chose dark blues with pops of merlot and a blush accent that perfectly blended with Milagro's villa that looks straight out of Italy. Set on the hillside vineyard, Milagro Winery is like a little slice of Tuscany, a hidden gem in San Diego County.
We adored Riane’s two piece top and skirt which perfectly blended a modern style with a timeless design. It was such a beautifully emotional day. Riane and Stuart opted out of the first look, but instead said a prayer around the corner of the bridal cottage before got to see Riane walking down the aisle. The two of them shared this tearful moment that set the tone for an incredibly special day to come.
Riane decided to DIY her wedding details, and we loved her romantic lantern centerpieces adorned with stunning garden florals. She hand-painted all of the pots for her succulent favors, and we just loved her personal attention to every detail of her wedding day. These beautiful and thoughtful details combined with heartfelt moments made for a wonderful wedding day all around!"
How did you choose your wedding venue? The weekend after we were engaged, all of our parents happened to be in town so we planned a full day of venue shopping. We went to golf courses and hidden wedding venues, but the second we walked into the Milagro open house we knew it was the one. From the ivy and twinkle lights over our future reception area, the stunning wine cellar that would surely be pouring lots of wine the night of our wedding, the large oak tree we could envision ourselves getting married under, to the beautiful lake that we would take our most stunning pictures next to, it was love at first sight.
How long was your engagement? 9 months
Tell us about the style/theme/color scheme of your wedding: Being a fall wedding at a winery, I wanted to go for dark but vibrant colors of navy and merlot but offset it with lots of whites, light blushes, and greenery. My florist was excellent to work with and took my 4,000 Pinterest pictures and made them come to life!
Memories and stories about the day you would like to share: My husband and I decided to write our own vows for the wedding. Both of us waited until the night before our ceremony to write them so we could be in the moment and feeling all the feels (although I would recommend starting earlier)! I practiced over and over again the entire day in front of all of my bridesmaids, my mom, and mother-in-law and couldn't get through it without bawling my eyes out. As I walked down the aisle to my now husband there wasn't a dry eye in the house and I knew I would be doomed by the time we got to the vows. When the time came, Stuart started with his vows. About halfway through I couldn't help but start cracking up, half of what he was saying I had written in my own vows! When it became my turn I quickly said "Well, I don't know how I'm going to follow that. You stole half of my lines!"As I recited my own words, I would giggle every time we repeated the same words. It made the moment so special and so us and provided some comic relief to the entire audience :)
How and where did you find your wedding vendors? The more specific, the better! I scoured the internet. I looked at Yelp, The Knot, Wedding Wire, Southern California Bride, flipped through magazines, Instagram stalked and asked friends for referrals. After multiple interviews, I narrowed down my choices and ended up with the best vendors in the world.
Anything else you'd like to include? If you can, splurge and get a band and a videographer! Our band was the life of the party. Our guests still talk about how FUN our wedding was and it was because the band brought an energy that forced everyone onto the dance floor to dance the night away to excellent pop and classic covers. The videographer will be able to capture something that your photographers can't: the speeches, the emotions, the vows. Everything that you'll want to hear again and again. We've watched our wedding video countless times and are making it a tradition to watch it every anniversary :)
Photography: Whiskers and Willow Photography | Venue: Milagro Winery | Videography: Cotton Love Studios | Florals: Bella Florina Events | Catering: We Cater SD | Signage: a Day Special | Cake: SUGAR | Hair Stylist: Be You Tee Bar | Make-up: Makeup by Adrianne | Bridal Boutique: The Dress Theory | Bridal Accessories: Sara Gabriel | Ring: Diamonds Forever | Entertainment: Juke Box Productions | Wedding Dress Top Designer: Theia Couture | Wedding Dress Bottom Designer: Alexandra Grecco