Real Weddings Magazine - Summer/Fall 2019 - The Best Wedding Vendors in Sacramento, Tahoe and throughout Northern California are all here

weddings 

sacramento to the sierra 

real 

local 

30 

REAL 

WEDDINGS 

REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM 

getinspired! 

SUMMER 2019 

STYLE. IDEAS. ADVICE. 

PSST...AND YOU CAN FIND ALL YOUR WEDDING VENDORS HERE TOO! 

DISPLAY UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2019 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR COVER MODEL WINNER OLIVIA! 

OUR COVER MODEL CONTEST FINALIST SHOOT WAS PHOTOGRAPHED EXCLUSIVELY BY 

2 GIRLS 20 CAMERAS ON LOCATION AT THE KIMPTON SAWYER HOTEL. FOR MORE, TURN TO PAGE 89. 

GOWN FROM DE LA ROSA'S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS; EARRINGS BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS; 

BOUQUET BY AMOUR FLORIST & BRIDAL; HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY


wedding venues 

Wine & Roses provides the setting for a small intimate 

ceremony or a large reception with up to 350 guests. 

The Garden Ballroom is breathtaking, with an open 

beam ceiling, fireplace, beverage bar, and it’s own 

private garden of white birch trees. The Cellar Room 

features a stone fireplace and large french doors that 

open to a private patio and gardens. Our outdoor 

settings provide plenty of room for seating surrounded 

by botanical gardens and deodar trees. 

the hotel 

Wine & Roses Hotel sits in the heart of Lodi Wine 

Country and features 66 rooms and suites designed to 

meet the needs and desires of your wedding party and 

guests. Experience luxurious amenities including 

botanical gardens, a modern fitness center, beautiful 

pool, relaxing jacuzzi, and unparalleled gracious 

hospitality. 

Group reservations are available. 

C O N TAC T 2 0 9 . 3 7 1 . 6 1 1 7 O R EM A I L sales@winerose.com 

W I N E & R O S E S • 2 5 0 5 W. T U R N E R R OA D , L O D I , C A L I F O R N I A 9 5 2 4 2

innovative cuisine 

Our Event Specialists work closely with the Executive 

Chef and his team to help you create the perfect 

culinary experience. We have the expertise to make 

your menu collection unique and representative of you. 

Towne House Restaurant at Wine & Roses features 

fresh, innovative dishes using quality, regionally sourced 

ingredients. Private dining rooms are available for a 

bridal luncheon or an intimate rehearsal dinner. 

the spa 

Set in an environment of natural beauty and tranquility, 

the award-winning Spa at Wine & Roses offers spa 

services and packages for women, men and couples. 

From pedicures to preparatory packages, Wine & Roses 

is the perfect spa destination for brides and grooms! 

Create the wedding look of your dreams in our full 

service, Aveda salon featuring experienced hair and 

makeup artists and only the highest quality products. 

winerose.com

Unique, Unequalled 

& 

Unforgettable 

EVERYTHING FOR YOUR WEDDING DAY 

EVERYTHING FOR YOUR CELEBRATIONS

Make the breathtaking Whitney Oaks Golf Club the backdrop for your ceremony. 

Complete Wedding Planning Services | First-Class Catering | Custom Floral Arrangements 

Wedding Cakes | Rehearsal Dinners | Bridal Showers 

Play & Stay at Thunder Valley Casino Resort 

Resort & Spa Packages | Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties at Illusions and MORE! 

1200 Athens Avenue 

Lincoln, CA 95648 

916.408.8435 • THUNDERVALLEYRESORT.COM 

2305 Clubhouse Drive 

Rocklin, CA 95765 

916.632.8333 x4 • WHITNEYOAKSGOLF.COM 

916.408.8435 • THUNDERVALLEYRESORT.COM

in this issue 

SUMMER/FALL 2019 

real 




FEATURES 

28 

EXPERT ADVICE: 

TIPS FROM THE PROS! 

Real Weddings’ contributor Kelley Saia checks 

in with local wedding pros to give you the 

inside scoop on how to save time and money, 

and help you get your wedding planning on 

track. 

49 

59 

69 

79 

89 

113 

STYLE / STYLED SHOOT: 

IN THE CLOUDS 

We trekked up to the top of Tahoe for this 

heavenly photo shoot, which perfectly 

married bright colors and fun textures. 


CULTURAL FUSION 

The fusing of old world and new came easy to 

our talented team who combined their skills to 

create this luxurious, picture-perfect design. 


ENDLESS LOVE 

Mother Nature came to play, but so did our 

design team! Between sun, snow and rain 

(yes, all on the same day!), our team created a 

design beautiful enough to distract you from 

Lake Tahoe. 


SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING NEW 

Why be modern or rustic when you can be 

both?! We borrowed our design team to blend 

the two styles seamlessly, and the result blue 

us away! 

STYLE: COVER MODEL CONTEST 

FINALIST FEATURE: SECRET GARDEN 

Modern design was the focus of our first 

Cover Model Contest Finalist photo shoot, but 

our fun-loving real bride models Ericka and 

Olivia took the cake! 

STYLE: COVER MODEL CONTEST 

FINALIST FEATURE: GOLD COUNTRY GLAM 

Our second Cover Model Contest Finalist 

photo shoot featured stunning real bride 

models Blythe and Curissa who managed to 

outshine gold country! 

89 

69 

79 

242 WORDS OF WISDOM: 

DEE & KRIS 

Celebrating 14 years of 

marriage...here’s their take 

on what makes it work. 

SWEET MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY 

59 

242 

BETHANY PETRIK PHOTOGRAPHY 

2 GIRLS 20 CAMERAS 

49 

VICENS FORNS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 

113 

22 

IN EVERY ISSUE 

10 Editor’s Letter 

14 Contributors 

22 Win Cool Stuff 

24 On RealWeddingsMag.com 

26 Behind-the-Scenes 

34 Events Calendar 

38 For Your Review 

40 The Gift Guide 

136 Snapshots 

203 Style Files 

204 Style Files: The White List Directory 

216 Style Files: The Photos 

KATHRYN WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY 

FARRELL PHOTOGRAPHY 

6 | REAL WEDDINGS SUMMER/FALL 2019 REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM

in this issue 

SUMMER/FALL 2019 

REAL WEDDINGS 

LOLITA VASQUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY 

142 

178 

real 



CHARLETON CHURCHILL PHOTOGRAPHY 


139 

139 

142 

144 

146 

148 

150 

152 

154 

156 

158 

160 

162 

Amanda & Francisco 

Tancy & Paul 

Tracy & Per 

Sarah & Connor 

Heidi & James-Phillip 

Chelsea & Christopher 

Ashley & Samuel 

LaKeisha & Albert 

Hannah & Darren 

Cathy & Jeff 

Tarin & Matt 

Falina & Michael 

SARAH MAREN PHOTOGRAPHY 

182 

PASSION STUDIO 

JENNIFER CLAPP FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 

CARRIE AYN 

164 

Christina & Michael 

166 

168 

170 

172 

174 

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178 

180 

182 

184 

186 

188 

190 

192 

194 

196 

198 

Alexandra & Samuel 

Maria & Krishan 

Jillian & Robert 

Olga & Michael 

Anna & Mark 

April & Dexter 

Jenna & Jessica 

Paige & Andrew 

Kaitlin & Evan 

Angela & Jason 

Stephanie & Matt 

Cora & Austin 

Jamie & Phillip 

Tami & Josh 

Irene & Nolan 

Katrina & Daryl 

Jessica & Ben 

Want to see 

more photos from all of 

these weddings? Tune in to 

realweddingsmag.com...NOW! 

176 

188 

DARCI TERRY PHOTOGRAPHY 

186 

KERI AOKI PHOTOGRAPHY 

148 

TEMPLE PHOTOGRAPHY 

& PHOTO BOOTH 

172 

WHITE DAISY 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

184 192 

154 168 

CHUCK ROBERTS PHOTOGRAPHY 

ERICA BALDWIN PHOTOGRAPHY 

152 

166 

MATTHEWS INC PHOTOGRAPHY 

DANIELLE ALYSSE PHOTOGRAPHY 

JULIA CROTEAU 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

190 

MONICA S PHOTOGRAPHY 


JESSICA ROMAN PHOTOGRAPHY / JESSICAROMAN.COM 

LIZ ZIMBELMAN PHOTOGRAPHY / LIZZIMBELMAN.COM 

MONICA S PHOTOGRAPHY / MONICASPHOTO.COM 

ALL-INCLUSIVE WEDDING VENUE 

sacramento's premier wedding and events venue 

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN 

SACRAMENTO, CA || WWW.VIZCAYASACRAMENTO.COM || 916.594.9285

EVENTS ARTFULLY PRODUCED BY 

AMES HAUS 

DESIGN + PLANNING + FLORALS 

editor’s letter 

YOU’RE UNIQUE...MAKE YOUR WEDDING UNIQUE, TOO! 

AMES HAUS BRIDE 

Photo by XSiGHT Photography & Video 

ROSEVILLE, CALIFORNIA 

WWW.AMESHAUS.COM 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHOOP’S PHOTOGRAPHY / SHOOPSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM; 

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY / 

ALLDOLLEDUPHAIRANDMAKEUP.COM; 

CAKE BY BAKER & A BLACK CAT / BAKERANDABLACKCAT.COM 

FOLLOW WINNIE: @SUTTERSTREETPIG 

Yep, that’s me in a wedding dress eating cake with 

Winnie, The Sutter Street Pig! Why, you ask? Well, why 

not?! And, what does it have to do you with you planning 

your wedding? It’s to prove a point. You and your beloved are 

unique individuals and unique as a couple, and your wedding 

should be that way too. We’ve embraced this mantra since we 

launched Real Weddings 12 years ago—don’t do a cookie cutter 

wedding: Do your own thing. If that means having pig races 

at your wedding, do it (we squealed with delight when we saw 

this at a recent wedding); if you want to do the Chicken Dance 

at your wedding, own it; if you don’t want to do some of the 

“traditional” things like a garter toss, then don’t. We think the 

most important thing is to put together a celebration of your 

love that fits with your personality as a couple focusing on the priorities you want. And, yeah, if you want 

to do a post-wedding shoot with Winnie, The Sutter Street Pig, DO IT! Trust me, it’s crazy fun! 

Now, let’s get started on your wedding planning! Let’s talk photo shoot inspiration: each issue we assemble teams of 

talented wedding professionals to inspire your wedding style, from décor and details to attire, accessories and beyond, and 

this issue is no exception! Here, we have four distinctly different styled shoot vignettes: “In the Clouds,” “Cultural Fusion,” 

“Endless Love” and “Something Old Something New.” We had a lot of fun putting them together for you, and we hope you 

enjoy them. Then, check out our cover model contest finalist features: “Secret Garden” and “Gold Country Glam.” Like all 

of our cover model finalist feature photo shoots, we had a great time playing dress up—with gorgeous hair, makeup, accessories, 

bouquets and dresses, along with fabulous décor sets. Oh, and if you want to see more photos from any of our 

shoots, be sure to tune in to our website for each photo shoot’s blog series—we’ll overwhelm you with more gorgeousness! 

We wouldn’t be Real Weddings Magazine without, well, real weddings. For this issue, we picked 30 fabulous real weddings—starting 

on page 139. And, head to our website for more deliciousness from these weddings! 

Next up: columnist Kelley Saia compiled expert tips from our local wedding pros (check out her blog posts for even 

more helpful nuggets!). Heading out to some bridal shows? Go to pages 34 and 36 for a comprehensive list of the shows 

you should attend (but before you go, take the tips on page 36 to heart!). Then, as always, our “For Your Review” columnist 

Sharon Penny presents you with a plethora of planning tools starting on page 38 (with even more on our website); our 

“Gift Guide” will help you check everyone off of your gift list (including a few gifts for you!); go to page 204 to start putting 

together your wedding dream team of vendors...and so much more packed into the pages of this issue. 

And a bazillion-times-infinity thanks to all of this issue’s contributing partners—you’re so giving with your knowledge 

and your talents, and we cannot thank you enough for sharing it with us and our readers. 

We absolutely love putting together this magazine for you, our Real Weddings’ readers. 

When you find your wedding dream team through Real Weddings— 

the magazine, blog, website, mobile app, mobile directory and our social media 

sites— be sure to tell your wedding pros that you found them through Real Weddings 

and that you’re a Real Weddings’ reader because without their support, we simply 

couldn’t do what we do to inspire you! 

(Oh, and P.S. Tell them that you’re a Real Weddings’ reader because a lot of our partners have special offers 

exclusively for our readers. You can get a sneak peek 

of them on our website at: realweddingsmag.com/ 

/RealWeddings 

specialoffers.) 

As always, dear readers, happy planning! OO 

CONNECT 

WITH 

US! 

@RealWeddingsSac 

/RealWeddingsMag 

/RealWeddingsMagTV 


GET THE FREE APP! Search: 

Real Weddings Magazine 

GET IT NOW: 

The White List by Real Weddings 

...an exclusive directory of hundreds of wedding pros 

from Sacramento to the Sierra, and beyond. Check out: 

realweddingsmag.com/thewhitelist 


. 

JENN BARTELL PHOTOGRAPHY / JENNBARTELL.COM 

EUGENE DAVIDYUK PHOTOGRAPHY / EUGENEDAVIDYUK.COM 

AMANDA FLINN PHOTOGRAPHY / AMANDAFLINNPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 

ALL-INCLUSIVE WEDDING VENUE 

18841 Foresthill Road • Foresthill, California • 530.888.8123 • monteverdeinn.net



real 


Wendy Sipple 

Editor/Publisher 

Emily Peter 

Associate Editor 

Isabella De Garza, 

Gabriel Ionica, 

Alesandra Velez 

Editorial Interns 

Susie Baggett, Shirley Burrows, 

Isabella De Garza, Eudelys Estaba, 

Tara Harbert, Tatiana Jitari, 

Nathalia Kallan, Kate McGowan, 

Emily Peter, Amanda Rinehart, 

Wendy Sipple, Leah Sisto, 


Fashion Team 

Eudelys Estaba, 

Tara Harbert, Tatiana Jitari, 

Nathalia Kallan, Kayla Knight, 

Amanda Rinehart, Aavra Roseli, 


Events Team 

Cathy Carmichael 

Editorial Assistant 

Dante Fontana 

Staff Photographer 

Contributing Writers 

Kristen Castillo, Isabella De Garza, 

Suzie Dundas, Darren Elms, 

Kourtney Jason, Sharon Penny, 

Emily Peter, Kelley Saia 

Kelley Saia 

Blog Writer 

Aimee Carroll 

Social Media Maven 

Kristina Cilia Photography, 

Kylie Compton Photography, 

Lixxim Photography, 

Lolita Vasquez Photography, 

Matthews Inc. Photography, 

Meagan Lucy Photographers, 

Monica S Photography, 

Passion Studio, 

Rochelle Wilhelms Photography, 

Sarah Maren Photography, 

Shoop’s Photography, 

Sweet Marie Photography, 

Temple Photography & Photo Booth, 

Valley Images Photography, 

Vicens Forns Fine Art Photography, 

White Daisy Photography 

Debra Linn 

Associate Publisher | 916-988-9888 x114 

Bettie Grijalva 

Lead Account Manager 

916-223-3364 

bettie@stylemg.com 

ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES 

Jami Areia | 916-988-9888 x112 

Theresa Arnold | 916-988-9888 x119 

Reg Holliday | 916-988-9888 x121 

Joanne Kilmartin | 916-607-9360 

Lisa Warner/Warner Enterprises 

530-306-2011 


is published twice per year with 

quarterly covers by 

Sierrastyle Weddings, LLC 

a division of Style Media Group, Inc. 

stylemg.com 

realweddingsmag.com 

To our readers: Real Weddings 

Magazine welcomes your 

feedback. Email correspondence 

is preferred to 

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you’d like to fax us, our fax number 

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YOUR PERFECT TAHOE 

WEDDING VENUE 

Gary Zsigo 

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andreadawndesigns@gmail.com 

Graphic Designer 

Contributing Photographers 

2 Girls 20 Cameras, 

Andrew & Melanie Photography, 

Artistic Photography by Tami, 

Bethany Petrik Photography, 

Carrie Ayn, 

Charleton Churchill Photography, 

Chris Morairty Photography, 

Chuck Roberts Photography, 

Cori Ann Photography, 

Danielle Alysse Photography, 

Darci Terry Photography, 

Dee & Kris Photography, 

Erica Baldwin Photography, 

Farrell Photography, 

JB Wedding Photography, 

Jennifer Clapp Fine Art Photography, 

Jennifer Rapoza Photography 

& Photo Booths, 

Julia Croteau Photography, 

Kathryn White Photography, 

Keri Aoki Photography, 

Terence P. Carroll 

CEO/Publisher, Style Media Group 

Megan Wiskus 

Editor-in-Chief, Style Magazine 

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Deputy Editor, Style Magazine 

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Advertising Inquiries: Prospective 

advertisers may contact our 

Associate Publisher, Debra Linn, at 

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debra@stylemg.com. 

Editorial Submissions: Real 

Weddings Magazine graciously 

thanks the wedding professionals, 

Real Weddings’ couples, Snapshot 

couples and other individuals and 

businesses who have contributed 

to this publication and to our 

website. We welcome editorial 

submissions for consideration to 

info@realweddingsmag.com. If 

selected for editorial inclusion, 

contributor may be asked to sign 

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Weddings, LLC, Style Media Group, 

Inc. and Real Weddings Magazine’s 

rights to publish submitted 

materials without remuneration. 

Copyright 2019 by Sierrastyle Weddings, LLC, a division of Style Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Real Weddings is a registered trademark of Sierrastyle 

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Photo: Ciprian Photography 

Please visit WestShoreCafe.com for more information 


contributors 

Feel like 

a princess... 

and look like one too! 

crowns & 

tiaras 

hairpieces & 

combs 

jewelry 

accessories 

Hand Crafted, Luxury 

bridal jewelry, and hair accessories. 

Made with only the fi nest quality materials 

Luxurious Bridal Accessories 

209-400-1915 

www.luxuriousbridal.com 

uxurious-Bridal-Sacramento-Accessories-SF18.indd 1 

4/11/18 10:25 AM 

GABBY TERRASI AND ASHLEY KING 


2 Girls 20 Cameras was born in 

2012, and co-owners Ashley and 

Gabby (as new parents do) fell in 

love quickly. 2 Girls 20 Cameras 

is a blend of artistic eyes, firm 

business ethics, and, maybe most 

importantly, teamwork. Together, 

they’ve crossed streams with 

cameras overhead, cut trim from 

mangled wedding dresses and 

handled the most drunken of 

wedding guests. Lastly: nope, they 

don’t bring all 20 cameras, but do 

bring the proper equipment to 

capture your memories. 

2girls20cameras.com 

DANTE FONTANA / STYLE MEDIA GROUP 

ARIANA AMES, CCF 

AMES HAUS DESIGN 

Ariana is the founder of Ames 

Haus Design, an event planning 

and floral design company located 

in Roseville. For nearly a decade, 

she has produced one-of-a-kind 

wedding experiences for her clients. 

Combining her expertise in the 

areas of event planning, coordinating, 

and event décor, with her passion 

for bespoke florals, Ariana has 

produced five-star quality weddings 

throughout Northern California and 

the Central Coast. It is her pursuit 

for perfection and the satisfaction of 

bringing her clients’ vision to fruition 

that has made Ames Haus Design 

one of the top wedding design 

studios in the Sacramento area. 

ameshaus.com 

BORELFOTO.COM 

LONNA YEN 

INK FURIE 

Lonna is the owner of Ink Furie, a 

calligraphy studio that specializes 

in turning words into art for life’s 

special moments. Experienced in 

both modern and flourished copperplate 

calligraphy, she has worked 

with brides and entrepreneurs to 

incorporate calligraphy into their 

stationery, events and branding. 

When not working, Lonna enjoys 

spending time with her loving 

husband and sons and subsisting 

largely on caffeine and cake. 

inkfurie.com 

@CHANDARACREATIVE 

CINDY MAGAN 

HILLSIDE BLOOMS FLORISTRY 

Cindy is the owner and lead designer 

of Hillside Blooms Floristry. For 

Cindy, each wedding is an opportunity 

to create floral works of art that 

tell each couple’s story. She loves 

to use fresh flowers picked from 

her own hillside garden whenever 

possible. While the studio is located 

in Colfax, it serves the greater 

Sacramento area, Lake Tahoe and 

beyond. When she’s not playing 

with flowers, she enjoys traveling 

with her husband and three girls. 

hillsidebloomsfloristry.com 

ASHLEYBAUMGARTNER.COM 

JENNIFER CORRIGAN 

SACRAMENTO EVENT CO. 

As the owner and lead designer 

at Sacramento Event Co., Jennifer 

believes that the details matter and 

the little things separate good from 

great. She has been in the event 

industry for 15 years, starting her career 

in Canada and recently moving 

to Sacramento. Jennifer takes an 

international approach to her clean 

polished design with luxury modern 

event furniture rentals. 

sacramentoeventco.com 

SYMCHYSHYN.COM 

ROBYN LAZZERINI 

SILT WINE COMPANY 

Robyn, a fourth generation native 

from Clarksburg, started working 

with Wilson Vineyards five years 

ago and recently took over what 

is now known as Silt Wine Co. 

Her graceful and welcoming 

personality puts couples at ease for 

an unforgettable day. Their private 

tasting room has many updates 

including a large marble tasting 

bar and beautiful ambient lighting, 

while keeping with the old-world 

charm of the 1920s barn. 

siltwineco.com 

LYDA MOCK/GO GOLD MEDIA, GOGOLDMEDIA.COM 


CANNON FIRE PHOTOGRAPHY / CANNONFIRE.CO 

CHRISTOPHER ARMSTRONG PHOTOGRAPHY / 

CHRISTOPHERARMSTRONGPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 

OUR SPACE 

your imagination 

CANNON FIRE PHOTOGRAPHY / CANNONFIRE.CO 

1008 2nd street | sacramento, california 

916-794-1699 | facebook.com/oldsacevents 

Oldsacvenue.com 

CALL JQ EVENTS AT 916-794-1699 

FOR MORE DETAILS ON BOTH EVENT SPACES 

AND COMING SOON... 

NEW VENUE 

THE UNION HOTEL 

Th e Union Hotel 

1028 2nd street 

old sacramento

contributors 

BENJAMINCOLAB.COM 

LIZZIMBELMAN.COM 

CHRISTI NASSER 

EPIC THYME EVENTS 

Christi is an entrepreneur, business 

owner and an acclaimed event 

planner with a background in marketing 

and international business. 

She has received several awards 

including the 2019 Couples’ Choice 

Award from WeddingWire for her 

company Epic Thyme Events. Christi 

is constantly in motion and loves 

to take action. She has experience 

in design, event management, business 

startups, bookkeeping, building 

relationships, motivating and 

inspiring others to do what they 

love, market themselves and leave 

an impact on those they meet. 

epicthyme.com 

RAMONA ARNOLD 

SIMPLE COUNTRY WEDDINGS 

Ramona, owner of Simple Country 

Weddings, has been planning weddings 

and events for more than a 

decade. She also owns a boutique 

rental shop that makes the planning 

process for her clients a breeze. 

Ramona has a passion for detail 

and design, and works endless 

hours to ensure that every wedding 

is perfect. She is right there by her 

clients’ side for every step of the 

planning process, always accessible, 

responsive and incredibly easy to 

work with. 

simplecountryweddings.com 

BETHANY PETRIK 

BETHANY PETRIK PHOTOGRAPHY 

Bethany is a wedding lifestyle 

photographer servicing Northern 

California. She started taking 

pictures as a way of journaling daily 

life and became obsessed. She 

believes that everyone has a story 

made up of who they are and their 

relationships with people. Bethany 

learned that photographing people 

had to be about telling these 

stories. She is a lover of books, 

fabrics and a fine IPA. Bethany 

spends her time chasing her 

two adorable little monsters and 

sitting on the front porch with her 

husband. bethanypetrik.com 

LOLITAVASQUEZPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 

KRISTINACILIAPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 

8201 Freeport Blvd. | Sacramento 

916-665-9500 

freeportwinecountryinn.com 

JESSE, STEPHANIE AND STEVE FARRELL 


Farrell Photography is made up 

of three talented photographers 

who also happen to be related. 

Jesse, Stephanie and Steve love 

taking photos and creating artful 

memories, and are known for 

their out-of-the-box creativity and 

jaw-dropping photos. They really 

get to know their clients and strive 

to bring their personality into their 

photos. Even when they’re not 

working, you’ll likely find all three of 

the Farrells with a camera in hand— 

DANIELLE PHILLIPS 

OMNI WEDDING & EVENT PLANNING 

Danielle is an accountant turned 

wedding planner who, as the owner 

and lead designer of Omni Wedding 

& Event Planning, mindfully 

curates every event to be a reflection 

of each couple. She wants one 

thing for all her couples: for them to 

be able to plan a wedding and still 

have a social life! When Danielle’s 

not working, you can find her 

hanging out with her husband of 12 

years and her two redheaded boys. 

omniweddingandevents.com 

NIDHANA PERERA 

PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS 

Hailing from a beautiful island 

that’s often described as paradise 

(hence the name for her business), 

Nidhana, known as NK, has been 

immersed in luxury design, travel, 

organization and adventure her 

whole life. Through a holistic 

approach, Paradise Parkway 

produces storybook events that 

are effortlessly executed, yet stylish 

and unique. An up and comer in the 

wedding industry, NK prides herself 

in catering to a diverse clientele 

ready to capture another perfect 

while creating an extraordinary 

moment. farrellphotography.net 

experience for any size party. 

paradiseparkway.com 


contributors 

DROZIANPHOTOWORKS.COM 

love 

genuine 

805-368-9002 

WWW.OMNIWEDDINGANDEVENTS.COM 

VICENS FORNS 

VICENS FORNS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 

Vicens is a professional, award-winning 

photographer from Barcelona, 

Spain, and has been living in the 

beautiful Napa Valley since 2010. He 

is a third-generation photographer, 

and his style lovingly mixes fine art 

photography with candids. With 

humor, Vicens strives to make clients 

feel comfortable so they enjoy 

the experience and forget that he is 

even there, while he crawls, hangs, 

climbs and wiggles to find that 

special moment in time. 

vicensforns.com 

SUSAN AND LAWRENCE CRANE 

THE PARTY CONCIERGE 

Owners Susan and Lawrence of The 

Party Concierge have more than 30 

years of experience creating unique 

event design and décor. Susan, 

Lawrence and their 17 experienced 

staff members provide creative 

solutions and lasting impressions 

for their clients’ weddings, social, 

corporate and community events 

from their 40,000-square-foot 

warehouse in the downtown 

Sacramento River District area. 

They specialize in thematic props, 

ice sculptures, floral design, 

graphics, printing, balloon art and 

foam carvings. 

partyconcierge.com 

NUDRATOWENS.COM 

AMYSHUMANPHOTO.COM 


MICHELLE CELAYA 

LITTLE BIRD PAPER COMPANY 

Michelle is the owner and creative 

director at Little Bird Paper 

Company. As a former architectturned-stationer, 

she has a passion 

for good design, especially when it 

comes to event stationery. Michelle 

believes that invitations can set the 

tone for an entire event, as they are 

the first detail that guests see. Most 

of her printing is done in-house on 

a vintage printing press. She loves 

good coffee, funny stories and 

movie nights with her family. 

littlebirdpapercompany.com 

AMRIT DHILLON-BAINS 

ANAÏS EVENT PLANNING & DESIGN 

Amrit has been creating art in one 

form or another since age five 

(doodling instead of eating at the 

dinner table, much to her family’s 

dismay). Pairing her organizational 

skills with an artistic background, 

love for travel, creativity and 

passion for design, she develops 

unique solutions perfectly tailored 

to her clients. Amrit’s fresh 

perspective and eye for design has 

made her the choice of discerning 

clients for contemporary, ethnic and 

cross-cultural events. 

anaisevents.com 

BRIE WILLIAMS 

WILD FLOWERS DESIGN GROUP 

Brie’s introduction to the world of 

flowers began at a young age in 

1986 when Wild Flowers Design 

Group was established by her 

mother and grandmother. Brie 

grew up working at the studio and 

developed an eye for design and a 

love of color. Her interest in design 

and color took her first into cake 

design, then to coordinating events 

and finally, floral design. Today, Brie 

is a favorite among Sacramento 

brides and wedding planners. 

wildflowersdesigngroup.com 

ANGELINA AND RICH ELLIS 

TAHOE ELEVATED EVENTS 

Magic-making duo Angelina and 

Rich have coupled their skills 

of event planning and custom 

woodworking into their own 

business: Tahoe Elevated Events. 

This husband-and-wife team 

combines the necessary skills and 

knowledge to help make every 

event memorable and unique. 

Tahoe Elevated Events is the 

greater Lake Tahoe and Carson 

Valley’s premier one-stop-shop for 

party rentals and planning services, 

helping to bring every vision to life. 

tahoeelevatedevents.com 


Alexandra Vail Photography 

Your Wedding 

Beautiful, Elegant... 

Hai Productions 

Alexandra Vail Photography 

Mishca Photography 

Unforgettable. 

We’re the perfect canvas to reflect your distinctive wedding style. 

Schedule a site tour and meeting today. 

916.791.7578 x110 | granitebayclub.com 

9600 Golf Club Drive, Granite Bay, CA 95746 

GraniteBayGolfClub 

GraniteBayGC 

A member of the ClubCorp family

contributors 

MINDY AAGAARD 

SWEET MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY 

Mindy of Sweet Marie Photography 

thrives on wedding day adrenaline 

and can’t hold back a few dance 

moves at receptions, especially if 

the song list includes ’90s hip-hop. 

Her greatest loves are her family 

and her fluffy cross-eyed cat, in 

no particular order. If she had to 

choose a final last meal, it would 

definitely include bacon, and even 

after all of these years of trying, she 

has yet to find the perfect pillow. 

Mindy’s gypsy soul loves traveling, 

and her bucket list includes dipping 

her toes into every ocean on the 

planet. 

sweetmariephotography.com 

LIEZET ARNOLD 

BLOEM DECOR 

Liezet, owner of Bloem Decor, 

brings something different to 

the table with her European 

aesthetic. She started working 

with flowers at the age of 16 in her 

native Holland and shows no sign of 

stopping. After getting her master’s 

in floral design, Liezet moved to 

Hollywood where she quickly 

learned that her unique designs set 

her apart. From there, she planted 

roots in Sacramento where she now 

works and lives. The sentiment that 

“flowers are more than beautiful 

but are also emotions” has helped 

make her a staple in downtown 

Sacramento. bloemdecor.com 

KATE WHITE 

KATHRYN WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY 

Kate is drawn to natural light, 

authentic people, good music, 

abundant laughter and scenic 

adventures. She believes in leaning 

into new experiences and seeing 

the best in every situation. Kate’s 

a committed wife and proud mom 

with a creative spirit and deep 

yearning for real, through-thickand-thin 

kind of love. With more 

than eight years of professional 

experience and years of study, 

her passion for photography 

continuously grows. Kate’s 

obsessed with evoking feelings 

through her images, because she 

believes it’s imperative in telling her 

clients’ stories. 

kathrynwhitephotography.com 

XSIGHTUSA.COM 

THEFRECKLEDPHOTOGRAPHER.COM 


MEGANCLOUSE.COM 

The Perfect Canvas For Painting 

Your Perfect Picture 

Celebrate your wedding with an exclusive 

and enchanting weekend retreat. 

Come discover why Field & Pond is 

the country estate above all others. 

RICK AND JENNIFER TAN 

TAN WEDDINGS & EVENTS 

Husband and wife co-owners Rick 

and Jennifer passionately fulfill 

dreams of exquisite weddings, 

bespoke elopements, and most 

extraordinary events. Tan Weddings 

& Events offers planning, design, 

officiating and live music in 

Northern California and beyond. 

tanweddingsandevents.com 

MEGHAN AND DANIEL JIMENEZ 

ABOVE & BEYOND CAKES 

Daniel was born and raised in 

Sacramento, and as a teen worked 

for a local Mexican bakery. The 

experience eventually earned him a 

job with a box store retailer in their 

scratch bakery department. All the 

while, Daniel maintained a passion 

for all forms of fine art. Eventually 

he became a construction project 

manager, but as fate would have 

it, now owns Above & Beyond 

Cakes with his wife and head 

cake decorator Meghan, where he 

puts all of his experience to use. 

CHEF JANET MORANDA 

CATERING BY DESIGN 

Over the past 10 years, Chef 

Janet has worked on more than 

300 weddings, family reunions, 

company and private events. Janet 

believes “every event is unique” and 

promises to treat it as such. With 

more than 20 years in the culinary 

business, she brings her experience 

in catering, design and planning 

to her clients’ events. She wants 

to bring the best menu and the 

best-tasting food that her clients’ 

budgets allow. 

cateringbydesignrocklin.com 

aboveandbeyondcakes.com 

www.PricingFieldandPond.com 

Info@FieldandPond.com 


win cool stuff 

YEAH, YOU REALLY CAN WIN THESE GOODIES 

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The air's a little thinner, 

the mountain's a little taller 

and the sky's a whole lot bluer. 

All of which explains why 

vows ring a little louder. 

Carson Valley is a blissful union of Mother Nature and 

human nature -- a setting where the scenery is rivaled only 

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Check out these preferred wedding partners. 

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on realweddingsmag.com 

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For the gatherings that matter. 

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DREAM TEAM! 

Did you know that we 

have profiles of all of our 

partners online? 

Go to our website and 

click on “Vendors” to 

start your search! 

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Offer good on new purchases only, not valid on previously 

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READ THE DIGITAL EDITION! 

No download required...just go to realweddingsmag.com/themagazine 

and click on the issue you want to enjoy. You’ll see 

additional covers, expanded editions of all of our photo shoots, links 

to our behind-the-scenes 

videos and more! 

GO TO REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM/SPECIALOFFERS 

MORE EXPERT 

ADVICE! 

(like this nugget) 

The one tip that I tell every bride and 

her attendants is to practice bustling 

the bride's dress before the day of the 

wedding. It is not something that most 

people have experience doing, and I 

have seen it take as long as 30 minutes 

for them to figure it out. 

—Jim Braden 

Catta Verdera County Club 

cattaverdera.com 

DEEANDKRISPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 

NICOLE AND XERES 

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT 

Tune in to our blog daily for more ideas to help 

you in your planning (and some posts that are just 

for fun!)...up-to-date event information, tips and 

trends, gifting finds, behind-the-scenes photos, 

delicious eye candy photos, fashionable fashions, 

amazing accessories, interviews with local wedding 

pros, insightful videos and more...including 

more weddings! 








CONNECT WITH US! 

GET IT NOW: 


...an exclusive directory of hundreds of 

wedding pros from Sacramento to the 

Sierra, and beyond. Check out: 


916-337-8613 | TheHiddenTableGourmet.com 

Call for a free consultation, quote and our next open tasting. 


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REAL WEDDINGS MAGAZINE 

ALL 

UP 

HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY 

530.206.7775 

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WWW.ALLDOLLEDUPHAIRANDMAKEUP.COM 

behind-the-scenes 

THE FUN SHOTS! 

Ever want to 

know what 

goes on behind 

the scenes at our photo 

shoots? Well, here’s a 

sneak peek at our blog 

series at realweddingsmag. 

com—click now to see 

videos from our shoots 

featuring exclusive 

interviews with the wedding 

pros who 

helped us 

produce 

these 

features! 

Linden and Kate made the BEST helpers on our shoot! 

It's not a Real Weddings photo shoot 

without a Wendy photo bomb. 

There she is: Miss Midori! 

How many clamps...wait, it's a Lisa photo bomb!!! 

We love this! 

Matt, please don't go out 

any further on that rock! 

That's. A. Wrap. 

The food tasted as good as it looked! 

Yeah, it really does take a village. 

That's what we call multi-tasking! 

Ha. Ha. Ha. 

Hold on tight Kadra! 

Go team go! 

Aren't they cute?! 

I got you... 

Well that's a first. Get the bail money ready... 

Wendy's going to jail. 

Has anyone seen Brie? 

How was that 

pose again Jesse? 

You got me! 

> ONLINE BONUS! 

Log on to realweddingsmag.com to 

see more behind-the-scenes photos 

and videos from our Real Weddings 

Magazine’s photo shoots! 


PAIGEBRITTANYPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 

Nestled in the beautiful countryside of Elk Grove 

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Sheldon Inn is the perfect destination for 

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expert advice 

TIPS FROM THE PROS 

COMPILED BY KELLEY SAIA 

When it comes to planning your wedding, you’re bound to get an overwhelming amount of 

advice from family, friends, pop-up ads and more. But no one knows weddings more than 

wedding professionals. We’ve collected some golden nuggets of wisdom from our very own 

wedding experts to help you make wise decisions. Plus, they offer some insight into current 

trends to keep you up-to-date with the latest in wedding design. 

COORDINATE DESIGN 

A quick, helpful tip when working with your florist is to 

share with them samples of your DIY projects, especially if you’re 

making your own centerpieces. As a designer, we like to make sure 

everything coordinates appropriately. 

—Mary Lee | Amour Florist & Bridal | amourmoments.com 

ABOVE: CENETERPIECE BY 

AMOUR FLORIST & BRIDAL / 

AMOURMOMENTS.COM 

ABOVE: ACRYLIC MENU BY SWOONABLE / SWOONABLE.NET 

PHOTO BY XSIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO / XSIGHTUSA.COM 

FOR MORE PHOTOS AND VENDORS FROM THIS SHOOT, 

GO TO OUR STYLE FILES: DESIGN & DÉCOR SECTION, PAGE 228 

HAVE FUN WITH ACRYLICS 

From welcome signs to seating charts, to table numbers and 

menus, I’m loving this trend: acrylic signage. The small, often 

overlooked details can be made into beautiful statement pieces 

with some crisp calligraphy. 

—Alexis Winblad | Monte Verde Inn | monteverdeinn.com 

SEATING CHART IDEA 

When creating the seating chart, consider putting grandparents 

at the tables closest to the dance floor. This way, 

during the first dance and when everyone else starts dancing, 

they have front row seating! They can be part of the 

action without having to move around all night! 

—Christi Nasser | Epic Thyme Events | epicthyme.com 

RIGHT: BOUQUET BY 

STRELITZIA FLOWER COMPANY / 

WEDDINGSBYSTRELITZIA.COM 

BE FLEXIBLE 

Come in with an 

open mind. Maybe 

peonies won’t fit in 

your budget, but 

there are other flowers that can give a similar feel 

that will give you extra space for that arch piece 

you were hoping for. We florists have a lot of 

tricks up our sleeves to help you get the wedding 

look you’ve been dreaming of! 

—Samantha Wooten Widlund 

Strelitzia Flower Company 

weddingsbystrelitzia.com 

BE PREPARED 

We have had several issues lately with bridal dresses, like 

the bustle breaking or not staying attached or a zipper 

breaking. Of course, this can be devastating! Ladies, if you 

haven’t tried on your wedding dress at least two weeks 

prior to your wedding, make sure you do. If it feels snug, 

get it altered. And, we think it would be extremely smart 

to bring a dress to change into, just in case something like 

this happens. We carry a lot of things in our repair kit and 

create a lot of magic, but this is not something that all 

brides-to-be think to have handy. 

—Ramona Arnold | Simple Country Weddings 

simplecountryweddings.com 

BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR BUDGET 

It’s important to be up front and honest about your 

overall budget when you are visiting wedding venues. 

Food, beverage, facility for ceremony and reception, 

along with sales tax and service charge, are 

often 48-50% of the overall wedding budget. There 

are opportunities for discounts or lower rates by 

having your wedding during shoulder seasons, offpeak 

times or different days of the week. Just ask 

the venue if they have opportunities for additional 

savings. Short-term wedding bookings usually get 

the best rates, although it is a total crap shoot on 

what dates are available when you plan only three to 

six months out. 

—Kelle Collier | Granite Bay Golf Club | granitebayclub.com 

ABOVE: CAKE BY ABOVE & BEYOND CAKES / 

ABOVEANDBEYONDCAKES.COM 

EDUCATE YOUR GUESTS 

If you, or any of your speakers, are 

planning to incorporate something 

special into your ceremony 

(e.g. the Jewish tradition of breaking 

of the glass), make sure your 

guests are prepared. Put an explanation 

in your program to make 

sure your guests know when to 

participate and understand what is expected of 

them (e.g. applaud and yell mazel tov!). 

USE PROFESSIONALS 

—Lisa Lucia | L Squared Affairs 

lsquaredaffairs.com 

Do not trust your wedding cake to be done by anyone but a 

professional. Getting a good deal on something is great but 

very risky. We can’t tell you how many calls we get a week from 

panicked brides who found a cheap wedding cake baker who 

cancelled on them. The worst call to get, though, is a call the day 

of the wedding from a panicked family member who doesn’t 

want to tell the bride how bad the cake is and is looking to get a 

replacement. Skilled professionals charge what they charge for a 

reason. Why risk your big day and a lifetime of memories? 

—Meghan & Daniel Jimenez | Above & Beyond Cakes 

aboveandbeyondcakes.com 


expert advice 



COLOR COORDINATE 

If you do not purchase your veil with your dress, to better coordinate colors, wait for your 

dress to arrive and then shop for accessories. We have seen too many ivory dresses with 

bright white veils this season. And, if that veil is a gift, tea dye it to better coordinate. 

—Karla Fuentes | Second Summer Bride | secondsummerbridesacramento.com 

POTTY BREAK 

Make sure you have enough restrooms available for 

guests and vendors. The last thing you’d ever want is a 

long line for the restroom, or (gasp!) your male guests 

resorting to a nearby bush, so have enough bathrooms 

to cover everyone. We generally recommend three 

to four stalls for women and three stalls for men for 

a 150-to-175-person wedding—that works out to be 

roughly one bathroom per 25 guests. 

—Diana Estrada | Wilkinson Portables | wilkinsonportables.com 

ABOVE: LUXURY RESTROOM TRAILER 

FROM WILKINSON PORTABLES / 

WILKINSONPORTABLES.COM 

CREATE 

THE PERFECT 

LOUNGE AREA 

Provide Seating for 8+: Make 

sure your lounge area can accommodate 

at least eight people so 

that it keeps a warm, social and 

inviting space. 

Lighting: Lighting the lounge is a 

fun way to set the ambiance and 

glam up the space. 

Decorate with Bold Accents: 

From pillows and flowers 

ABOVE: LOUNGE AREA BY SACRAMENTO EVENT CO. / SACRAMENTOEVENTCO.COM 

FLORAL DESIGN BY WILD FLOWERS DESIGN GROUP / WILDFLOWERSDESIGNGROUP.COM 

to umbrellas and light fixtures, 

pull in pops of color 

CAKE BY KAREN’S BAKERY / SHOT ON LOCATION AT WEDGEWOOD STERLING HOTEL 

PHOTO BY AND FOREVER MORE PHOTO / ANDFOREVERMOREPHOTO.COM; 

around your main lounge area. 

Add a Backdrop: Create a wall behind the lounge by using boxwood hedges. 

Create Multiple Lounges in One: Start with a table and a tall floral arrangement as your 

center. Then, place the back side of four sofas or banquettes around it, and build your 

lounges by adding more pieces to the four sides. Just be sure to keep all four areas uniform 

in look. 

Build a “Patio:” Set up your lounge to look like a “patio” off of your event space! Lay down 

sisal rugs or carpet to cover the area and string café lights above, then set your lounge up 

as you wish. 

—Jennifer Corrigan | Sacramento Event Co. | sacramentoeventco.com 

Host an amazing 

celebration 

and earn a free 

honeymoon. 

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR CUSTOMIZATION 

As a wedding manager, I have many tips and recommendations up my sleeve when 

it comes to creating custom wedding packages. Some couples feel they have to only 

choose the pre-assembled or curated wedding packages offered. Communicate your 

ideas and culinary vision to your wedding manager so they can create something 

custom. Many couples shudder at the word but it actually means you have hands-on 

power working with your wedding manager to create a package unique to you and 

your beloved. 

—Leslie Martin | The Kimpton Sawyer Hotel | sawyerhotel.com 

Host your celebration at our luxury lakefront resort 

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For more information, visit 

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HYATT REGENCY LAKE TAHOE RESORT, SPA 

AND CASINO 

111 Country Club Drive 

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The HYATT trademark and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation or its affiliates. 

© 2017 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved. 

REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM SUMMER/FALL 2019 REAL WEDDINGS | 29

expert advice 



THE FINISHING TOUCHES 

You’ve thoughtfully and meticulously chosen the perfect invitation that 

meets your unique personality. Now, it’s time to add the finishing touches 

with a few top trends. Some trends are ephemeral, and others, like the 

rising demand for personalization, are here to stay. Custom-addressed 

envelopes bring a sense of style to stationery with unique handwriting and 

whimsical flourishes. For a more classical look, Copperplate or Spencerian 

calligraphy are elegant and timeless options. But, if you prefer to keep your 

style rooted in the present, hand-lettering and modern calligraphy are sure 

ABOVE: CUSTOM ADDRESSING CALLIGRAPHY ways to give invitations a contemporary flair. Once you’ve picked your 

BY INK FURIE / INKFURIE.COM 

calligraphy style, consider a shimmery ink. Metallic gold is a very popular 

choice. Not only is it a beautiful color, but its ability to stand out on nearly 

SWEETHEART TABLE OR 

any colored paper, from lustrous cream to dark navy, make it extremely 

HEAD TABLE? 

versatile. For a fall or winter wedding, pair deep, jewel tone wedding papers 

with a bold metallic ink for an unexpectedly romantic and moody 

Often, couples will ask us which one 

is best: a sweetheart table or a head palette. —Lonna Yen | Ink Furie | inkfurie.com 

table? Unless your dream wedding vision 

includes an impressive head table, our 

vote is sweetheart! With a sweetheart table, 

HOLD AN UNPLUGGED 

you can take the time to design and dress it 

WEDDING CEREMONY 

up beautifully, creating a special space just 

Now that just about everyone 

for the two of you. We find that couples with 

carries around a cell phone 

a sweetheart table actually eat their dinner, 

or device with a camera 

too! With a head table, there is more socializing, 

but when you two are alone, guests 

attached to it, many 

couples are opting to have 

tend to let you eat. When you are ready, 

an unplugged wedding 

you may then get up and walk around to 

ceremony. What exactly 

greet your guests. Head tables can be tricky 

is an unplugged wedding 

if you have wedding party members with 

ceremony you ask? Basically, 

spouses/partners who are sitting at other 

it’s where your family and 

tables. Sweetheart tables are a wonderful 

friends are fully present for 

photo opportunity, too! 

your ceremony instead of 

—Jennifer and Rick Tan | Tan Weddings & Events 

viewing it from behind the 

tanweddingsandevents.com 

screen of their smartphone, 

device or camera. It means walking 

BELOW: SWEETHEART TABLE PLANNING, DESIGN, COORDINATION, down the aisle and actually SEEING 

ABOVE: PHOTO BY 

SIGNAGE, PAPERIE AND FLORAL DESIGN BY TAN WEDDINGS & EVENTS / 

ANDREW & MELANIE PHOTOGRAPHY / 

the happy and supportive faces of 

TANWEDDINGSANDEVENTS.COM 

ANDREWANDMELANIE.COM 

PHOTO BY AMBER MCHUGH PHOTOGRAPHY / your loved ones, instead of being 

UNIQUEPHOTOGRAPHYBYAMBER.ZENFOLIO.COM met with distracting and impersonal cameras, flashes and mobile 

devices. After being part of hundreds of weddings, we can honestly 

say that unplugged wedding ceremonies have a completely 

different feel from ceremonies where everyone, including Grandma, 

is holding up an electronic device. If you invest in having great 

wedding photography, know that your wedding day will be fully 

documented in a beautiful and artistic way, allowing your families to 

relax and enjoy themselves. 

—Melanie & Andy | Andrew & Melanie Photography | andrewandmelanie.com 

SCHEDULE RELAXATION IN YOUR PREP TIMELINE 

As you’ve prepared for your amazing dream day, I’d highly recommend not rushing. I want you to relax and enjoy the 

beauty process, and make sure to have a chat with your hair and makeup team prior to make sure things run smoothly. 

As a professional, I always schedule into the day a little extra time for any unforeseen incidents, to ensure that you aren’t 

rushed. Also, its essential to have your skin cleaned, exfoliated and hydrated so you can achieve that flawless makeup 

application. Lastly, a button-down shirt is always a great idea. It helps for when you are done with hair and makeup so 

that you aren’t struggling to lift a T-shirt over your beautiful hair and face, possibly messing up what your professional 

team has worked so hard to create for you! 

—Happi Ybarra | Happily Beautiful Makeup Artistry & Skin Studio | happilybeautifulmakeup.com 


expert advice 



KEEP IT FRESH...AND FLEXIBLE 

Hire a professional that’s been working with flowers long enough that they 

not only know how to design with them but what longevity each flower 

has. There are a lot of flowers used in styled shoots and on magazine covers 

that are not going to last for your eight hour (and longer) wedding day. 

Discuss flower options with your floral vendor in your design meetings 

and trust them to make the designs amazing based on their floral knowledge. 

ABOVE: BOUQUET BY GARDEN OF WEEDON DESIGNS / They may need to sub a floral variety due to the season, but they will make it 

GARDENOFWEEDON.COM 

absolutely beautiful for your wedding day. Speaking of seasonal flowers, area 

floral designers have been paying attention and using local flowers when we 

can. Local flower farmers in the Sacramento Valley are communicating with wedding florists like us to see what colors are 

coming up so we can purchase more local blooms. Our experience with local blooms is that they are cut from the field 

and handed over almost the same day. They have stronger stems and flower heads. Use local products for better design 

quality; make sure your florist is not just design-oriented but flower knowledgeable, and trust your florist to choose the 

flowers for you based on a design concept so you can get a better product and better design. It’s a win-win for your wedding 

day. —Suzanne O’Brien | Garden of Weedon Designs | gardenofweedon.com 

BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR BUDGET 

If your pictures are a Pinterest masterpiece, keep in 

mind that your budget may need to stretch a bit. 

Even all-greenery weddings add up if you have 10 

bridesmaids and 400 attendees and want all the 

bells and whistles. Be prepared to cut a few items if 

necessary. Also, most florists use a standard equation 

for creating their proposals, and their prices are in a 

similar wheelhouse. So shop around for a florist that 

really listens to you and whose work you love. They 

ABOVE: BOUQUET BY 

can all definitely tell you if your budget is realistic 

HILLSIDE BLOOMS FLORISTRY / 

HILLSIDEBLOOMSFLORISTRY.COM 

for what you’re envisioning. 

—Cindy Magan | Hillside Blooms Floristry | hillsidebloomsfloristry.com 

START THE PARTY 

Having tasty, hand-passed appetizers 

and delicious beverages 

during a cocktail hour really sets a 

tone. Nobody likes a line at the bar 

or at a food station. Instead, bring 

the food to them and provide a 

higher level of service while your 

guests enjoy the ambiance of your 

event space. 

—Travis Mraz 

West Shore Café & Inn 

westshorecafe.com 

cateringbydesignrocklin.com 

916-792-6485 

DON’T STRESS ABOUT CHECK-OUT TIMES 

If you’re getting ready in a rented room, whether it be a hotel, an Airbnb or wherever, consider renting the space for the 

night of the wedding too, not just the night before, so there is no rush to beat check-out time. Otherwise, everyone has to 

pack and clean—all while trying to get ready and be stress free—right before they take photos. After the wedding, either 

the newlyweds can stay there or maybe a special family member; just assign someone to go back and tidy up a little bit 

after the festivities. —Kylie Compton | Kylie Compton Photography | kyliecomptonphotography.com 

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL 

Wedding trends come and go—some 

for better and some for worse. Current 

trends, however, are making everyone 

in the wedding world, including bakers, 

very happy. Trending now are color and 

texture statements. Both neutral and bold 

colors are making their way back. Mixed 

metals and bold tones bring a more masculine 

touch, lending themselves to romantic 

and elegant styles. Texture details 

allow these color combinations to pop 

and have their voice. These trends don’t 

ABOVE: CAKE BY GO WEST BAKING AND 

only apply to décor, design and wardrobe, 

but also in cake and dessert selec- 

EVENTS / GOWESTBAKINGANDEVENTS.COM 

tions. The cake is back, bigger and better 

than ever, and is a great way to make a beautiful statement. 

—Brandy West | Go West Baking and Events | gowestbakingandevents.com 

Experience makes these wedding partners 

experts and passion makes them people— 

they have a combined 1,500 years of experience 

(okay, we admit we made that number 

up but if we did the actual calculations, it’s 

probably not that far off!). Whenever taking 

advice, especially in regards to your wedding 

day, always consider the source. And above 

all, do what makes you happy and will lead 

you and your soon-to-be toward a lifetime of 

happiness. Happy planning! 

> WANT MORE? 

Tune into our website 

for Kelley’s 

“Tips from the Pros” 

blog post series! 



real sacramento 

60+ 

pages of local 

REAL 

WEDDINGS 

WANT TO HAVE YOUR WEDDING 

APPEAR IN REAL WEDDINGS MAGAZINE? 

WELL, HERE’S YOUR CHANCE! 

Attend a 

Luxury Wedding Show and 

you’ll automatically be entered to win the grand 

prize— your wedding featured in the Luxury 

Wedding Show “real wedding” promotional 

page in an upcoming Real Weddings Magazine! 

WINTER 2019 


to the sierra 

letsrock ' 

YOUR DREAM WEDDING 

DISPLAY UNTIL FEBRUARY 28, 2019 

VENDORS. ADVICE. IDEAS. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR COVER MODEL FINALIST JOSEPHINE! 

OUR COVER MODEL CONTEST FINALIST SHOOT WAS PHOTOGRAPHED EXCLUSIVELY BY TY PENTECOST PHOTOGRAPHY 

ON LOCATION AT SHERATON GRAND SACRAMENTO HOTEL. FOR MORE, TURN TO PAGE 1. 

ON JOSEPHINE: GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; EARRINGS BY DEEPA GURNANI; HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY 

CAKE BY BAKER & A BLACK CAT 

TO QUALIFY: 

• Couple must be engaged by the time of the respective show 

• Either bride or groom (or groom or groom; or bride or bride) must 

attend one of the Luxury Wedding Show events noted below, and 

be present when the grand prize award is announced. 

• Couple must use a professional wedding photographer for their 

wedding—one who has a dedicated business website and FB page 

• Couple must agree to allow Luxury Wedding Shows and 

Real Weddings Magazine to pick the photos to appear in the 

promotional page 

• Couple must share details about their wedding and their full 

wedding vendor list with Luxury Wedding Shows and Real 

Weddings Magazine (note that only first names of couple will be 

used in print and online) 

THE FINE PRINT: 

• Wedding will appear on promotional page in earliest possible issue of 

Real Weddings Magazine—note that it will depend on when you’re 

wedding occurs and how quickly your wedding photographer can 

share the final edited photos for us. 

• One couple will be selected from the September 2019 Show and 

one couple will be selected from the January 2020 Show 

• Couple must be at least 18 years of age as of September 2, 2019; 

and must be legal residents of the United States—additional rules 

and regulations may apply. 

• Prize is non-transferable and has no cash equivalent; sponsors 

reserve the right to amend the rules at any time. 

LUXURYWEDDINGSHOWS.COM 

EXPERIENCE YOUR 

WEDDING! 

SPONSORED BY: 



real 


MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS: 

SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 AT CATTA VERDERA COUNTRY CLUB 

JANUARY 5, 2020 AT HYATT REGENCY SACRAMENTO

events calendar 

BOOK YOUR DREAM WEDDING 

HISTORIC OAKDALE RANCH 

Wedding & Event Venue 

(530) 507-8048 oakdaleranch@hotmail.com 

historicoakdaleranch.com 

w Wedding Wars Expo 

w Redding Bridal Show 

Bay Area Wedding Fairs 

June 9, 2019 at The Mint, San Francisco. August 11, 2019 at the Redding Civic September 15, 2019 at The Marriott, 

2-6 p.m. Admission is $30 or FREE Auditorium, Redding. 12-4 p.m. Admission 

Walnut Creek. 12-4 p.m. Admission is $15 

when you use promo code “RWM” 

is $10. reddingbridalshow.com online; $25 at the door. 

online. weddingwarsexpo.com 

bayareaweddingfairs.com 

See ad on page 88 

w Ultimate Bridal Show 

August 11, 2019 at Crowne Plaza International Wedding 

w Silverado Resort 

Sacramento, Sacramento. 12-4 p.m. Festival Modesto 

Wedding Showcase 

Tickets are $10 at the door or $5 if you September 15, 2019 at Modesto Centre 

June 23, 2019 at Silverado Resort, pre-register online or get 

Plaza Doubletree, Modesto. 11 a.m.–3 p.m. 

Napa. 12-3 p.m. Admission is $15 at the TWO FREE TICKETS when you use Admission is $15. 

door or free if you pre-register online. promo code “RWM19” online. internationalweddingfestival.com 

real 

real 

eventshowpro.com 

ultimatebridalshows.com 


w The Live + Love Expo 

real 

July 7, 2019 at The Westin San 

Francisco Airport, Millbrae. 2-6 p.m. 

Admission is $25 or FREE when you 

use promo code “RWM” online. 

theliveloveexpo.com 


w 

real 

An Evening of Elegance 

Bridal Expo 

July 10, 2019 at Holiday Inn Sacramento 

Downtown Arena, Sacramento. 

5-9 p.m. Admission is $15. 

bridal-expos.com 

w 

real 

Arden Hills Bridal Open House 

July 21, 2019 at Arden Hills, Sacramento. 

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Admission is free. 

ardenhills.club 

See venue ad on page 25 

w 

real 

Orchard Creek Lodge 

Bridal Open House 

July 28, 2019 at Orchard Creek Lodge, 

Lincoln. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is 

free. orchardcreeklodge.com 



July 28, 2019 at Crowne Plaza, Palo 

Alto. 3-7 p.m. Admission is $15 online; 

$25 at the door. 



August 4, 2019 DoubleTree by Hilton, 

San Jose. 3-7 p.m. Admission is $15 

online; $25 at the door. 


International Wedding Festival Lodi 

August 4, 2019 at Hutchins Street 

Square, Lodi. 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Admission 

is $15. internationalweddingfestival. 

com 

real 

real 

September 19, 2019 at Vizcaya, Sacra- 

w Chico Bridal Show 

mento. 6-8 p.m. Admission is free. 

August 18, 2019 at Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, 

vizcayasacramento.com 

Chico. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Admis- 

See venue ad on page 

9 

real 

sion is $10 for adults; $1 for children 

12 to 16; children under 11 are free with 

paying adult. chicobridalshow.com 


real 

August 25, 2019 at The GlassHouse, 

San Jose. 2-6 p.m. Admission is $30 

or FREE when you use promo code 

“RWM” online. weddingwarsexpo.com 



August 25, 2019 at Parc 55, San Francisco. 

3-7 p.m. Admission is $15 online; 



w 

real 


September 4, 2019 at Arden Hills, 

Sacramento. 5:30-8 p.m. Admission is 

free. ardenhills.club 


w 

real 

Luxury Wedding Show - 

Roseville 

September 8, 2019 at Catta Verdera, 

Lincoln. 12-4 p.m. Admission is $15 

online; $20 at the door. 

luxuryweddingshows.com 

Like the Real Weddings FB page and 

watch for notices of our free ticket 

giveway to this event 


w 

real 

The Sacramento Event 

& Wedding Expo 

September 15, 2019 at Cal-Expo, Sacramento. 

10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

saceventexpo.com 



giveway to this event! 


w 

real 

Vizcaya Sacramento Open House 

w 

real 

Sterling Hotel Wedding Faire 

September 29, 2019 at Sterling Hotel, 

Sacramento. 12-3 p.m. Admission is free, 

but RSVP in advance. 

sterlinghotelsacramento.com 

w 

real 

The Live + Love Expo 

October 6, 2019 at Embassy Suites by 

Hilton San Francisco, South San Francisco. 

2-6 p.m. Admission is $25 or FREE when 

you use promo code “RWM” online. 

theliveloveexpo.com 


Grand Bridal Showcase & 

Greater Reno Women's Expo 

October 13, 2019 at Grand Sierra Resort, 

Reno. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $12. 

lockettshows.com 

w 

real 


October 20, 2019 at Arden Hills, Sacramento. 

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Admission is free. 

ardenhills.club 


w 

real 

Orchard Creek Lodge 

Bridal Open House 

October 20, 2019 at Orchard Creek 

Lodge, Lincoln. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is 

free. orchardcreeklodge.com 


w 

real 

Wedding Tours of Yolo County 

October 20, 2019 starting at 10:30 a.m. 

Admission is $10 for early birds; $25 at the 

door. weddingtoursofyolocounty.com 


October 27, 2019 at DoubleTree by Hilton, 

Berkeley. 12-4 p.m. Admission is $15 online; 



Find up-to-date wedding event information at realweddingsmag.com/events 


THE LIVE 

LOVE EXPO 

THE ULTIMATE WEDDING PLANNING EXPERIENCE 

WE INVITE YOU to plan your 

wedding in an upscale, luxurious, 

stress-free environment. Be inspired 

by the elaborate flower, food, dessert 

and décor displays. Meet the Bay 

Area’s finest wedding professionals. 

Enjoy tastings, entertainment and the 

latest wedding trends on display. 

ATTENTION WEDDING 

PROFESSIONALS: 

to be considered as an exhibitor, 

complete the online vendor 

application on TheLiveLoveExpo.com. 

Mention you found us in 

Real Weddings Magazine and get a 

special package deal! 

$ 

10,000 Wedding 

Trunk Giveaway @ Every Show 

TO ENTER: 

PRE-REGISTER ONLINE TODAY! 

2019 / 2020 

SHOW DATES 

Complimentary 

Tickets Available 

THE LIVE 

LOVE EXPO 

7.7.19 2-6 PM THE WESTIN SFO - MILLBRAE 

10.6.19 2-6 PM EMBASSY SUITES BY HILTON - SFO 

1.12.20 2-6 P.M. PAULEY BALLROOM - BERKLEY 

www.theliveloveexpo.com 

FOR FREE TICKETS USE PROMO 

RWM

events calendar 


November 3, 2019 at DoubleTree by 

Hilton, Pleasanton. 12-4 p.m. Admission 

is $15 online; $25 at the door. 



real 

November 10, 2019 at Fairmont 

Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, Sonoma. 

2-6 p.m. Admission is $30 or FREE 

when you use promo code “RWM” 



w 

real 


November 13, 2019 at Arden Hills, 

Sacramento. 5:30-8 p.m. Admission is 

free. ardenhills.club 


w 

real 

Luxury Wedding Show - 

Sacramento 

January 5, 2020 at Hyatt Regency, 

Sacramento. 12-4 p.m. Admission is 

$15 online; $20 at the door. 

luxuryweddingshows.com 



giveway to this event 


w 

real 

Chico Bridal Show 

January 12, 2020 at Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, 

Chico. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission 

is $10 for adults; $1 for children 

12 to 16; children under 11 are free with 

paying adult. chicobridalshow.com 

w 

real 

The Live + Love Expo 

January 12, 2020 at Pauley Ballroom, 

Berkeley. 2-6 p.m. Admission is $25 

or FREE when you use promo code 

“RWM” online. theliveloveexpo.com 


w The Firehouse 

real 

Wedding Showcase 

January 19, 2020 at the Firehouse 

Restaurant, Old Sacramento. 1-4 p.m. 

Admission is $5 online; $10 at the 

door. firehouseoldsac.com 


w Grass Valley Wedding Fair 

real 

January 19, 2020 at Nevada County 

Fairgrounds, Grass Valley. 12-4 p.m. 

Admission is free. joyoflifeevents.com 

w 

real 

Yuba-Sutter Bridal Show 

January 26, 2020 at Yuba-Sutter 

Fairgrounds in Yuba City. 12-4 p.m. 

Admission is $7 for adults 17 and 

up; Children 12 and over $1; Children 

under 12 free with a paying adult. 

ysbridalshow.com 

International Wedding 

Festival Modesto 

January 26, 2020 at Modesto Centre 

Plaza Doubletree, Modesto. 11 a.m.–3 

p.m. Admission is $15. 

internationalweddingfestival.com 

w 

real 

Granite Bay Golf Club's 

Wedding Sip & See 

February 6, 2020 at Granite Bay Golf 

Club, Granite Bay. 5:30-8 p.m. Admission 

is free but RSVP in advance. 

granitebayclub.com 


Grand Bridal Showcase & Greater 

Reno Women's Expo 

February 9, 2020 at Grand Sierra Resort, 

Reno. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is 

$12. lockettshows.com 


February 23, 2020 at Silverado Resort & 

Spa, Napa. 2-6 p.m. Admission is $30 or 

FREE when you use promo code “RWM” 



real 

SAVE THE DATE... 

Editor’s note: as of press time, these 

upcoming events were still pending. 

w Enchanting Bridal Show 

January 2020; enchantingbridalshow.com 

real 

w The Vacaville Opera House Wedding & 

Event Fair Open House 

January 2020; vacavilleoperahouse.com 

real 

w Calaveras Bridal Faire 

January 2020; calaverasweddings.com 

real 

w Woodland Bridal Show 

February 2020; cityofwoodland.org 

real 

w It's a Wedding Affair - 

Cameron Park Bridal Show 

February 2020; cameronpark.org 

real 

w LGBT Wedding Expo 

March 2020; saclgbtweddingexpo.com 

real 

w Sonora Wedding Faire 

March 2020; sonoraweddings.net 

real 

Please visit show producers’ websites for 

specific details about each event. Note 

that all information is subject to change— 

confirm details before you head to the 

events. 

w Denotes events where you can get 

one of our groovy reusable tote bags, 

along with complimentary copies of Real 

Weddings Magazine and Real Weddings 

Magazine’s The Planning Guide, and sign 

up for our fantastic giveaways—so mark 

your calendars and stop by and say “hi!” 

real 

WEDDING SHOW TIPS 

Before you head out to the area’s wedding shows, check out this handy little list of tips to make the most of the experience: 

• Get a dedicated “wedding” email address—you’ll want to have a specific email address just for planning your 

wedding. You’ll be getting a lot of information sent to the email that you register with at wedding shows, so it’s nice 

to have it all in one place separate from your work and/or personal email. 

• Bring labels—many vendors offer prizes and contests, and additionally, you may want to request more 

information from selected vendors. By bringing pre-printed labels, you will save time and the hassle of having to 

complete this information booth after booth. Information that you might want to include: your name, address, 

phone, email (see bullet point above!), fiancé’s/fiancée’s name and when you’re getting married. 

• Don’t go it alone—bring one of your attendants, your mom or a friend (or dare we suggest, your fiancé/fiancée?). It will be helpful (and more 

fun!) to have their input and advice. 

• Bring a notebook—no matter how good your memory is you’ll want to take notes on vendors and ideas that catch your eye. 

• Bring a sturdy tote bag—you’ll be picking up business cards, brochures, etc. and it’s easier to stash it in a tote than try to carry it all in your 

hands...especially if you want to sample some of the yummy temptations offered at a lot of the events! Or, come to the shows where Real 

Weddings will be, come by our booth, and we’ll give you one of our groovy reusable bags! 

Find up-to-date wedding event information at realweddingsmag.com/events 


MORE 

Ideas 

Inspiration 

Fun 

September 15, 2019 

10am - 4pm 

@ Cal Expo 

brought to you by 

sponsored by 

WHOLESALE LINEN RENTALS 

Weddings • Birthdays • Business Events • 

Quinceañeras • Anniversaries • 

Bar & Bat Mitzvahs • and so much more... 

The one and only expo of its kind in Sacramento! 

Passport to Prizes! 

Cupcake samples 

Disc golf 

Mock-tails 

Mock Event Setup for Inspiration 

Food Samples 

Photo Booths 

Party Rentals 

Live Entertainment 

saceventexpo.com • show@saceventexpo.com 

facebook.com/SacEventExpo • linkedin.com/company/saceventexpo

for your review 

TOOLS TO HELP YOU PLAN 

BY SHARON PENNY 

PODCASTS AND APPS: Need some help with your planning? There’s a 

plethora of wedding resources out there...books, videos, blogs, apps, podcasts and 

more—for this issue we focus on podcasts and apps: some wedding related, some 

not, but all good for you! And, *SPOILER ALERT* we have more on our blog! 

BRIDECHILLA 

PODCAST 

Hosted by comedian Aleisha McCormack, 

this podcast is the straight-talking virtual 

bridesmaid you need in your life. Episode 

title example: Stop Saying Yes To Sh*t You 

Hate. Scalding tea, ready to serve. 

ONE FAB DAY PODCAST 

Everything you love about OneFabDay.com 

now in podcast form with your hosts, One 

Fab Day editors Celina and Claire, dishing 

all the judgment-free real-talk on stressfree, 

fab, common-sense 

wedding planning 

WEDDING 

PLANNING PODCAST 

Lean into wedding planning in a big way 

with these weekly planning ‘meetings’ 

i.e. episodes, hosted by Kara Lamerato of 

Kara’s Vineyard Weddings. 

FROM RING TO VEIL 

Wedding planners Shannon Palmer and 

Kim Mills give you all the interviews, 

advice, and insider secrets you could 

ever hope for. 

THE BIG WEDDING 

PLANNING PODCAST 

Wedding consultants Michelle Martinez 

& Christy Matthews take the stress out of 

wedding planning with this fun-loving, 

secret-filled audio-boost for your big day. 

WHERE SHOULD WE BEGIN 

Real-life therapist Esther Perel lets you 

listen in on her sessions with couples, 

and the results are incredibly moving and 

thought-provoking. 

Made my wedding Dream 

come true. This is the 

ideal place for an outdoor 

picturesque wedding! 

Sasha 

September, 2018 

My wedding with the 

Old Sugar Mill was 

incredible. They were 

so accommodating 

with a smile on their 

face. I had no worries 

that day and couldn’t 

be more thankful. 

DEAR SUGARS 

Co-hosts Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond 

are the hug you need when you most need 

it. This is the audio version of her hugely 

popular advice column Dear Sugar, and you 

need this in your life. 

OPRAH’S SUPERSOUL 

CONVERSATIONS 

Let the One True Goddess of Our World, i.e., 

Oprah Winfrey, enrich your soul with intelligent, 

stirring, life-affirming conversations 

with guests like Eckhart Tolle, Brene Brown, 

and more. 

UNTANGLE 

From the Zen geniuses behind the 

Meditation Studio app, this podcast 

shares stories of people who successfully 

untangle themselves from modern life, 

teaching you how to slow down, lower 

stress and find calm when you need it. 

Brittany 

June, 2018 

Now Reserving 

Dates For 2020 

REAL WEDDINGS 

Yes, we admit this is a shameless 

plug! Check out our brand-new 

mobile app that allows you to enjoy 

our helpful blogs, find vendors and 

read our digital editions! 

BONUS: once you download our FREE 

mobile app, get our mobile directory 

app too: launch the browser on 

your phone and go to: thewhitelist. 


BURNER 

Flex your tech muscle and 

use this app as your wedding 

hotline. Doubles as a second 

phone for all your wedding 

related texts, phonecalls, 

etc. Integrates with other 

external apps like Dropbox, 

Google Drive and Slack so 

you can archive message and 

voicemails too. 

WEDWORDY.COM 

This handy web app helps take all the guesswork out of 

writing your own ceremony. Designed by Davis locals 

Jennifer & Rick Tan of Tan Weddings & Events. 

> WANT MORE 

“FOR YOUR REVIEW?” 

Tune in to our blog for 

even more planning 

resources from Sharon! 


for your review 

TOOLS TO HELP YOU PLAN 

BY SHARON PENNY 

THE TUNES: Perhaps you’ve picked 

your favorite song for your first dance, 

but your bestie is using the same song 

at her wedding! Or you’re just drawing a 

blank and looking for a little inspiration. 

Either way, we’re here to help. This issue, 

we tackle the country hits! 

if you like: SPEECHLESS BY DAN + SHAY 

consider: ALWAYS REMEMBER US THIS WAY 

BY LADY GAGA 

(FROM A STAR IS BORN SOUNDTRACK) 

No, YOU have been listening to the soundtrack on repeat. 

if you like: COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY 

BY DIXIE CHICKS 

consider: I HOPE YOU’RE THE END OF MY STORY 

BY PISTOL ANNIES 

Don’t get us wrong, we love cowboys, but Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and 

Angaleena Presley aka Pistol Annies will have you and all of your loved ones 

weeping tears of joy as you spin to this beauty. 

if you like: BREATHE BY FAITH HILL 

consider: BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME 

BY JO DEE MESSINA 

There’s room for more than one queen in the country music royal 

kingdom, and Jo Dee Messina deserves a throne. This beauty from 1998 

will sweep you off your feet. 

The Stone House-Nevada City WEdding Venue-SF19.indd 1 

5/20/19 6:06 PM 

if you like: ALWAYS ON MY MIND 

BY WILLIE NELSON 

consider: YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME 

BY MICKEY GILLEY 

Willie’s Elvis cover is perfection, it’s true. But if you’re in the mood for 

a little less regret, Mickey Gilley’s beautiful, heartfelt 1984 cover of 

The Miracles classic is where it’s at. 

if you like: SHE’S EVERYTHING 

BY BRAD PAISLEY 

consider: LOVE YOUR LOVE THE MOST 

BY ERIC CHURCH 

If your best man balks at the soppy stuff, he might perk up at spinning you 

round the floor to this Eric Church classic. Wedged between barbecue and 

trucks, the genuine declaration of love will slay them in the aisles. 

if you like: SHE’S IN LOVE WITH THE BOY 

BY TRISHA YEARWOOD 

consider: SAFE IN THE ARMS OF LOVE 

BY MARTINA MCBRIDE 

(whispers: you can totally dance to Trisha, I’ll never tell 

you not to.) Your wedding dance floor is an altar, and 

here you rightfully worship ‘90s female country stars. 

Praise Martina and twirl your dang veil off. 

if you like: MY BEST FRIEND BY TIM MCGRAW 

consider: COVER ME UP BY JASON ISBELL 

There’s no sense in competing with Tim McGraw, so I’m calling 

an audible and giving you this beautiful waltz from alt-country singersongwriter 

Jason Isbell. He’ll win your heart with simplicity and swagger. 

About Sharon Penny: I’m like Jiminy Cricket helping Pinocchio become a real 

boy, except my job is to keep you on the straight-and-narrow to becoming 

a real bride. Psst! Here’s a book that’ll help you write a thank-you note. Psst! 

Have you seen the gorgeous dresses on this blog? Psst! Have you heard any 

of these new songs? Why not play one at your wedding? With my help you’ll 

be a real bride in no time! 


the gift guide 

FOR THE BRIDE 

BY EMILY PETER AND ALESANDRA VELEZ 

Dune Jewelry Golf Ball Bangle 

(with sand or grass from Alister 

Mackenzie Golf Course), $39.99 

at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex, 

3645 Fulton Avenue, Sacramento. 

916-481-4653, hagginoaks.com. 

The Goddess Gift Set, $45 at 

Tea Xotics, 4356 Town Center 

Boulevard, Suite 112, El Dorado Hills. 

916-461-3548, teaxotics.com. 

"I Do" Slippers, $28 

at Macy’s, macys.com. 

Lulu Townsend Wristlet, 

$34.99 at DSW, dsw.com. 

Helwig Rosé 

Sparkling Wine, 

$20 at 

Helwig Winery 

11555 Shenandoah 

Road, Plymouth. 

209-245-5200, 

helwigwinery.com. 

Stackable Diamond Eternity Bands in 14 

karat yellow gold and white gold, prices 

start at $900 at Adrian Blanco Jewelry, 

49 Natoma Street, Suite H, Folsom. 

916-260-5136, adrianblancojewelry.com. 

Customized Bean Bag 

Chair, starts at $72.98 at 

Printful, printful.com. 

Maxi Dress, $239 at Button Up 

Boutique, 1182 Roseville Parkway, 

Suite 170, Roseville. 916-742-4997, 

buttonupboutique.net. 

Pencil Bag, $35.83 at 

Huston Textile Company 

(made locally in Mather), 

hustontextile.com. 

Wing Earrings, $66.99 

at Luxurious Bridal 

(made locally in Manteca), 

luxuriousbridal.com. 

Retreat To Wholeness (one day of nurturing and reflecting for the 

bride), $499 at Serenity Spa | Soul Yoga, 3984 Douglas Boulevard, 

Suite 150, Roseville, 916-797-8550; 350 Palladio Parkway, Suite 1975, 

Folsom, 916-542-7363, serenityspaonline.com. 

Monogrammed Soap (set of six), $49 at Pottery Barn, 

1151 Galleria Boulevard, Suite 1130, Roseville. 

916-788-1440, potterybarn.com. 



FOR THE BRIDESMAIDS 


Chic & Elegant 

Wedding Dresses 

Recycled Cashmere 

Circle Scarf, $70 at 

Jack & Mary Designs, 

jackandmarydesigns.com. 

7433 Greenback Ln #J 

Citrus Heights, CA 95610 

(916) 521-9856 

info@diamondbridalgallery.com 

www.DiamondBridalGallery.com 

Signature Manicure, $54 at The Spa at 

Arden Hills, 1220 Arden Hills Lane, 

Sacramento. 916-480-1150, ardenhills.club. 

Cactus Shot Glasses, $21 at 

Ambience Floral Design & Gifts, 

1249 Pleasant Grove Boulevard, 


ambiencefloral.com. 

Spongellé Mani-Pedi Buffer, $15 at Massage Envy, 

4510 Post Street, Suite 340, El Dorado Hills. 

916-941-6850, locations.massageenvy.com/california/ 

el-dorado-hills/4510-post-street-ste-340.html. 

Wavertree & London Soap, $7.50 

at Body Basics, 364 Main Street, 

Placerville. 530-622-2988, 

shopbodybasics.wordpress.com. 

Kate Spade Bridesmaid 

Bangle, $58 at Macy’s, 

macys.com. 

“Babe” Swimsuit, 

$55 at Swoonable 

(made locally in Folsom), 

swoonable.net. 

Rombauer 

Chardonnay, 

$41.99 at BevMo, 

bevmo.com. 


Website ( DarciTerryPhotography.com) 

Email-??? not always included ( DarciTerry@gmail.com ) 

Social media icons or full facebook address? ( Facebook: 

Darci Terry Photography 

the 

Instagram: 

gift 

DarciTerryPhoto 

guide 

) 

FOR THE BRIDESMAIDS 


Branch Bobby Pins, 

$26.50 at 

Woodland Belle, 

woodlandbelle.com. 

Kelly & Katie Bucket Bag, 

$39.99 at DSW, dsw.com. 

Hand-Poured Candle, $20 at 

Farm to Flame Candleworks 

(made locally in El Dorado Hills), 

farmtoflamecandleworks.com. 

Contact us: (707) 469-3736 

DarciTerryPhotography.com DarciTerry@gmail.com 

DarciTerryPhoto Darci Terry Photography 

Island Bamboo Wooden Spoon 

Set, $43.80 at The Biggest Little 

Kitchen Store, 165 Main Street, 

Jackson. 209-223-0264, 

biggestlittlekitchenstore.com. 

"Cheers to Friendship" Zipper 

Pouch, $28 at Olive and 

Poppy (made locally in Napa), 

etsy.com/shop/WearYourWine. 

"Bottoms Up" Socks, $14 at Bayabelle Boutique, 

100 Gateway Drive, Suite 110, Lincoln. 

916-253-9260, bayabelle.com. 

for the flower girl: 

LooLooLove Mini Purse, $19, and 

Handmade Swarovski Crystal Hair 

Accessories, starts at $3 at Bubble Belly, 

340 G Street, Suite C, Davis. 

530-231-5538, shopbubblebelly.com. 



FOR THE GROOM 


Personalized Star Map, $49.95 at 

My Sky Moment, myskymoment.com. 

A Luxury You Can Afford 

DONNA BECK PHOTOGRAPHY 

Kenneth Cole Leather 

Weekender Bag, $99.99 

at DSW, dsw.com. 

SANDY STRINGER 

Wedding Planner 

916-397-9346 

sandy@strings-champagne.com 

www.strings-champagne.com 

Classic Face Shave, $40 at Hammer & Nails 

Grooming Shop for Guys, 195 Placerville 

Road, Suite 110, Folsom. 916-984-1111, 

hammerandnailsgrooming.com. 

Electra Townie Go! Bike, $2,599 at Folsom Bike, 

4420 Town Center Boulevard, Suite 150, El Dorado Hills, 

916-941-0900; 7610 Folsom-Auburn Road, Suite 100, 

Folsom, 916-844-1000, folsombike.com. 

Boutique Weddings 

& 

Engagement Photography 

Enamel Mug, $12 at 

Panic & Swoon General Store, 

430 Main Street, Placerville. 

530-303-8175, panicandswoon.co. 

ericabaldwinphotography.com 

Fermob Moon Table Lamp, 

$213 at The Plant Foundry, 

3500 Broadway, Sacramento. 

916-917-5787, 

plantfoundry.com. 

Alkaline Trio Malibu Acoustic Guitar, 

$299.99 at The Nicholson Music Co., 

636 East Bidwell Street, Folsom. 

916-983-0763, nicholsonmusic.com. 



FOR THE GROOM 


Crosley Gig Shelf System, $179.95 at 

Pottery Barn, 1151 Galleria Boulevard, 


potterybarn.com. 

CAS 1854 Vodka (make locally in Rancho Cordova), 

$26.99 at Missouri Flat Market, 4615 Missouri 

Flat Road, Suite 2, Placerville. 530-626-6800, 

facebook.com/MissouriFlatMarket. 

Taco Passport, $12 at 

Eco Chic, 1661 East Monte 

Vista Avenue, Suite Q102, 

Vacaville. 707-624-6168, 

ecochiclife.net. 

Pendleton Shirt, starts at $135 

at The Clothes Mine, 60 Main 

Street, Suite 2, Sutter Creek. 

209-267-0417, theclothesmine.com. 

Bicycle Travel Journal 

With Illustrations by 

Nigel Peake, $14.95 

at Spin, 417 Roseville 

Square, Roseville. 

916-784-7746, 

facebook.com/spingifts. 

Ariat Uptown Ultra Western Boot, 

$199.95 at Lees’ Boutique, 4110 Datsun 

Court, Shingle Springs. 

530-677-4891, leesboutique.net. 

Citizen Promaster 

Tsuno Chronograph 

Racer Watch, $895 at 

Adrian Blanco Jewelry, 

49 Natoma Street, Suite H, 

Folsom. 916-260-5136, 

adrianblancojewelry.com. 

“A Man & His Watch” 

by Matt Hranek, $35 at 

Barnes & Noble, 

1256 Galleria Boulevard, 

Roseville. 916-788-4320, 

barnesandnoble.com. 



MAKE YOUR BEST 

MOMENTS STAND STILL 

FOR THE GROOMSMEN 


Custom Cufflinks, starts at $15, and Custom 

Tie Clip, starts at $15 at Style Avenue Studios 

(made locally in Elk Grove). 916-812-1114, 

styleavenuestudios.com. 

Andy Wolf White Sun Aviator-Frame Sunglasses, 

$363 at EyeChicks Eyewear, 3755 Taylor Road, 

Loomis. 916-489-1110, eyechicks.com. 

916-393-6551 

LOLITAVASQUEZPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 

Campfire Poker Set, 

$30 at Ambience 

Floral Design & Gifts, 

1249 Pleasant Grove 

Boulevard, Suite 100, 

Roseville. 916-786-6581, 

ambiencefloral.com. 

Fossil Explorist 

Smart Watch, 

$275 at Macy’s, 

macys.com. 

Martell Cordon Bleu 

Cognac, $268.99 at 

BevMo, bevmo.com. 

Sprigs Armband, $24 at Gold Country 

Run+Sport, 4370 Town Center Boulevard, 

Suite 150, El Dorado Hills. 916-303-4786, 

goldcountryrunandsport.com. 

Duke Cannon Soaps, $11.25 each at Finishing 

Touches Boutique, 30 Main Street, Sutter Creek. 

916-798-5648, finishingtouchesboutiques.com. 



FOR THE GROOMSMEN 


High-Hand Olive Oil Company Artichoke & Garlic 

Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil, $16 at High-Hand 

Nursery & Cafe, 3750 Taylor Road, Loomis. 916-652- 

2065, highhandnursery.com. 

Soda Syrups Variety Pack, $33.95 

at Burly Beverages, 2014 Del Paso 

Boulevard, Sacramento. 916-333-3879, 

burlybeverages.com. 

Beef Jerky, $7.99 

at Midtown Jerky Co. 

(made locally in 

Sacramento), 

midtownjerky.com. 

Weekend Stay in Miner’s Cabin, $175/night 

with two-night minimum at Coloma Resort, 

6921 Mt. Murphy Road, Coloma. 

800-238-2298, colomaresort.com. 

for the ring bearer: 

The Durable Duffle, $59.99 at 

Groomsday, groomsday.com. 

Topgolf Bay Rental, starts at $26 per hour, 

at Topgolf, 1700 Freedom Way, Roseville. 

916-200-1002, topgolf.com/us/roseville. 

KEF Motion 

One Bluetooth 

Headphones, $249.99 

at Kef, kefdirect.com. 

>ONLINE 

EXCLUSIVE! 

Tune in to 

our blog at 


for even more 

gift ideas! 


Historic elegance ... in modern luxury. 

828 I Street, Sacramento · (916) 264-2800 · galevents@saclibrary.org · www.librarygalleria.com

ON AMANDA: 

GOWN BY BELLEZZA E LUSSO FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; 

COORDINATOR’S OWN HAT; 

JEWELRY FROM MACY’S 

style 

IN THE 

clouds 

A DÉCOR INSPIRATION STORY 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY 

DESIGN, STYLING AND COORDINATION BY OMNI WEDDING & EVENT PLANNING 

STYLING AND FLORAL DESIGN BY WILD FLOWERS DESIGN GROUP 

CAKE DESIGN BY FRANK VILT’S CAKES 

RENTALS BY CELEBRATIONS! PARTY RENTALS & TENTS 

CUSTOM DÉCOR BY SWOONABLE 

PAPERIE BY SAYERS & CO. 

HAIR BY HALO SALON & DAY SPA 

MAKEUP BY HAPPILY BEAUTIFUL MAKEUP ARTISTRY & SKIN STUDIO 

ON LOCATION AT HEAVENLY MOUNTAIN RESORT 

VIDEOGRAPHY BY JB WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY 

STARRING NEWLYWED BRIDE AMANDA FAZAKERLY 

PRODUCED BY REAL WEDDINGS MAGAZINE TEAM: EMILY PETER AND WENDY SIPPLE 


style 


style 


style 


style 


style 

VENUE 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

DESIGN, STYLING AND COORDINATION 

MAKEUP ARTIST 

STYLING AND FLORAL DESIGN 

HAIR ARTIST 

GOWNS 

CAKE DESIGN 

THE DETAILS 

// Heavenly Mountain Resort | 775-586-4442 | skiheavenly.com 

// Kathryn White Photography | 707-849-6776 | kathrynwhitephotography.com 

// Omni Wedding & Event Planning | 805-368-9002 | omniweddingandevents.com 

// Wild Flowers Design Group | 916-899-1289 | wildflowersdesigngroup.com 

// Frank Vilt’s Cakes | 530-409-7046 | frankviltscakes.com 

// Halo Salon & Day Spa | Alexis Reynolds | 916-782-8842 | halosalondayspa.com 

// Happily Beautiful Makeup Artistry & Skin Studio | Happi Ybarra | 530-632-0607 | happilybeautifulmakeup.com 

// Always Elegant Bridal & Tuxedo | 530-755-4282 | 530-487-7110 | alwayselegantbridal.net 

De La Rosa’s Bridal & Tuxedos | 916-983-3400 | delarosasbridal.com // Diamond Bridal Gallery | 916-521-9856 | diamondbridalgallery.com 

RENTALS 

JEWELRY 

// Macy’s | Moka Davis, My Stylist@Macy’s Roseville Galleria | 916-787-3310 | macys.com/mystylist 

JEWELRY 

PAPERIE 

// Style Avenue Studios | 916-812-1114 | styleavenuestudios.com 

// Sayers & Co. | 916-682-8226 | sayersandco.com 

CUSTOM DECOR 

// Swoonable | swoonable.net 

// Celebrations! Party Rentals & Tents | 916-773-2133 | 916-562-2900 | 775-773-8900 | celebrationspartyrentals.com 

VIDEOGRAPHER // JB Wedding Photography | 916-220-0159 | jbweddingphoto.com 

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR REAL BRIDE MODEL AMANDA AND ALL OF THE PROFESSIONALS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS FEATURE! 

> Visit our website 


to see more photos 

from our 

“In the Clouds” 

photo shoot. 


ella piazza 

VINEYARD PHOTO COURTESY OF 

CHARLETON CHURCHILL PHOTOGRAPHY / CHARLETONCHURCHILL.COM 

COUPLE COURTESHY OF 

ASHLEY TEASLEY POHTOGRAPHY / ASHLEYTEASLEYPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 

Tuscan Ambiance with a Romantic Vineyard Setting 

WEDDING CEREMONY & RECEPTION DESTINATION 

19900 SHENANDOAH SCHOOL RD., PLYMOUTH • 209.245.3800 

BELLAPIAZZAWINERY.COM EVENTS@BELLAPIAZZAWINERY.COM 

Custom Wedding Packages Available • Schedule a Tour Today!

style: get to know our real bride model 

ON AMANDA: 

GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; 

IN THE 


clouds 

Photo © Amy G Photography 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY 

ON LOCATION AT HEAVENLY MOUNTAIN RESORT 

STARRING NEWLYWED BRIDE AMANDA FAZAKERLY 

EVENTS BY WISE 

Your dream, your vision...Our Mission! 

530-848-3843 | www.eventsbywise.com 

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO MODEL 

FOR THIS PHOTO SHOOT? 

Amanda: I knew it’d be a fun creative experience, 

a chance to be pampered, and a unique way to 

commemorate the whole wedding experience! 

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF MODELING? 

Amanda: Wearing a variety of dress styles I never 

would have picked for myself! It was especially fun to 

see how the Real Weddings team assembled a cohesive 

look—from dress to hair to set style. 

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THIS SHOOT? 

DID YOU RELATE TO THE CONCEPT? 

Amanda: The florals. The big, bright bouquets really 

tied the whole thing together. The shoot concept was 

unexpected in the best way—a great juxtaposition of 

old and new, rural and urban. 

IF YOU COULD OFFER ANY ADVICE TO ENGAGED 

COUPLES, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

Amanda: Savor the process and enjoy the details, but 

focus on the big picture—you’re marrying the love of 

your life! OO 

—Interviewed by Emily Peter 



to learn more about 

Amanda, and to see 

more photos from 

our “In the Clouds” 

photo shoot. 


portables 

YES...PORTABLES! 

Wilkinson Portables has been providing 

portable facilities for over 58 years. 

Planning events and weddings at remote locations, backyards, 

ranches and barns can be challenging so let our team of 

qualified professionals assist you in providing your guests 

comfortable and clean facilities for their necessities. 

Once you’ve checked off all your wedding planning details 

remember to include Wilkinson portables to your list. 

You and your guests 

will appreciate it! 

3005 VENTURE ROAD | PLACERVILLE | 530-622-6169 

WILKINSONPORTABLES.COM | KYM@WILKINSONPORTABLES.COM 

FACEBOOK.COM/WILKINSONPORTABLETOILTES 

Serving the Greater Sacramento area since 1958

Amphitheatre on the green Elegant Ballroom SHadow Entrance 

meridianS reSTauranT & Bar 

965 orChard CreeK ln. 

916-625-4040 

www.meridianSreSTauranT.Com 

happy ever afTer BeginS here 

965 orChard CreeK ln. 

916-625-4043 

www.orChardCreeKlodge.Com 

The Spa aT Kilaga SpringS 

1187 Sun CiTy Blvd. 

916-408-4290 

www.KilagaSpringSSpa.Com 

Photos provided by: Chuck Roberts Photography (Amphitheatre) and Eye 

Connoisseur Photography (Shadow Entrance & Ballroom)

ON KADRA: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; 

JEWELRY FROM ANAÏS EVENT PLANNING & DESIGN; 

SHOES FROM DSW 

style 

ON AARON: 

JACKET AND TIE FROM MACY’S; 

SHIRT, TUXEDO PANTS AND SHOES 

FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO 

cultural 

FUSION 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY VICENS FORNS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 

DESIGN, STYLING, COORDINATION, PAPERIE, SELECT FLORAL DESIGN, SELECT RENTALS AND SELECT JEWELRY BY ANAÏS EVENT PLANNING & DESIGN 

STYLING AND SELECT FLORAL DESIGN BY BLOEM DECOR 

CAKE DESIGN BY ABOVE & BEYOND CAKES 

STYLED CUISINE BY BELLA BRU CAFÉ & CATERING 

SELECT RENTALS BY CELEBRATIONS! PARTY RENTALS & TENTS 

HAIR BY LISA HARTER HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST 

MAKEUP BY THE MAKEOVER MOMMY 

ON LOCATION AT THE WILLOW BALLROOM AND EVENT CENTER 


STARRING BRIDE- AND GROOM-TO-BE KADRA RADEMACHER & AARON VACCARO 



style 


style 


style 



style 

ON KADRA: 

GOWN FROM 

MY MARTHA DESIGN BOUTIQUE; 


ON AARON: 

TUXEDO FROM 

ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO 

TIE FROM MACY’S 

SPECIAL GUEST STAR DOG: 

GIGI WHALEY 

VENUE 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

THE DETAILS 

// The Willow Ballroom and Event Center | 916-548-3511 | thewillowballroom.com 

// Vicens Forns Fine Art Photography | 707-637-7803 | vicensforns.com 

DESIGN, STYLING, COORDINATION, PAPERIE, LOUNGE FLORAL DESIGN, SELECT RENTALS AND SELECT JEWELRY 

Anaïs Event Planning & Design | 415-275-4776 | 415-894-9254 | anaisevents.com 

STYLING, BOUQUETS, BOUTONNIERE AND TABLETOP FLORAL DESIGN 

CAKE DESIGN 

STYLED CUISINE 

// Bloem Decor | 916-447-2001 | bloemdecor.com 

// Above & Beyond Cakes | 916-672-2259 | aboveandbeyondcakes.com 

// Bella Bru Café & Catering | 916-704-9749 | 916-212-7571 | bellabrucafe.com 

HAIR ARTIST // Lisa Harter Hair and Makeup Artist | Lisa Harter | 530-559-7292 | lisamharter.com 

MAKEUP ARTIST 

// The Makeover Mommy | Porsche Ray | 928-442-6596 | themakeovermommy.com 

GOWNS 

My Martha Design Boutique | 530-622-6009 | mymarthadesign.com 

AARON’S TUXEDO 

JEWELRY, TIES AND AARON’S VELVET JACKET 

FELICITY DINING CHAIRS AND FARM TABLE 

// The Bridal Box | 916-742-4638 | thebridalbox.net 

SHOES 

// Second Summer Bride | 916-330-4422 | secondsummerbridesacramento.com 

// DSW | dsw.com 

// Always Elegant Bridal & Tuxedos | 530-755-4282 | 530-487-7110 | alwayselegantbridal.net 

// Macy’s | Moka Davis, My Stylist@Macy’s Roseville Galleria | 916-787-3310 | macys.com/mystylist 

JEWELRY // Deepa Gurnani | deepagurnani.com // Style Avenue Studios | 916-812-1114 | styleavenuestudios.com 

// Celebrations! Party Rentals & Tents | 916-773-2133 | 916-562-2900 | 775-773-8900 | celebrationspartyrentals.com 


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR REAL COUPLE MODELS KADRA & AARON AND ALL OF THE PROFESSIONALS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS FEATURE! 



to see more photos from 

our “Cultural Fusion” 

photo shoot. 


Randy Peters Catering & Event Center 

Specializes in creating unforgettable 

weddings. Voted Best Caterer by Sacramento 

A List for the last 3 years in a row. 

105 Vernon Street, Roseville, CA 95678 

916. 726. 2339 // RandyPetersCatering.com 

Reserve now 

for 2021 

“Sweeping 360 Degree Views... 

Custom Wine Cave... 

Award Winning Wines.” 

WINERY 

TM 

209.245.5200 HELWIGWINERY.COM 

11555 Shenandoah Rd Plymouth, CA 95669

style: get to know our real couple models 

ON AARON: 

TUXEDO FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO 

cultural 

FUSION 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY VICENS FORNS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 

ON LOCATION AT THE WILLOW BALLROOM AND EVENT CENTER 

STARRING BRIDE- AND GROOM-TO-BE 

KADRA RADEMACHER & AARON VACCARO 

ON KADRA: 

PANTSUIT FROM 

SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; 

EARRINGS BY DEEPA GURNANI; 




Kadra: This was something so different from 

anything else we have done before. It was a fun, 

new experience to do together and seemed like 

a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THIS 

SHOOT? DID YOU RELATE TO THE CONCEPT? 

Kadra: Wearing the white pantsuit (with a 

cape!) even though it was very windy and cold 

outside. It was awesome because I have been 

teasing Aaron for months that I was going to 

wear a pantsuit to our wedding, but when I put 

it on he actually loved it! 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR MODELING 

EXPERIENCE. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE 

PART OF THE DAY? HOW DID YOU FEEL 

AFTERWARD? 

Kadra: It was really fun, and everyone 

was so nice. I loved having my hair and 

makeup done. It is also amazing to see 

how a photographer can create 

incredible shots with totally 

amateur models. He made us 

look so good. 

Aaron: After the shoot I 

was exhausted from all 

the posing...it was like an ab workout. 




Kadra & Aaron, and to 

see more photos from 

our “Cultural Fusion” 

photo shoot. 

IF YOU COULD OFFER ANY ADVICE TO 

ENGAGED COUPLES, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

Kadra: Don’t try something so complicated 

that it ruins the fun of planning. I decided to 

have each bridesmaid wear a different shade of 

blue and let them find their dress themselves. 

It turned out to be very difficult and frustrating 

to get the colors to look good and coordinate 

everything. OO 



ALL PHOTOS CHARLETONCHURCHILL.COM 

Celebrate your special day in modern style 

500 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 

sales@sawyerhotel.com | 916-399-4730 | sawyerhotel.com

EAT 

DRINK 

no worry 

“ Who’s the 

Caterer?” 

www.bethsogaard.com 

1-866-441-beth “The No Worry Caterer” TM

ON MIKALA (LEFT): 

TUXEDO FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; 

JEWELRY BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS; 

BOOTS FROM DSW 

style 

ON STEPHANIE (RIGHT): 

GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; 

HAIR COMBS BY WOODLAND BELLE; 

EARRINGS BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS; 


ENDLESS 

love 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY SWEET MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY 

DESIGN, STYLING, AND COORDINATION BY EPIC THYME EVENTS 

STYLING AND FLORAL DESIGN BY STRELITZIA FLOWER COMPANY 

CAKE DESIGN BY JAYNEE CAKES CUSTOM CAKERY 

RENTALS BY TAHOE ELEVATED EVENTS 

LINENS BY CREATIVE COVERINGS 

CUSTOM DÉCOR AND SIGNAGE BY SWOONABLE 

PAPERIE BY LITTLE BIRD PAPER COMPANY 

HAND LETTERING BY INK FURIE 

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY 

ON LOCATION AT WEST SHORE CAFÉ & INN 


STARRING BRIDES-TO-BE STEPHANIE MAYNARD & MIKALA PHILLIPS-HERNANDEZ 



style 


style 


style 


style 


TUXEDO FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; 


CLUTCH BY MARIELL; 

BOOTS FROM DSW 

ON STEPHANIE (RIGHT): 


HAIR COMBS BY WOODLAND BELLE; 

EARRINGS BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS; 



style 

ON STEPHANIE (LEFT): 


JEWELRY FROM MACY'S 

ON MIKALA (RIGHT): 


JEWELRY FROM MACY'S 


PANTSUIT FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; 

JEWELRY BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS 



FLORAL HEADBAND BY 

STRELITZIA FLOWER COMPANY; 


VENUE 

PHOTOGRAPHER 


STYLING AND FLORAL DESIGN 

CAKE DESIGN 

THE DETAILS 

// West Shore Café & Inn | 530-525-5200 | westshorecafe.com 

// Sweet Marie Photography | 707-685-7694 | sweetmariephotography.com 

// Epic Thyme Events | 530-955-0093 | epicthyme.com 

// Strelitzia Flower Company | 530-758-5050 | weddingsbystrelitzia.com 

// Jaynee Cakes Custom Cakery | 916-879-3137 | jayneecakes.com 

HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST // All Dolled Up Hair and Makeup Artistry | 530-206-7775 | alldolleduphairandmakeup.com 

GOWNS AND ATTIRE 

JEWELRY AND ACCESSORIES 

// Second Summer Bride | 916-330-4422 | secondsummerbridesacramento.com 

SHOES // Ariat | ariat.com // DSW | dsw.com 

// Macy’s | Moka Davis, My Stylist@Macy's Roseville Galleria | 916-787-3310 | macys.com/mystylist 

Mariell | mariellonline.com // Style Avenue Studios | 916-812-1114 | styleavenuestudios.com // Woodland Belle | woodlandbelle.com 

PAPERIE 

// Little Bird Paper Company | 831-809-9403 | littlebirdpapercompany.com 

CALLIGRAPHY ON PLACE CARDS, TABLE NUMBER AND STEPPING STONES 

// Ink Furie | 916-717-5966 | inkfurie.com 

CUSTOM SIGNAGE AND "SNUGGLE" PILLOW // Swoonable | swoonable.net 

RENTALS 

LINENS 

// Tahoe Elevated Events | 775-783-9300 | tahoeelevatedevents.com 

// Creative Coverings | 775-359-6733 | creativecoverings.com 

ROSÉ WINE // Soulmates Wines | 209-406-2898 | soulmateswines.com 


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR REAL BRIDE MODELS STEPHANIE & MIKALA AND ALL OF THE PROFESSIONALS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS FEATURE! 



to see more 

photos from our 

“Endless Love” 

photo shoot. 


Plan a celebration to remember at 

the Hilton Sacramento Arden West hotel. 

916.604.3599 

2200 Harvard Street, Sacramento 

www.HiltonSacramentoArdenWest.com 

DJ/Music Coordinaaon 

Dance Floor Rentals 

Audio/Visual Equipment 

Wedding Director 

Green Screen/Photo booths 

Lighhng/special decor 

From “I Do”until the Last Dance, We make sure Your Day ows without a Hitch... 

But the Honeymoon is All You! 

Go to www.AAMusicEvents.com to book your event today! 

916-451-6700 averya@aamusicevents.com 

Budget Friendly. Military Discounts.

style: get to know our real bride models 

ENDLESS 

love 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY SWEET MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY 

ON LOCATION AT WEST SHORE CAFÉ & INN 

STARRING BRIDES-TO-BE 

STEPHANIE MAYNARD 

& MIKALA PHILLIPS-HERNANDEZ 



FLORAL HEADBAND BY 


EARRINGS FROM MACY'S; 

NECKLACE BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS; 

BOOTS BY ARIAT 

ON MIKALA (RIGHT): 

PANTSUIT FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; 


FLORAL RING BY 


BOOTS BY ARIAT 



Stephanie: We heard about it through Jennifer 

Resnicke, who is a writer for Real Weddings, 

and thought it would be a really fun experience 

(we were right!). Both of us have done photo 

shoots before for cosplay and we really enjoy 

them, but this was something very different 

than what we’re used to. 

Mikala: Honestly, I mainly did it because Steph 

was so excited the moment she heard about it. 

While our hobby may include photo shoots, 

there is a distinct difference in shooting as 

a character and shooting as yourself. I am 

not usually the type to do things like this 

as myself and was a bit nervous. 

I believe in capturing moments. 

A photograph should feel like a visual poem or 

dream. Mixing romance and warmth and sweet 

country into every image. I Believe in capturing 

love that runs as wild and free as the open fields 

themselves . How it feels in my own heart is how it 

should be captured through my lens, too. 

www.artisticphotographybytami.com 

530-409-8567 

@artisticphotographybytami 




Stephanie & Mikala, and 


from our “Endless 

Love” photo shoot. 

76 | REAL WEDDINGS SUMMER/FALL 2019 REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM 


EXPERIENCE. WHAT WAS YOUR 

FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY? HOW 

DID YOU FEEL AFTERWARD? 

Stephanie: My favorite part of the 

day was seeing each other in the 

different outfits. I know I got a 

little teary eyed at a couple points 

from the realness of it all. Seeing 

everything laid out—the ceremony 

arch, the dining table, the flowers, the 

gowns, etc., almost felt like a preview 

of what is to come. 

Mikala: I did end up having an 

absolute blast of a time, despite 

my initial reservations. Especially 

because the team made sure to work 

within our comfort zones. Plus wearing 

a suit felt absolutely amazing. 

IF YOU COULD OFFER ANY ADVICE 

TO ENGAGED COUPLES, WHAT 

WOULD IT BE? 

Stephanie: Wedding planning is 

stressful, because unless you are a 

professional event planner, this is far 

beyond what you’re used to. Make 

sure you communicate with each 

other about what you each want out 

of the day and your future together. 

Mikala: Communication is key. Don’t 

be afraid to talk to your partner 

about things that are going on in 

your life. OO 

—Interviewed by Emily Peter

KE TAHOE’S TOP 3 WEDDING VENUES 

Lake Tahoe, where Mark Twain once said the air is 

so pure it’s what angels breathe, consis tently makes 

every “must-see” list. So how fabulous is it that these 

three Resorts offer three distinct, premier moun tain 

venues here—each with its own unique style, charm 

and price point to suit any destina tion wedding! 

Northstar California. For high-end luxury with 

a laid-back ambiance, nothing beats Northstar 

California! This elegant yet relaxed resort is actually 

a full-scale village perched on Tahoe’s north shore. 

An amazing array of stunning event spaces, an 

award-winning executive chef, upscale shops, hip 

restaurants, a theater, skating/ roller rink—even a 

5-star Ritz-Carlton complete with indulgent spa— 

offer everything you could want for the wedding of 

your dreams. 

Kirkwood. Those who revel in the great outdoors 

will love Kirkwood. Off the beaten path, this rustic 

retreat lets you unplug, relax, and share the full 

“beauty of nature” experience with friends and family. 

Say “I do” in a meadow blooming with wildflowers 

and surrounded by the rugged peaks of the Sierras. 

Heavenly. The aptly named Heavenly jux taposes 

awe-inspiring panora mas of Tahoe’s sapphire waters 

with the excitement of nearby casinos and nightlife. 

Let your spirit soar as you ride the aerial tram to 

exchange vows against a backdrop of the dazzling 

lake. Follow it up with a private mountaintop 

reception. 

TahoeWeddingCollection.com

ON WENDY: 

GOWN FROM SPARKLE BRIDAL COUTURE; 

JEWELRY FROM MACY’S; 

BELT BY MARIELL 

style 

something old 

SOMETHING NEW 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETHANY PETRIK PHOTOGRAPHY 

DESIGN, STYLING, AND COORDINATION BY TAN WEDDINGS & EVENTS WITH SPECIAL ASSISTANCE FROM LINDEN TAN 

FLORAL DESIGN BY HILLSIDE BLOOMS FLORISTRY 

CAKE DESIGN BY GO WEST BAKING AND EVENTS 

STYLED CUISINE BY CATERING BY DESIGN 

RENTALS BY EL DORADO HILLS PARTY RENTALS AND SIMPLE COUNTRY WEDDINGS 

SPECIALTY LIGHTING AND DRAPING BY MAGICAL LIGHTING 

LINENS BY CREATIVE COVERINGS 

CUSTOM DÉCOR BY SWOONABLE 

PAPERIE BY LITTLE BIRD PAPER COMPANY 

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY JENIFER HAUPT, I MAKE BEAUTIFUL 

ON LOCATION AT SILT WINE COMPANY 


STARRING NEWLYWED BRIDE WENDY BRIGHT 

PRODUCED BY REAL WEDDINGS MAGAZINE TEAM: KATE MCGOWAN, EMILY PETER AND WENDY SIPPLE 


style 

ON WENDY: 




style 


style 

ON WENDY: 



BELT BY MARIELL 


style 


style 

ON WENDY: 


HEADPIECE AND EARRINGS FROM LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; 


VENUE 

PHOTOGRAPHER 


FLORAL DESIGN 

CAKE AND MACARON DESIGN 

STYLED CUISINE 

THE DETAILS 

// Silt Wine Company | 916-744-1456 | siltwineco.com 

// Bethany Petrik Photography | 530-665-0592 | bethanypetrik.com 

// Tan Weddings & Events | 530-601-0914 | tanweddingsandevents.com 

// Hillside Blooms Floristry | hillsidebloomsfloristry.com 

// Go West Baking and Events | 916-708-6264 | gowestbakingandevents.com 

// Catering by Design | 916-792-6485 | cateringbydesignrocklin.com 

HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST // Jenifer Haupt, I Make Beautiful | 916-532-9800 | imakebeautiful.com 

GOWNS 

// The Clothes Mine | 209-267-0417 | theclothesmine.com 

Sparkle Bridal Couture | 916-538-6615 | sparklebridalcouture.com 

SHOES 

// DSW | dsw.com 

JEWELRY AND ACCESSORIES // Hair Comes the Bride | www.haircomesthebride.com // Luxurious Bridal | 209-400-1915 | luxuriousbridal.com 

Macy’s | Moka Davis, My Stylist@Macy’s Roseville Galleria | 916-787-3310 | macys.com/mystylist // Mariell | mariellonline.com 

PAPERIE 

Style Avenue Studios | 916-812-1114 | styleavenuestudios.com 

// Little Bird Paper Company | 831-809-9403 | littlebirdpapercompany.com 

CUSTOM SIGNAGE AND PLACE CARDS // Swoonable | swoonable.net 

CEREMONY CHAIRS, LOBSTER TRAP TABLE, CANDLESTICKS, GLASS TERRARIUM AND VINTAGE WOOD BUCKET 

GLASSWARE, PLATES AND FLATWARE 

Simple Country Weddings | 916-271-6345 | simplecountryweddings.com 

LINENS 

UPLIGHTING, TABLE LIGHTING AND DRAPING 

// El Dorado Hills Party Rentals | 916-933-2500 | edhpartyrentals.com 

// Creative Coverings | 775-359-6733 | creativecoverings.com 

// Magical Lighting | 530-377-6203 | magicallighting.biz 


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR REAL BRIDE MODEL WENDY AND ALL OF THE PROFESSIONALS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS FEATURE! 




from our “Something 

Old Something New” 

photo shoot. 


August 11, 2019 

Crowne Plaza Sacramento 

Cake Dive 

Vendors 

Giveaways 

Fashion Show 

Free Samples 

Magazines 

Wedding Ideas 

Discounts 

2 FREE Tickets with this flyer or code RWM19 

www.ultimatebridalshows.com

style: get to know our real bride model 

ON WENDY: 


HEADPIECE BY HAIR COMES THE BRIDE; 

JEWELRY BY MARIELL 

something old 

SOMETHING NEW 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETHANY PETRIK PHOTOGRAPHY 

ON LOCATION AT SILT WINE COMPANY 

STARRING NEWLYWED BRIDE 

WENDY BRIGHT 



Wendy: Not knowing what the email from Real 

Weddings was about, I finally opened it about 

five days before the deadline to enter the Cover 

Model Contest. I was so excited reading about 

the contest and thought, ’How cool...Yes, I’m 

doing this!’ Opportunities like this come once in 

a lifetime, and I just wanted to go for it! 


EXPERIENCE. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE 

PART OF THE DAY? HOW DID YOU FEEL 

AFTERWARD? 

Wendy: What an incredible day! The 

weather couldn’t have been more 

perfect and the venue was beautiful. 

It’s hard to pick one favorite part, but 

I absolutely loved wearing the dresses 

and feeling so glamorous. Of course, 

hair, makeup, shoes, and jewelry 

were also so much fun; who doesn’t 

love getting all dolled up?! Meeting 

all the amazing people that work 

so hard to make couples’ visions 

come to life on the most important 

day of their lives was awesome, and 

at the end of the day I just felt so 

grateful and blessed to be chosen for 

something so wonderful. 


realweddingsmag.com to 

learn more about Wendy, 

and to see more photos 

from our “Something 

Old Something New” 

photo shoot. 

IF YOU COULD OFFER ANY ADVICE 

TO ENGAGED COUPLES, WHAT 

WOULD IT BE? 

Wendy: Just know that the wedding 

day goes by in a snap; it really 

does! Take your time to soak it all 

in and just breathe. If you and your 

beloved are okay with seeing each 

other before the ceremony, do a 

first look shot and then get the rest 

of the pictures done before the 

reception. This will give you more 

time to celebrate with loved ones. 

In the days following I just kept 

saying “I want a redo!” Sit down, 

relax and enjoy! OO 



926 J Street | Sacramento, Ca 95814 | thecitizenhotel.com | 916 447 2700

Mark Your Calendars! 

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FOR FREE TICKETS USE PROMO 

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WEDDING PLANNING + INSPIRATIONS + FASHIONS + COMPETITIONS + ENTERTAINMENT

ON ERICKA (LEFT): 


EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; 

BOUQUET BY THE BLOOM LAB; 

HAIR BY HALO SALON & DAY SPA; 


style 

ON OLIVIA (RIGHT): 


HEADPIECE BY ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; 


BOUQUET BY AMES HAUS DESIGN 

WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM; 


SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN 

SET FURNITURE FROM SACRAMENTO EVENT CO. 

SET DÉCOR FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS 

SET FLOWERS DESIGNED BY AMES HAUS DESIGN WITH 

WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM 

SET CAKE BY BATTER UP CAKERY 

garden 

SECRET 

STARRING OUR COVER MODEL FINALISTS 

ERICKA WANG AND OLIVIA FILBRANDT 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY 2 GIRLS 20 CAMERAS 

ON LOCATION AT THE KIMPTON SAWYER HOTEL 

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY, 

HALO SALON & DAY SPA AND HAPPILY BEAUTIFUL MAKEUP ARTISTRY & SKIN STUDIO 

SETS DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN 

SET FURNITURE FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS, SACRAMENTO EVENT CO. AND STANDARD PARTY RENTALS 

SET LINENS AND DRAPING BY CREATIVE COVERINGS 

SET DÉCOR FLOWERS FROM WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM 

DESIGNED BY AMES HAUS DESIGN 

SET CAKES BY BATTER UP CAKERY 

VIDEOGRAPHY BY 5 STAR WEDDING FILMS AND PHOTOGRAPHY 

PRODUCED BY REAL WEDDINGS MAGAZINE TEAM: SUSIE BAGGETT, SHIRLEY BURROWS, ISABELLA DE GARZA, 

TATIANA JITARI, NATHALIA KALLAN, EMILY PETER, AMANDA RINEHART, WENDY SIPPLE, LEAH SISTO AND ALESANDRA VELEZ 



style 

ON ERICKA // OPPOSITE PAGE ON TOP: 

GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; EARRINGS BY DEEPA GURNANI; BRACELET BY MARIELL; 

BOUQUET BY AMES HAUS DESIGN WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM; 

HAIR BY HALO SALON & DAY SPA; MAKEUP BY HAPPILY BEAUTIFUL MAKEUP ARTISTRY & SKIN STUDIO 

ON OLIVIA // OPPOSITE PAGE ON BOTTOM: 

GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; JEWELRY BY CHLOE + ISABEL; 



ON ERICKA // THIS PAGE IN GROUP ON LEFT: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY THE BLOOM LAB; 


ON OLIVIA // THIS PAGE IN GROUP ON RIGHT: 


HEADPIECE BY ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; 



SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN 

SET FURNITURE OPPOSITE PAGE ON LEFT FROM STANDARD PARTY RENTALS 

SET FURNITURE OPPOSITE PAGE ON RIGHT AND THIS PAGE FROM SACRAMENTO EVENT CO.; 

CANDLESTICKS FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS 

SET FLOWERS DESIGNED BY AMES HAUS DESIGN WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM 



ON ERICKA // LEFT: 

GOWN FROM DE LA ROSA’S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS; NECKLACE AND EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY CURIOUS FLORAL; 


ON ERICKA // MIDDLE: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; NECKLACE FROM MACY’S; EARRINGS BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS; 

BOUQUET BY PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS; 


ON ERICKA // RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; HEADPIECE BY ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; EARRINGS BY SORRELLI JEWELRY 

NECKLACE FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY BLOEM DECOR; 


SET DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN; SET FURNITURE FROM SACRAMENTO EVENT CO. 


ON OLIVIA // TOP: 

GOWN BY LUCE SPOSA FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; HEADPIECE AND EARRINGS BY TWIGS & HONEY; 

BOUQUET IN PHOTO ON LEFT BY WILD FLOWERS DESIGN GROUP; 

BOUQUET IN PHOTO ON RIGHT BY ACCENTS BY SAGE FLORAL DESIGN; 


SET DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN; SET FURNITURE FROM SACRAMENTO EVENT CO. 

ON OLIVIA // LEFT AND MIDDLE BOTTOM: 

GOWN FROM DE LA ROSA’S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS; EARRINGS BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS; BOUQUET BY AMOUR FLORIST & BRIDAL; 


ON OLIVIA // RIGHT AND MIDDLE TOP: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; EARRINGS BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; BOUQUET BY HILLSIDE BLOOMS FLORISTRY; 



ON OLIVIA // LEFT AND MIDDLE: 

GOWN FROM MY MARTHA DESIGN BOUTIQUE; HEADPIECE AND EARRINGS BY TWIGS & HONEY; 

BOUQUET BY CARSON VALLEY FLORIST; 


ON OLIVIA // RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM DE LA ROSA’S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY BLOEM DECOR; 



ON ERICKA: 

PANTSUIT FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; EARRINGS BY CHLOE + ISABEL; 

SHOES FROM DSW; BOUQUET BY MORNINGSIDE FLORIST; 




ON OLIVIA // LEFT AND MIDDLE TOP: 

GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; HEADPIECE BY ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; EARRINGS BY SORRELLI 

JEWELRY; BOUQUET BY PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS; 

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY; 

SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN; 

SET FLOWERS DESIGNED BY AMES HAUS DESIGN WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM; 


ON OLIVIA // RIGHT AND MIDDLE BOTTOM: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY VISUAL IMPACT DESIGN; 



ON ERICKA // LEFT AND MIDDLE BOTTOM: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; HEADPIECE BY LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; JEWELRY BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS; 

BOUQUET BY AMBIENCE FLORAL DESIGN & GIFTS; 


ON ERICKA // RIGHT AND MIDDLE TOP: 

GOWN BY VASYLKOV BRIDAL COUTURE FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; 

EARRINGS BY CHLOE + ISABEL; SHOES FROM DSW; 

BOUQUET BY PICTURE PERFECT PETALS; 




GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; HEADPIECE FROM USABRIDE; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; 


HAIR BY HALO SALON & DAY SPA; MAKEUP BY HAPPILY BEAUTIFUL MAKEUP ARTISTRY & SKIN STUDIO; 

SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN; SET FURNITURE AND DÉCOR FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS; 



ON ERICKA // RIGHT: 

GOWN BY VASYLKOV BRIDAL COUTURE FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; 

BOUQUET BY HILLSIDE BLOOMS FLORISTRY; 


SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN; SET FURNITURE AND ARCH FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS; 

SET DRAPING LINENS FROM CREATIVE COVERINGS; 



ON OLIVIA // LEFT AND MIDDLE BOTTOM: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; HEADPIECE BY HAIR COMES THE BRIDE; EARRINGS BY LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; 

BOUQUET BY CARSON VALLEY FLORIST; HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY; 

SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN; SET FURNITURE AND DÉCOR FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS; 


ON OLIVIA // RIGHT AND MIDDLE TOP: 

GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; EARRINGS BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; 

FLORAL CROWN, FLORAL RING AND BOUQUET BY STRELITZIA FLOWER COMPANY; 

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY; SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN; 

SET FURNITURE AND ARCH FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS; SET DRAPING LINENS FROM CREATIVE COVERINGS; 





style 

ON OLIVIA // OPPOSITE PAGE ON TOP: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; EARRINGS AND BRACELET FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY WILD FLOWERS DESIGN GROUP; 


ON ERICKA // OPPOSITE PAGE ON BOTTOM: 

GOWN BY VALERI BRIDAL FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; JEWELRY BY MARIELL; BOUQUET BY PLACERVILLE FLOWERS ON MAIN; 


ON ERICKA // THIS PAGE IN GROUP ON LEFT: 

GOWN FROM DE LA ROSA’S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS; HEADPIECE BY MARIELL; EARRINGS BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS; 

BOUQUET BY RODARTE FLORAL DESIGN; 


ON OLIVIA // THIS PAGE IN GROUP ON RIGHT: 

GOWN BY LUCE SPOSA FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; EARRINGS BY LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; BOUQUET BY THE BLOOM LAB; 


SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN // SET FURNITURE FROM SACRAMENTO EVENT CO. 

SET DÉCOR FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS // SET LINENS FROM CREATIVE COVERINGS 




ON OLIVIA // TOP LEFT AND MIDDLE: 

GOWN BY SOLO MERAV FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; 

JEWELRY BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; BOUQUET BY WILD FLOWERS DESIGN GROUP; 


ON OLIVIA // IN GROUP ON LEFT: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; EARRINGS BY DEEPA GURNANI; 



ON ERICKA // IN GROUP ON RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; EARRINGS BY TWIGS & HONEY; 

BOUQUET BY RELLES FLORIST; 





ON OLIVIA // TOP MIDDLE AND TOP RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; EARRINGS BY LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; BOUQUET BY HILLSIDE BLOOMS FLORISTRY; 

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY; 

BALLOONS BY THE PARTY CONCIERGE 



GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; EARRINGS BY MARIELL; BRACELET FROM MACY’S; 

BOUQUET BY AMOUR FLORIST & BRIDAL; HAIR BY HALO SALON & DAY SPA; 

MAKEUP BY HAPPILY BEAUTIFUL MAKEUP ARTISTRY & SKIN STUDIO; 




ON ERICKA // RIGHT AND MIDDLE TOP: 

GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; JEWELRY BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; 



BALLOONS BY THE PARTY CONCIERGE 

ON OLIVIA // IN GROUP ON LEFT: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; EARRINGS BY DEEPA GURNANI; BOUQUET BY VISUAL IMPACT DESIGN; 


ON ERICKA // IN GROUP ON RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; EARRINGS BY TWIGS & HONEY; 

BOUQUET BY STRELITZIA FLOWER COMPANY; HAIR BY HALO SALON & DAY SPA; 


BALLOONS BY THE PARTY CONCIERCE 


ON ERICKA // IN GROUP ON LEFT: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; EARRINGS FROM USABRIDE; BELT BY LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; 

BOUQUET BY WILD FLOWERS DESIGN GROUP; 


ON OLIVIA // IN GROUP ON RIGHT AND MIDDLE BOTTOM LEFT: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; HEADPIECE BY TWIGS & HONEY; EARRINGS BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; 



ON OLIVIA // TOP RIGHT AND MIDDLE: 

GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; HEADPIECE BY MARIELL; EARRINGS BY CHLOE + ISABEL; 

BOUQUETS BY WILD FLOWERS DESIGN GROUP; HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY 

ON ERICKA // MIDDLE BOTTOM RIGHT AND BOTTOM RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; HEADPIECE AND EARRINGS BY TWIGS & HONEY; 



SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY AMES HAUS DESIGN // SET FURNITURE FROM SACRAMENTO EVENT CO. 



THE DETAILS // VENUE 

The Kimpton Sawyer Hotel 

916-399-4730 | sawyerhotel.com 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

2 Girls 20 Cameras 

Ashley King and Gabby Terrasi 

916-580-8200 | 2girls20cameras.com 

VIDEOGRAPHER 

5 Star Wedding Films and Photography 

Rodger Sargent 

916-905-5782 | 5starweddingfilms.com 

HAIR AND MAKEUP FOR OLIVIA: 

All Dolled Up Hair and Makeup Artistry 

Melissa Oretta (Hair) and 

Lynsee Stewart (Makeup) 

530-206-7775 

alldolleduphairandmakeup.com 

HAIR AND MAKEUP FOR ERICKA: 

Halo Salon & Day Spa 

Alexis Reynolds (Hair) 

916-782-8842 | halosalondayspa.com 

Happily Beautiful Makeup Artistry 

& Skin Studio 

Happi Ybarra (Makeup) 

530-632-0607 

happilybeautifulmakeup.com 

GOWNS 

Always Elegant Bridal & Tuxedo 

530-755-4282 | 530-487-7110 

alwayselegantbridal.net 

The Bridal Box 

916-742-4638 | thebridalbox.net 

The Clothes Mine 

209-267-0417 | theclothesmine.com 

De La Rosa’s Bridal & Tuxedos 

916-983-3400 | delarosasbridal.com 

Diamond Bridal Gallery 

916-521-9856 | diamondbridalgallery.com 

My Martha Design Boutique 

530-622-6009 | mymarthadesign.com 

Second Summer Bride 

916-330-4422 

secondsummerbridesacramento.com 

SHOES 

DSW | dsw.com 

ACCESSORIES 


530-755-4282 | 530-487-7110 


Chloe + Isabel | chloeandisabel.com 

Deepa Gurnani | deepagurnani.com 

Hair Comes the Bride 

haircomesthebride.com 

Luxurious Bridal 

209-400-1915 | luxuriousbridal.com 

Macy’s | Moka Davis, 

My Stylist@Macy’s Roseville Galleria 

916-787-3310 | macys.com/mystylist 

Mariell | mariellonline.com 

Sorrelli Jewelry | sorrelli.com 

Style Avenue Studios 

916-812-1114 | styleavenuestudios.com 

Twigs & Honey | twigsandhoney.com 

USABride | usabride.com 

FLOWERS 

Accents by Sage Floral Design 

916-799-6242 | accentsbysage.com 

Ambience Floral Design & Gifts 

916-786-6851 | ambiencefloral.com 

Ames Haus Design 

916-730-1635 | ameshaus.com 

Amour Florist & Bridal 

916-392-8168 | amourmoments.com 

Bloem Decor 

916-447-2001 | bloemdecor.com 

The Bloom Lab 

916-996-5572 | thebloomlab.com 


775-266-9285 | carsonvalleyflorist.com 

Curious Floral 

916-812-2506 | curiousfloral.com 

Hillside Blooms Floristry 

530-320-4216 | hillsidebloomsfloristry.com 

Morningside Florist 

916-635-9891 | morningsideflorist.com 

Paradise Parkway Event Productions 

916-384-5520 | paradiseparkway.com 

Picture Perfect Petals 

760-846-0922 | pictureperfectpetals.com 

Placerville Flowers on Main 

530-622-1121 | placervilleflowersonmain.com 

Relles Florist 

916-441-1478 | rellesflorist.com 

Rodarte Floral Design 

916-799-3625 | rodartefloraldesign.com 


530-758-5050 | weddingsbystrelitzia.com 

Visual Impact Design 

916-489-3746 | visualimpact-design.com 

Wild Flowers Design Group 

916-899-1289 | wildflowersdesigngroup.com 

WHOLESALE FLOWERS 

Wholesale Flowers from FiftyFlowers.com 

877-507-6737 | fiftyflowers.com 

STYLED DÉCOR VIGNETTES 

DESIGNER, FLORAL DESIGNER 

AND SELECT DÉCOR 


916-730-1635 | ameshaus.com 

COPPER ARCH, WINE BARREL CHAIR, WILLIS 

RATTAN WINGBACK CHAIR, CANDLESTICKS 

AND MINI-GEOS/TERRARIUMS 

Blossom Farm Vintage Rentals 

530-681-8937 | blossomfarmrentals.com 

MONDRIAN LOUNGE COLLECTION, 

BERNHARDT OTTOMAN, 

PROSECCO BOXWOODS, ESSEX BAR BACK, 

CAPIT0L COCKTAIL TABLE AND 

PARAMOUNT BAR STOOLS 

Sacramento Event Co. 

916-837-3684 | sacramentoeventco.com 

CLEAR NAPOLEON CHAIR 

Standard Party Rentals 

888-200-6513 | standardpartyrentals.com 

SET LINENS, PILLOWS AND DRAPING 

Creative Coverings 

775-359-6733 | creativecoverings.com 

DÉCOR FLOWERS 

Wholesale Flowers 

from FiftyFlowers.com 

Designed by Ames Haus Design 


SET CAKES 

Batter Up Cakery 

707-439-8299 | batterupcakery.com 

BALLOONS 

The Party Concierge 

916-440-8080 | partyconcierge.com 

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR REAL BRIDE 

MODELS, OLIVIA AND ERICKA, AND ALL OF 

THE PROFESSIONALS WHO CONTRIBUTED 

TO THIS FEATURE! 

THANKS TO SPECIAL GUEST DOG, BEAU! 

WANT TO BE OUR NEXT 

COVER MODEL FINALIST? 

GO TO REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM 

AND CLICK ON 

“BE OUR NEXT COVER MODEL” 



ON OLIVIA: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; 

EARRINGS BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; 

BOUQUET BY HILLSIDE BLOOMS FLORISTRY; 

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY 

garden 

SECRET 

ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY 

STARRING OUR 

COVER MODEL CONTEST FINALIST 

OLIVIA FILBRANDT 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY 


ON LOCATION AT 

THE KIMPTON SAWYER HOTEL 

WHY DID YOU ENTER THIS CONTEST? 

Olivia: I fit the criteria: 1. bride and 2. NorCal gal. Nonetheless, 

while this little joke is partly true, I also hopped at the 

opportunity to try a bunch of different bridal styles, flowers, 

gowns and “get ups” to help inform my decisions for my own 

big day! And I hope seeing a gal like me in the stylings will also 

help other brides-to-be too! 

WHAT DID YOUR PARTNER THINK ABOUT YOU ENTERING 

THIS CONTEST? WHAT WAS THEIR REACTION WHEN YOU 

WERE SELECTED? WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN 

YOU WERE SELECTED? 

Olivia: When I was chosen, James was ecstatic for me to have 

this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Despite his energy, he 

wasn’t surprised because he "was excited for Real Weddings’ 

readers to see [my] spunk and beauty that he loves each and 

every day and forever more!" When I heard the news that I was 

chosen as a finalist, I was surprisingly calm—it felt too good to 

be true. When I arrived on set though, my heart started racing, 

and I couldn’t stop smiling! 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR 

COVER MODEL EXPERIENCE. 

Olivia: From dawn until dusk, this shoot was one of my favorite 

parts of being engaged so far! I showed up at 7 a.m. on a 

Monday with dry hair and a full night’s sleep under my belt. 

My “glam team” immediately set to work, (having set up at 6 

a.m.!) powdering my nose, curling my hair, testing dresses and 

holding out bouquets. I was constantly flattered and impressed 

by the awesome energy each team member brought to the 

shoot; my glam team was unbelievably friendly, kind and 

encouraging through each of the 17 (yes, 17!) looks. 

My favorite part of the day was when I showed up to the hotel 

bar area in a more traditional look and, after photographing 

it, everyone agreed the setting deserved a more dramatic, 

va-voom look. I was hurried downstairs and into a formfitting, 

vintage-style gown that, upon my return, received a 

great whooping welcome. The sort of excitement everyone 

had in putting together the look so quickly and the sort 

of knowledge and attentiveness to each detail in doing so 

was awe-inspiring! OO 





Olivia and to see 

more photos from our 

“Secret Garden” 

photo shoot. 



garden 

SECRET 

STARRING OUR 


ERICKA WANG 





ON ERICKA: 

GOWN FROM 

DE LA ROSA’S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS; 

EARRINGS BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; 

BOUQUET BY AMES HAUS DESIGN 

WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM 

FIFTYFLOWERS.COM; 


MAKEUP BY HAPPILY BEAUTIFUL MAKEUP 

ARTISTRY & SKIN STUDIO 

SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY 


SET FLOWERS DESIGNED BY 


WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM 

FIFTYFLOWERS.COM 



Ericka: It was partially an impulse decision, but I’m so glad I 

did! A coworker of mine had been selected as a Real Weddings 

Real Bride Model previously and encouraged me to do it. She 

told me what an amazing experience it was, so I couldn’t pass 

up the opportunity to be a part of it all. 

WHAT DID YOUR PARTNER THINK ABOUT YOU ENTERING 

THIS CONTEST? WHAT WAS THEIR REACTION WHEN YOU 

WERE SELECTED? WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN 

YOU WERE SELECTED? 

Ericka: My husband wasn’t the least bit surprised. I’m always 

getting some wild idea and throwing it at him, and he just goes 

along with it (one of the many reasons I love him so much!). 

I, on the other hand, was very surprised and excited to be 

selected. It was so surreal at first and then went by so fast. I’m 

still wondering if it was a dream! 

707-637-7803 | www.vicensforns.com 



Ericka: I feel like words can’t do this experience justice! I’ve 

always wondered what it would be like even just as a fly 

on the wall during these types of photo shoots, so just to 

be there and see all the hard work that goes into it was eye 

opening—it was full speed ahead from the get-go. I walked in 

and immediately got put into hair and makeup, and then after 

that we were serving up looks on looks on looks. It was such a 

rush! There were so many favorite moments, but I absolutely 

loved getting to try a bunch of different styles of hairstyles, 

makeup looks and dresses that I wouldn’t have picked for my 

own wedding. The experience gave me a chance to live out my 

“what if...” moments and test drive some more daring or even 

just different options that I was too chicken to try. I’m not going 

to lie, I was a little nervous about how I would look posing 

for photos or if I’d photograph well, but the whole team 

was SO amazing and supportive. It was definitely a major 

confidence booster to hear the ladies get so excited over 

the completed looks and photos! I was so sad when it was 

over, because it was so much fun (I’m still not over it, ha 

ha!). It was such an unforgettable experience! OO 






Ericka and to see 



photo shoot.

PHOTOS BY ERICA BALDWIN PHOTOGRAPHY / 

ERICABALDWINPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 

A Beautiful Place for a Memorable Event 

— Amenities & Services — 

Two Beautiful Outdoor Ceremony Sites Three Elegant Indoor Ballrooms 

Ceremony Site Include: 

• 30 Minute Rehearsal with Event Coordinator 

• Wedding Day Ceremony Coordination 

• Set Up and Break Down of White Wedding Chairs 

• White Wrought Iron Arch to Decorate 

• White Gazebo to Decorate 

Reception Rooms Include: 

• Banquet Captain to Oversee Reception Details 

• Professionally Uniformed Banquet Staff 

• Complimentary Self-Parking 

• Mirror Tile and Four Votive Candles per table 

• Two Complimentary Admissions to “Date to Taste” 

• Endless Romantic Picture Opportunities 

702 Gold Lake Drive, Folsom, CA 95630 | 916.932.2769 | weddings@lakenatomainn.com 

www.lakenatomainn.com

style: the sets from our cover model contest photo shoot 

garden 

SECRET 

DESIGNED BY 




SHOT ON LOCATION AT 


SETS DESIGNED BY 


SET FURNITURE AND DÉCOR FROM 

BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS, 

SACRAMENTO EVENT CO. AND 

STANDARD PARTY RENTALS 

SET LINENS, PILLOWS AND 

DRAPING FROM CREATIVE 

COVERINGS 


AMES HAUS DESIGN WITH 

WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM 



FROM OUR “SECRET GARDEN” 

PHOTO SHOOT— 

FOR ADDITIONAL CREDITS 

TURN TO PAGE 105 



to see more décor 



photo shoot. 


UNFORGETTABLE STYLE 

AT UNBEATABLE PRICES 

Sacramento • Roseville • Reno • CelebrationsPartyRentals.com

ON BLYTHE (LEFT): 



BOUQUET BY FLOURISH; 

HAIR BY LISA HARTER HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST ; 


style 

ON CURISSA (RIGHT): 


JEWELRY BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; 

BOUQUET BY PLACERVILLE FLOWERS ON MAIN; 


SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY 



BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS 



WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM 

SET CAKE BY FRANK VILT’S CAKES 

gold country 

GLAM 

STARRING OUR COVER MODEL FINALISTS 

BLYTHE SUAZO AND CURISSA WATTS 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FARRELL PHOTOGRAPHY 

ON LOCATION AT HOTEL SUTTER 

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY, 

HAPPILY BEAUTIFUL MAKEUP ARTISTRY & SKIN STUDIO AND LISA HARTER HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST 

SETS DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS 

SET FURNITURE FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS 

SET DÉCOR FLOWERS FROM WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM 

DESIGNED BY PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS 

SET CAKES BY FRANK VILT’S CAKES 


PRODUCED BY REAL WEDDINGS MAGAZINE TEAM: SUSIE BAGGETT, EUDELYS BLANCO, SHIRLEY BURROWS, 

TATIANA JITARI, NATHALIA KALLAN, EMILY PETER, AMANDA RINEHART, WENDY SIPPLE, LEAH SISTO AND ALESANDRA VELEZ 



style 

ON CURISSA // OPPOSITE PAGE ON LEFT: 

GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; JEWELRY BY CHLOE + ISABEL; BOUQUET BY CARSON VALLEY FLORIST; 


ON BLYTHE // OPPOSITE PAGE ON LEFT: 

JACKET DRESS FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; EARRINGS BY MARIELL; SHOES FROM DSW; 

BOUQUET BY PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM; 

HAIR BY LISA HARTER HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST; MAKEUP BY HAPPILY BEAUTIFUL MAKEUP ARTISTRY & SKIN STUDIO 

ON CURISSA // THIS PAGE IN GROUP ON RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; JEWELRY BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; 

BOUQUET BY PLACERVILLE FLOWERS ON MAIN; HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY 

ON BLYTHE // THIS PAGE IN GROUP ON LEFT: 

GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; JEWELRY FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY FLOURISH; 


SET DESIGN AND FLORAL DESIGN BY PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS 

SET FURNITURE AND DÉCOR FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS 

SET FLOWERS DESIGNED BY PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM 



ON BLYTHE // TOP LEFT AND MIDDLE TOP: 

GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; HEADPIECE AND EARRINGS BY LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; 

SHOES FROM DSW; BOUQUET BY MORNINGSIDE FLORIST 

ON BLYTHE // RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; HEADPIECE BY ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; 

EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY STRELITZIA FLOWER COMPANY 

ON BLYTHE // BOTTOM LEFT AND MIDDLE BOTTOM: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; HEADPIECE AND EARRINGS BY USABRIDE; 

BRACELET FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY THE PARTY CONCIERGE 

HAIR BY LISA HARTER HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST; 



ON CURISSA // LEFT: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; HEADPIECE AND EARRINGS BY USABRIDE; 

BOUQUET BY CARSON VALLEY FLORIST 

ON CURISSA // MIDDLE TOP AND TOP RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; JEWELRY FROM MACY’S; 

BOUQUET BY STRELITZIA FLOWER COMPANY 

ON CURISSA // MIDDLE BOTTOM AND BOTTOM RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM DE LA ROSA’S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS; 

HEADPIECE BY ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; 

BOUQUET BY RODARTE FLORAL DESIGN 




GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; 

FLORAL HAIR COMB AND BOUQUET BY CARSON VALLEY FLORIST 

ON CURISSA // RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM MY MARTHA DESIGN BOUTIQUE; EARRINGS AND NECKLACE BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; 

BRACELET BY CHLOE + ISABEL; BOUQUET BY RELLES FLORIST; 

SHOT ON LOCATION AT KNIGHT FOUNDRY IN SUTTER CREEK 



ON BLYTHE // LEFT: 

GOWN FROM DE LA ROSA’S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS; HEADPIECE BY TWIGS & HONEY; EARRINGS BY USABRIDE; 

NECKLACE FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY ACCENTS BY SAGE FLORAL DESIGN; 

SHOT ON LOCATION AT KNIGHT FOUNDRY IN SUTTER CREEK 

ON BLYTHE // MIDDLE TOP AND TOP RIGHT; 

GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; JEWELRY FROM MACY’S; 

FLORAL COMB AND BOUQUET BY CARSON VALLEY FLORIST 

ON BLYTHE // MIDDLE BOTTOM AND BOTTOM RIGHT: 

GOWN BY SOLO MERAV FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; HEADPIECE AND EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; 

BOUQUET BY MORNINGSIDE FLORIST 




GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; EARRINGS BY TWIGS & HONEY; BOOTS BY ARIAT; BOUQUET BY FLOURISH 


GOWN BY SOLO MERAV FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; EARRINGS BY MARIELL; SHOES FROM DSW; 

BOUQUET BY PLACERVILLE FLOWERS ON MAIN 




GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; SHOES FROM DSW; 

BOUQUET BY PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS 



GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; HEADPIECE BY LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; 

JEWELRY BY MARIELL; BOUQUET BY AMES HAUS DESIGN 



ON CURISSA // IN GROUP ON LEFT: 

GOWN FROM DE LA ROSA’S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS; EARRINGS BY TWIGS & HONEY; 

BOUQUET BY CURIOUS FLORAL; 


ON BLYTHE // IN GROUP ON RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; HEADPIECE BY LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; 


BOUQUET BY STRELITZIA FLOWER COMPANY; 




GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; HEADPIECE BY HAIR COMES THE BRIDE; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; 

BOUQUET BY ACCENTS BY SAGE FLORAL DESIGN; 




SET FLOWERS DESIGNED BY PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS 




ON BLYTHE: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; HEADPIECE BY HAIR COMES THE BRIDE; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; 

BRACELET BY MARIELL; BOUQUET BY RELLES FLORIST; 



ON CURISSA: 

GOWN BY SOLO MERAV FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; HEADPIECE BY HAIR COMES THE BRIDE; 

JEWELRY BY USABRIDE; BOUQUET BY FLOURISH; 








ON CURISSA: 

GOWN BY VALERI BRIDAL FROM DIAMOND BRIDAL GALLERY; 


BOUQUET BY RODARTE FLORAL DESIGN 

ON CURISSA: 

GOWN FROM ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; JEWELRY FROM MACY’S; 

BOOTS BY ARIAT; BOUQUET BY CURIOUS FLORAL 




GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; HAIR COMBS BY ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; 

JEWELRY FROM MACY’S; BOUQUET BY ACCENTS BY SAGE FLORAL DESIGN 


GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; HAIR COMBS BY ALWAYS ELEGANT BRIDAL & TUXEDO; 


BOOTS BY ARIAT; BOUQUET BY WILD FLOWERS DESIGN GROUP 





GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; EARRINGS BY TWIGS & HONEY; BOUQUET BY THE PARTY CONCIERGE 


GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; EARRINGS BY TWIGS & HONEY; BOUQUET BY CARSON VALLEY FLORIST 







style 

ON BLYTHE // TOP: 

GOWN FROM MY MARTHA DESIGN BOUTIQUE; EARRINGS BY MARIELL; SHOES FROM DSW; BOUQUET BY CARSON VALLEY FLORIST 

ON BLYTHE // BOTTOM: 

GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; EARRINGS BY DEEPA GURNANI; BOUQUET BY PLACERVILLE FLOWERS ON MAIN 







style 

ON CURISSA // IN GROUP ON LEFT: 

GOWN FROM THE CLOTHES MINE; EARRINGS BY USABRIDE; 

BOUQUET BY PARADISE PARKWAY EVENT PRODUCTIONS WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM; 


ON BLYTHE // IN GROUP ON RIGHT: 

GOWN FROM THE BRIDAL BOX; EARRINGS BY CHLOE + ISABEL; BOUQUET BY RODARTE FLORAL DESIGN; 







THE DETAILS // VENUE 

Hotel Sutter 

209-267-0242 | hotelsutter.com 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

Farrell Photography 

Steve, Stephanie and Jesse Farrell 

209-257-4583 | 916-717-7902 

farrellphotography.net 

VIDEOGRAPHER 

JB Wedding Photography 

Justin Buettner 

916-220-0159 | jbweddingphoto.com 

HAIR AND MAKEUP FOR BLYTHE: 

Lisa Harter Hair and Makeup Artist 

Lisa Harter (Hair) 

530-559-7292 | lisamharter.com 

Happily Beautiful Makeup Artistry 

& Skin Studio 

Happi Ybarra (Makeup) 

530-632-0607 

happilybeautifulmakeup.com 

HAIR AND MAKEUP FOR CURISSA: 

All Dolled Up Hair and Makeup Artistry 

Melissa Oretta (Hair) and 

Lynsee Stewart (Makeup) 

530-206-7775 

alldolleduphairandmakeup.com 

GOWNS 


530-755-4282 | 530-487-7110 


The Bridal Box 

916-742-4638 | thebridalbox.net 

The Clothes Mine 

209-267-0417 | theclothesmine.com 



Diamond Bridal Gallery 

916-521-9856 | diamondbridalgallery.com 

My Martha Design Boutique 

530-622-6009 | mymarthadesign.com 

Second Summer Bride 

916-330-4422 

secondsummerbridesacramento.com 

BOOTS 

Ariat | ariat.com 

SHOES 

DSW | dsw.com 

ACCESSORIES 


530-755-4282 | 530-487-7110 


Chloe + Isabel | chloeandisabel.com 

Deepa Gurnani | deepagurnani.com 

Hair Comes the Bride 

haircomesthebride.com 

Luxurious Bridal 

209-400-1915 | luxuriousbridal.com 

Macy’s | Moka Davis, 

My Stylist@Macy’s Roseville Galleria 

916-787-3310 | macys.com/mystylist 

Mariell | mariellonline.com 

Sorrelli Jewelry | sorrelli.com 

Style Avenue Studios 

916-812-1114 | styleavenuestudios.com 

Twigs & Honey | twigsandhoney.com 

USABride | usabride.com 

FLOWERS 

Accents by Sage Floral Design 

916-799-6242 | accentsbysage.com 


916-730-1635 | ameshaus.com 

Amour Florist & Bridal 

916-392-8168 | amourmoments.com 


775-266-9285 | carsonvalleyflorist.com 

Curious Floral 

916-812-2506 | curiousfloral.com 

Flourish 

916-212-5179 | flourishdesigns.com 

Morningside Florist 

916-635-9891 | morningsideflorist.com 



The Party Concierge 

916-440-8080 | partyconcierge.com 

Placerville Flowers on Main 

530-622-1121 | placervilleflowersonmain.com 

Relles Florist 

916-441-1478 | rellesflorist.com 

Rodarte Floral Design 

916-799-3625 | rodartefloraldesign.com 


530-758-5050 | weddingsbystrelitzia.com 

Wild Flowers Design Group 

916-899-1289 | wildflowersdesigngroup.com 

WHOLESALE FLOWERS 

Wholesale Flowers from FiftyFlowers.com 


STYLED DÉCOR VIGNETTES 

DESIGNER AND FLORAL DESIGNER 



FURNITURE AND DÉCOR 

Blossom Farm Vintage Rentals 

530-681-8937 | blossomfarmrentals.com 

DÉCOR FLOWERS 

Wholesale Flowers 

from FiftyFlowers.com 

Designed by Paradise Parkway Event Productions 


SET CAKES 

Frank Vilt’s Cakes 

530-409-7046 | frankviltscakes.com 

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR REAL BRIDE 

MODELS, CURISSA AND BLYTHE, AND ALL OF 

THE PROFESSIONALS WHO CONTRIBUTED 

TO THIS FEATURE! 

WANT TO BE OUR NEXT 

COVER MODEL FINALIST? 

GO TO REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM 

AND CLICK ON 

“BE OUR NEXT COVER MODEL” 


Outfitting your 

entire wedding 

party for more 

than 45 years! 

De La Rosa’s 

Bridal & Tuxedos 

319 East Bidwell Street Folsom, CA 95630 

916-983-3400 

www.delarosasbridal.com 


ON CURISSA: 

GOWN FROM DE LA ROSA’S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS; 

HEADPIECE BY TWIGS & HONEY; EARRINGS FROM MACY’S; 

BELT BY LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; 


gold country 

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY 

ALL DOLLED UP 

HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY 

GLAM 

STARRING OUR 


CURISSA WATTS 





HOTEL SUTTER 

Curissa: It’s a dream of mine to be on the cover of a magazine. 

This past New Year’s Eve, my fiancé and I spent the evening 

writing down our dreams and goals for 2019. One of my goals 

was to be on the cover of a magazine. I have a very unique look, 

wild curly hair, and I’m only five feet tall. So I don’t necessarily 

fit the “standard of beauty” that some would expect from a 

cover model. This is why I appreciate spaces where diversity 

is celebrated because it shows everyone that they should feel 

beautiful and comfortable in how they were created! I want to 

be someone who promotes self-love and makes people feel 

good about themselves. It’s my way of saying “This is why YOU 

should love yourself. You’re beautiful the way you are.” 

At the time, I didn’t know how I would achieve that goal! I 

just knew in my heart that it was something I wanted, and I 

knew by writing it down, I could manifest it. On January 30, 

the manager of my wedding venue forwarded me a link to 

the contest. The deadline was February 5 and I dropped off 

my entry that day. I thought it was so cool how just a month 

prior I wrote this goal down and now the opportunity was 

right in front of me! No one but my fiancé knew that this was 

something I longed for. But still, the opportunity found its way 

to me. I believe it was destiny. This was meant to be. 



Curissa: It was so surreal. I felt like I needed to pinch myself 

throughout the day to see if I was dreaming. I was so amazed at 

the energy on set. From the glam team, to the photographers, 

to the set designers and Real Weddings team, everyone was 

passionate about their craft and genuinely happy to be there. 

The whole team was supportive and encouraging toward me. 

I felt extremely comfortable with a group of people I had 

just met! By the middle of the day, it felt like we were one 

big family. We were cracking jokes in between shots and just 

having a blast in each other’s company. 

Overall, my cover model experience was phenomenal! I 

drove home crying because I was so overwhelmed with 

gratitude. The day was amazing from start to finish. I felt 

extremely inspired to continue to pursue my dreams no 

matter how far-fetched, grand or scary they may seem! This 

cover model shoot was proof that anything is possible. OO 





Curissa and to see 


“Gold Country Glam” 

photo shoot. 


RWS-TPG-2018-Cover-OPTIONS.indd 5 


11/6/17 4:27 PM 

DISPLAY UNTIL MAY 31, 2019 

WINTER 2019 

DISPLAY UNTIL FEBRUARY 28, 2019 

RWS-WS19-CoverModel-#2-MOCKS-NARROWED-FINALS.indd 16 

RWS-TPG-2019-Cover -FINAL-FINAL.indd 3 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR COVER MODEL WINNER MAGGIE! 

OUR COVER MODEL CONTEST FINALIST SHOOT WAS PHOTOGRAPHED EXCLUSIVELY BY TY PENTECOST PHOTOGRAPHY 

ON LOCATION AT SHERATON GRAND SACRAMENTO HOTEL. FOR MORE, TURN TO PAGE 111. 

ON MAGGIE: GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; EARRINGS BY CHLOE + ISABEL; BOUQUET BY RELLES FLORIST; 

HAIR BY LISA HARTER HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST; MAKEUP BY JENIFER HAUPT, I MAKE BEAUTIFUL 

11/12/18 2:51 PM 

11/9/18 10:06 PM 

let’s plan! 

Looking for your 

Wedding Dream Team? 

They’re all right here in REAL WEDDINGS! 

FALL 2017 

DISPLAY UNTIL NOVEMBER 30, 2017 

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR COVER MODEL CONTEST WINNER: KAYLA! 

OUR COVER MODEL CONTEST FINALIST SHOOT WAS PHOTOGRAPHED EXCLUSIVELY BY JULIA CROTEAU PHOTOGRAPHY 

ON LOCATION AT OLD SUGAR MILL. FOR MORE, TURN TO PAGE 105. 

GOWN FROM DE LA ROSA’S BRIDAL & TUXEDOS, HEADPIECE BY FORMÉ MILLINERY COMPANY, EARRINGS AND PENDANT NECKLACE BY STYLE AVENUE STUDIOS, 

PEARL NECKLACES BY CAROLEE, HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED LED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY, CAKE BY SOMETHING SWEET BAKERY 

RWS-SF17-Fa l 2017-Cover-REV.indd 1 5/8/17 2:14 PM 

SPRING 2019 



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EXTENSIVE VENDOR INFORMA 

PLANNING WORKSHEETS 

THE T 

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CONTACT LISTS...AN 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR COVER MODEL WINNERS NICOLETTE AND QUINN! 

OUR COVER MODEL CONTEST FINALIST SHOOT WAS PHOTOGRAPHED EXCLUSIVELY BY ROCHELLE WILHELMS PHOTOGRAPHY 

ON LOCATION AT TRIPLE S RANCH. FOR MORE, TURN TO PAGE 87. 



real 

ON NIKKI (LEFT): GOWN FROM ANHA'S BRIDAL; EARRINGS BY PERFECT DETAILS; BRACELET BY ERICA KOESLER; SHOES FROM DSW; 

BOUQUET BY RELLES FLORIST; HAIR BY HALO SALON & DAY SPA; MAKEUP BY HAPPILY BEAUTIFUL MAKEUP ARTISTRY AND SKIN STUDIO 

ON QUINN (RIGHT): SKIRT FROM SPARKLE BRIDAL COUTURE; DENIM JACKET AND TANK TOP FROM OLD NAVY; 

HEADPIECE BY LUXURIOUS BRIDAL; JEWELRY BY SORRELLI JEWELRY; BOUQUET BY THE BLOOM LAB; HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ALL DOLLED UP HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTRY 

SET DESIGNED BY L SQUARED AFFAIRS; SET RENTALS FROM BLOSSOM FARM VINTAGE RENTALS; 

SET FLOWERS DESIGNED BY L SQUARED AFFAIRS WITH WHOLESALE FLOWERS FROM FIFTYFLOWERS.COM 

RWS-WS19-CoverModel-#1-MOCKS-RELINKED TO NEW-X2-NARROWED-FINALS-final.indd 49 11/13/18 3:06 PM 

RWS-TPG-2016-Covers-FINAL.indd 2 

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FEATURING TOP WEDDING PROFESSIONALS FROM SACRAMENTO TO THE SIERRA 

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YES, THIS REALLY COULD BE 

YOU 

ON THE NEXT COVER OF 

REAL WEDDINGS 

MAGAZINE OR 

REAL WEDDINGS MAGAZINE’S 

THE PLANNING GUIDE 

WE ONLY FEATURE 

REAL BRIDES IN 

OUR PHOTO SHOOTS— 

SO IF YOU’VE GOT COVER 

ASPIRATIONS AND 

ARE A REAL 

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 

BRIDE, 

ENTER OUR COVER 

MODEL CONTEST TODAY! 

DOWNLOAD THE 

ENTRY FORM AT: 

REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM


ON BLYTHE: 

GOWN FROM SECOND SUMMER BRIDE; JEWELRY FROM MACY’S; 

BOUQUET BY AMOUR FLORIST & BRIDAL; 



gold country 

GLAM 

STARRING OUR 


BLYTHE SUAZO 




HOTEL SUTTER 


Blythe: It felt like the perfect way to truly embrace 

and celebrate everything about my new chapter of 

becoming a BRIDE! Especially being a Sacramento 

native with so much love for my roots, I just knew 

this opportunity would be a phenomenal way to 

commemorate that. 

WHAT DID YOUR PARTNER THINK ABOUT YOU 

ENTERING THIS CONTEST? WHAT WAS THEIR 

REACTION WHEN YOU WERE SELECTED? WHAT 

WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU WERE SELECTED? 

Blythe: He was so excited (and cute)—we both weren’t 

so sure if anything would come of it, but the hope for 

this unique possibility was definitely there. When I was 

selected I am pretty certain he shouted “MY BRIDE 

IS FAMOUS, WOOWEE HOT MOMMA!!” I was so 

overwhelmed (in the best way possible!), and while I 

have no modeling experience and had no idea what to 

expect, I could not stop smiling and could not wait for 

the shoot to come! 

Lawley Ranch 

40298 BEST RANCH ROAD, WOODLAND 

LAWLEYRANCH.COM | (530) 405-9514 




Blythe and to see 



photo shoot. 




Blythe: I can’t even begin to express how incredible the 

entire day was. I walked into Hotel Sutter to so many 

beautiful, smiling faces, a robe and flip flops waiting 

for me, and superwomen as my hair and makeup team. 

Everyone made me feel as if we’d been friends for years; 

it was so comfortable. I truly felt like a bridal QUEEN; 

all of the thought and heart that went into making every 

different look what it was simply comes down to one 

word: magic. That’s what the whole process was. From 

the coordinators, photographers and videographer, hair 

and makeup, fashion team to the bridal bouquets…if 

you can’t tell, I could go on and on! It’s impossible to 

choose a favorite part, because it’s genuinely the entire 

start to finish that made this such a special experience. 

My heart was overflowing with joy and eagerness 

knowing this “practice bridal run” would soon be the 

real deal; and I couldn’t stop reflecting on how I can’t 

wait to say “I Do” to my best friend. The excitement 

from the day filled every room we went to, and I 

couldn’t wipe the smile off my face afterward! OO 

—Interviewed by Emily Peter

CAPTURING LIFE’S PRECIOUS MOMENTS...ONE PHOTO AT A TIME 

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JULIA CROTEAU 

PHOTOGRAPHY

style: the sets from our cover model contest photo shoot 

gold country 

GLAM 

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EVENT PRODUCTIONS 



SHOT ON LOCATION AT 

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PHOTO SHOOT— 

FOR ADDITIONAL CREDITS 

TURN TO PAGE 129 



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snapshots 

LAURA & KYLE 

PHOTOGRAPHER: BETHANY PETRIK PHOTOGRAPHY | BETHANYPETRIK.COM 

see their wedding and meet their entire dream team on realweddingsmag.com 

LAUREL & ABEL 

PHOTOGRAPHER: MARIEA RUMMEL PHOTOGRAPHY 

MARIEARUMMEL.COM 

see their wedding and meet their entire 

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SHELBY & JUSTIN 

PHOTOGRAPHER: CORI ANN PHOTOGRAPHY 

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TAYLOR & KRISTOPHER 

PHOTOGRAPHER: DEE & KRIS PHOTOGRAPHY | DEEANDKRISPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 


KRISSY & JEFF 

PHOTOGRAPHER: ERICA BALDWIN PHOTOGRAPHY 

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LETICIA & LUIS 

PHOTOGRAPHER: MONICA S PHOTOGRAPHY 

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KATIE & PETER 

PHOTOGRAPHER: LAUREN HALEY PHOTOGRAPHY 

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BECCA & JACOB 

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JANAE & AUSTIN 

PHOTOGRAPHER: ANDREW & MELANIE PHOTOGRAPHY | ANDREWANDMELANIE.COM 



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SHANNON & NICHOLAS 

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eal weddings 

As the night closed and the last song 

played, our guests’ smiles still adorned 

their faces and boisterous chuckles 

echoed around us, Francisco drew me 

closer and whispered, ‘this has been the 

best day.’ With a sigh of agreement, I 

burrowed my cheek into his shoulder and 

delighted in the last few moments we had 

of this special day. 

—Amanda 

AMANDA 

& FRANCISCO 


JENNIFER CLAPP FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 



The love story between 

Francisco and Amanda 

started almost like a romantic 

comedy: they met 

when Francisco teased 

Amanda about her 

“Where’s Waldo-”esque 

striped shirt in their high 

school chemistry class. 

They later started dating 

and shared their first “I 

love you” with each other 

as teens. 

However, unlike a 

romantic comedy, there 

was no plot twist or problem to 

overcome; the two dated for 11 

happy years before becoming 

engaged in front of the massive 

Ferris wheel at the California 

State Fair. 

The two held a traditional ceremony 

at Vizcaya Sacramento—a 

venue Amanda describes as a 

“unique find in the heart of Sacramento.” They 

did add a unique element to the vows, however: 

a wine box ceremony, in which the couple 

each placed letters to one another. “On our fifth 

wedding anniversary, we’ll open our wine box 

and read our love letters and enjoy our wedding 

wine,” she says. 

The reception included a popular international 

tradition, too, pulling from Francisco’s 

Mexican-American heritage: a garter toss set to 

“El Baile del Toro,” a dance in which the best man 

acts as a matador and the groom acts like a bull 

attempting to reach his bride. “We wanted our 

wedding to be a fusion of cultures. This is a fun 

dance!” says Francisco. 

Amanda spent much of her wedding planning 

efforts on the décor in the reception venue, 

with a palette she describes as “light and airy 

with florals highlighting every table.” They both 

say, though, that in addition 

to focusing on 

the aesthetic elements, 

food was also a big factor, 

from the late-night 

street tacos to the cake, 

with both apricot and 

strawberry-citrus buttercream 

tiers. 

While it’s not unusual 

for couples to feel a little 

exhausted and overwhelmed 

after the wedding, Amanda and 

Francisco say that’s not 

the case for them. “The 

following months were 

full of infatuation,” says 

Francisco. “We could 

not get enough of 

each other in any capacity by constantly 

dancing to our first dance 

song, reviewing photos from our 

honeymoon and wedding, and 

drinking the remnants of our wedding 

wine.” 

They both loved the celebration 

but, like many couples, 

wish they had slowed down 

a bit to enjoy it more. “The 

months and weeks that lead up to your 

wedding go by in state of constant worry 

and anticipation for the things that need 

to be done,” says Francisco. ”My advice 

is always to slow things down as much as 

you can on your wedding day.” But he’s 

willing to admit that’s not always possible. 

“As they say though, time flies by 

when you’re having fun!” OO—Suzie Dundas 


And, just as you did when you were 

16, you immediately go in to plant a kiss 

on her because she blows you away with 

her beauty. 

— Francisco on seeing his bride at their first look 

LIXXIMPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 

THE DETAILS 

t 

VENUE AND CATERER 

Vizcaya Sacramento 

916-594-9285 | vizcayasacramento.com 


PHOTOGRAPHER 

Jennifer Clapp Fine Art Photography 

916-584-4768 | jenniferclappphotography.com 


SELECT RENTALS 

Celebrations! Party Rentals & Tents 

916-773-2133 | 916-562-2900 | 775-773-8900 

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ShowBiz Event Lighting 

916-214-2689 

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We offer lighting, sound, staging 

and confetti services to help create 

the wedding of your dreams. 

TURN TO PAGE 200 FOR MORE OF 

AMANDA & FRANCISCO’S 

WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 

> VISIT OUR WEBSITE REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM FOR A 

FULL LIST OF AMANDA & FRANCISCO’S WEDDING 

PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH MORE DETAILS, 

PHOTOS AND TIPS FROM THE COUPLE. 



TANCY & PAUL 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOLITA VASQUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY 

For Tancy and Paul, their wedding and 

their relationship is all about meaningful 

connections. For starters, the two are 

combining their last names, with an “M” 

from Tancy’s and the “ill” from Paul’s. The 

duo held their wedding on September 16th 

because it’s the area code for Sacramento, 

the town they now both call home after 

each moving several times before meeting. And they held 

their reception at The Waffle Experience, one of the first 

places they went out together and one of their favorite 

places to eat. Even their cat is named Waffles, adding yet 

another meaningful connection to the joyful day. 

Tancy describes herself as a planner while they both 

agree Paul is far more spontaneous, which probably 

explains the unplanned proposal. “The longer I carried 

the ring, the more it stressed me out. After holding on 

to it for a couple months I was ready to throw that ring 

into the pit of Mount Doom.” says Paul. Eventually, he 

decided to propose spur-of-the-moment on a camping 

trip, suggesting that the two go for a walk next to a small 

stream. “I was warm by the fire and almost said ‘no!’” says 

Tancy. Fortunately, the proposal went off without a hitch, 

and the two decided to officially tie the knot. 

The kept the ceremony cozy and small at Gold 

Hill Gardens, and were fortunate enough to use all the 

flowers and décor from a wedding the day before. The 

celebration then moved to the waffle restaurant; a location 

Paul says they choose because 

they wanted to create a low-key and 

fun atmosphere. “We wanted something 

that felt uniquely us—not too stuffy or 

formal,” he says. They opted to have 

guests choose one of two options off the 

standard menu, paired with a handful 

of sides. But the real treat was dessert. 

They decided against having a cake (“We skipped cake— 

it just wasn’t us,” says Paul) and instead treated their 

guests to a build-your-own-waffle bar. Guests selected 

mini waffles decked out with everything from apple 

compote to salted espresso caramel to candied walnuts 

and chocolate sauce. 

Though Tancy doesn’t describe herself as anything 

close to “girly,” she says that one of her favorite wedding 

day details was her dress, along with her handmade 

flower-and-freshwater-pearl crown. For Paul, he thought 

the wedding was perfect and had a blast the entire time, 

which is why one of his favorite photos from the wedding 

is one where both he and Tancy look tired and defeated. 

”I like to pull it up and laugh at it,” he says. “I actually 

had a lot of fun, so it’s hilarious that we were making 

that face.” 

The two wrapped up their laid-back celebration 

with a laid-back honeymoon in Half Moon Bay, taking 

walks, paddleboarding and admiring the tide pools 

along the stunning coastline. OO —Suzie Dundas 


Do something different with your 

bridesmaids...host a facial bridal party! 

Try not to cram too much into 

the big day. Leave some time to enjoy it, 

because it will go by fast. 

— Tancy 

SPECIALIZING IN MICRODERMABRASIONS, AROMATHERAPY AND FACIALS 

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THE DETAILS 

PHOTOGRAPHER Lolita Vasquez Photography 

916-393-6551 | lolitavasquezphotography.com 


t 


TANCY & PAUL’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 

> VISIT OUR WEBSITE REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM 

FOR A FULL LIST OF TANCY & PAUL’S 

WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH MORE DETAILS, 


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REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM SUMMER/FALL 2019 REAL WEDDINGS | 143 

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TRACY & PER 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISTINA CILIA PHOTOGRAPHY 

Tracy and Per met 10 years ago through their church. 

What started out as friendship turned into so much 

more. “We were friends for about three years prior to us 

becoming a couple,” Tracy says. “When we blended our 

families together, life became very real. Between us, we 

had five children from the ages of 10 to 18. It was a lot of 

fun. I would say that brought us closer together as well 

as our family as a whole.” 

As they spent more time together, they realized they 

couldn’t deny their feelings any longer. “We were friends 

and our relationship grew over time,” she says. “One day, 

he said, ‘I’m in love with you.’ And I replied ‘I am in love 

with you too.’ From then on, we have been together.” 

With their relationship going great, Per was ready 

to propose. He took Tracy out to lunch at their favorite 

restaurant. It was a beautiful sunny day so they sat 

outside. After they finished their meal, Per got down on 

one knee and asked Tracy to marry him. “I jumped up 

and said, ‘We just got engaged!’ and everyone starting 

cheering for us. It was a lot of fun,” she says. 

Tracy started planning right away, though the couple 

wanted to take their time with it as well. They were engaged 

for about four years before they got married. “It 

is a lot to try and plan a wedding on your own and work 

full-time,” she says. “I planned my wedding myself and 

ended up getting a day-of wedding planner. The wedding 

was spectacular!” 

Seeing as they took their time, no detail was left 

untouched. “Everything went exactly how I had planned 

it; the day could not have been any better,” she says. “I 

enjoyed seeing my vision come to life. It was so fulfilling 

after all the hard work to see it turn out exactly how I had 

planned.” They both envisioned the wedding having a 

classic and elegant look and feel. “It was an amazing day 

and one of the best days of my life,” she says. 

Looking back on the special day, both Tracy and Per 

think back to the moment when she walked down the 

aisle. “As I was walking down the aisle and I saw Per, I 

couldn’t believe we were finally getting married after 

all this time and I was so happy,” she says. Per felt it was 

the best possible dream come true. “When I saw Tracy 

walk down the aisle, I could not believe how beautiful she 

looked. I felt so lucky to have her in my life.” OO 

 

—Kourtney Jason 


I enjoyed seeing my vision come to life. 

It was so fulfilling after all the hard work to see 

it turn out exactly how I had planned. 

— Tracy 

THE DETAILS 

VENUE AND CATERER Park Winters 

530-669-3692 | parkwinters.com 


PHOTOGRAPHER Kristina Cilia Photography 

707-724-1732 | kristinaciliaphotography.com 


t 

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WEDDINGS 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KATHRYN WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY / KATHRYNWHITEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 


TRACY & PER’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 

> VISIT OUR WEBSITE REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM FOR A FULL 

LIST OF TRACY & PER’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG 

WITH MORE DETAILS, PHOTOS AND TIPS FROM THE COUPLE. 

WWW.HOTELSUTTER.COM 



SARAH & CONNOR 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MORAIRTY PHOTOGRAPHY 

Sarah met Connor during her freshman year at Butte 

College. “I had been recruited to play volleyball there, and 

Connor had transferred to Chico State from the University 

of Reno,” says Sarah, “but not all of his courses transferred 

so he got ‘stuck’ in accounting with me.” The pair 

was placed together in a group project, and Conner was 

able to get her number. As Sarah says, “the rest is history.” 

In 2016, the couple took an annual pilgrimage to 

Disneyland. Sarah is a huge Disney fan, and one of the 

couple’s first trips together was to the theme park. “He’s 

not a die-hard like me,” she notes about Connor, “so 

normally I have to bug him to wake up early with me to 

do the early entry, but he was up and about very early 

this particular trip.” She explains that they first usually 

get a FastPass to Indiana Jones, their favorite ride, but on 

this occasion he insisted on taking pictures by the castle 

before it got too busy. “As soon as we got in front of the 

castle, he got down on one knee,” she remembers. “It 

was all a blur after that, neither of us remember what we 

said to one another, but I obviously said ‘yes.’ The most 

amazing part was that a photographer captured all of 

it. The photographer proceeded to take us around the 

park to do an impromptu photo shoot and it was a blast.” 

Sarah, a bridal hairstylist, had the White Ranch in 

Chico on her radar as a potential wedding location. “I had 

done weddings there in the past, and I just fell in love with 

the venue.” With a two-year engagement, the couple had 

plenty of time to prepare. “You plan all of it out, but once 

you’re actually there, it becomes so much more real and 

exciting,” Sarah says. 

Flowers are the bride’s favorite part of the wedding, 

so she especially enjoyed picking her flowers and centerpieces. 

“I loved all of our arrangements—from the big 

pieces on the wine barrels, to my bouquet, the eucalyptus 

garland and the floral arrangement on the arbor where 

our ceremony took place,” she says. 

The couple exchanged vows in front of a weeping 

willow and freshwater pond. “It’s still one of my favorite 

places, as it is just so beautiful,” shares Sarah. “The aisle 

was lined with shepherd’s hooks and floral arrangements 

as well as two huge floral pieces on wine barrels on either 

side; it was just so pretty and there were flowers everywhere 

just like I wanted.” 

One of Sarah’s most memorable moments of the 

evening was her father-daughter dance. “We both cried 

and had a very real and candid conversation while we 

danced,” she remembers. For a bit of humor, the bride 

“iced” her groom with a Smirnoff Ice strapped to her leg 

when he went in for her garter. “He got that instead 

and had to throw it back before we could proceed,” 

she laughs. “It has been an ongoing joke with all 

of his friends to ice each other, so I thought it was 

only fitting.” 

As they exited the reception, the newlyweds were 

given a send off in a cloud of bubbles by their guests 

and drove away in Sarah’s dad’s green 55 Chevy Baja 

race truck. “This was Connor’s dream 

come true.” OO—Darren Elms 


Standing in the old barn with 

my dad getting ready to walk down the 

aisle was so surreal. I spent my whole 

life waiting for this and there it was 

right outside the door. It was so crazy 

and magical. 

— Sarah 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Chris Morairty Photography 

916-247-8084 | chrismorairtyphotography.com 



SARAH & CONNOR’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 

> VISIT OUR WEBSITE REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM 

FOR A FULL LIST OF SARAH & CONNOR’S 





HEIDI & JAMES-PHILLIP 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TEMPLE PHOTOGRAPHY & PHOTO BOOTH 

Heidi and James met when James and his younger 

brother moved into a rental property Heidi owned. They 

hit it off and dated for two and a half years before getting 

engaged at Grace Patriot Wines in Camino, where James 

proposed at an outside table surrounded by Heidi’s favorite 

treats: desserts and wine. They stopped by his mom’s 

house to announce the news, and, to Heidi’s surprise, 

James had arranged an engagement party. “It was an 

absolute shock and so much fun,” she says. “There were 

a lot of happy tears and excitement.” 

Nearly six months later, they married in an outside 

ceremony at Strawberry Lodge in Kyburz. They chose a 

rustic yet contemporary theme featuring white, cream 

and pops of wine red and cobalt blue. The décor featured 

white chairs, rustic lanterns and a wood gazebo. A pastor 

officiated the small and intimate ceremony where Heidi 

and James added their own vows. 

The outdoor reception at Strawberry Lodge included 

dinner, drinks, dancing, string lights and a late-night 

snack. The fun continued all weekend long. “We enjoyed 

hanging out with family on Friday night and Saturday 

morning to set up,” says Heidi. “The wedding Saturday 

went all through the night. And then breakfast with everyone 

on Sunday morning! It was amazing getting to know 

everyone better and bond as a family but mainly to not 

be rushed to set up and take down within the same day.” 

Heidi loved the photo wall James made out of rustic 

wood. “It was amazing to see it brought to 

life and it was so fun to see everyone taking 

photos in front of it for us and to post on 

their social media,” says Heidi, explaining 

they plan to display it at their home, outside 

the dining room window so they can be 

reminded of their wedding day. 

The couple enjoyed shooting photos, 

especially by an old barn. “We were having 

so much fun being goofy and I got to put 

Heidi over my shoulder,” James says. “It 

was just a surreal feeling being with my 

bride in her wedding dress knowing this day had finally 

come for us both.” 

Heidi was surprised and happy that everything came 

together as planned. “Once we saw it all come together 

and everyone enjoying themselves, it was an incredible 

feeling and was amazing to see my Pinterest board 

brought to life,” she says. “Everything we did, and everything 

James built, was exactly what we envisioned.”OO 

—Kristen Castillo 


Our wedding was 

amazing, and I loved 

having Heidi by my side 

the entire time. 

—James 

TRANSFORMING EVENTS 

INTO TRADITIONS 

1015 Front Street Old Sacramento 

916-441-7966 www.fatscatering.com 

Discover Sacramento’s Best 

CINZO.NET 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

Temple Photography & Photo Booth 

916-856-2543 | ritatemplephotography.com 


BRIDE’S AND BRIDESMAIDS’ ATTIRE 




SELECT RENTALS 

El Dorado Hills Party Rentals 

916-933-2500 | edhpartyrentals.com 



HEIDI & JAMES’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 

> VISIT OUR WEBSITE REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM FOR 

A FULL LIST OF HEIDI & JAMES’S WEDDING 

PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH MORE DETAILS, PHOTOS 

AND TIPS FROM THE COUPLE. 


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CHELSEA & 

CHRISTOPHER 


RANDY JACKSON AND 

ROCHELLE WILHELMS WITH 

ROCHELLE WILHELMS PHOTOGRAPHY 

Although Chelsea and Chris were both born 

and raised in Vacaville, they attended separate 

high schools and didn’t meet until after college. 

They were both hanging out at the local In-N-Out 

when they first connected. “It wasn’t until five 

months later that I mustered up the courage to 

message her on Facebook because I hadn’t seen 

her since,” says Chris. “From there it was history!” 

One of the first places the pair frequented 

while they got to know each other was Mount 

Vaca, locally known as “Top of the World.” The 

day he proposed, Chris told Chelsea he wanted 

to go there to take photos of her since he got a 

new camera and wanted to test it out. “Unbeknownst 

to her, I had my best friends already up 

on the rock that we had watched the sunset on 

three years before, laying out a bed of rose petals 

blanketing the rock for me to propose on,” 

he shares. “After I proposed I gathered all of our 

closest family and friends to celebrate.” 

One of the couple’s first priorities when 

planning the wedding was securing an amazing 

photographer and videographer to capture the 

day. “The choice was easy when it came to booking 

Rochelle Wilhelms and her second shooter, 

Randy Jackson, and Leon Films and Classic City 

Films,” says Chris. “Once we booked our venue 

and had the photographer and videographer 

locked in, we felt much more at 

ease with everything else we had 

to accomplish for our wedding.” 

In addition to support from the 

wedding venue, they hired Aubrey 

from Alluring Events to help 

with advice and contracts. 

The ceremony was officiated 

by a longtime friend of Chris’s parents, who 

had been an integral part of his growing up. “He 

was someone that always believed in me and 

pushed me to chase after my dreams,” the groom 

says. “We shared our own vows and both got 

emotional while doing so. There’s something so 

special about committing your life to someone in 

front of all your friends and family.” 

Both the ceremony and reception took 

place at the same location, with the site of the 

vows turning into a dance floor for the reception. 

“Something we loved about our venue 

was the lighting created to give the reception a 

dreamy atmosphere,” Chris says. “We had string 

lights hanging between the trees and cascading 

around the dance floor, which looked absolutely 

magical that night.” 

But the newlyweds agree that sharing vows 

were surely the highlight of the day. Says Chelsea, 

”It was a unique moment that we prepared for 

through our years of dating, putting our thoughts 

into words and sharing our vision and commitments 

for the future with each other.” OO 

 

—Darren Elms 


We shared our own vows and both got 

emotional while doing so. There’s something so 

special about commiting your life to someone in 

front of all your friends and family. 

—Chris 

Sacramento Masonic Temple 

XSIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO / XSIGHTUSA.COM 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Rochelle Wilhelms Photography 

707-681-5661 | rochellewilhelms.com 


CAKE AND CUPCAKES Sugar Bits Custom Cakes 

916-936-BITS (2487) | sugarbitscc.com 


TURN TO PAGE 200 FOR MORE OF CHELSEA & 

CHRIS’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 

We can easily accommodate up to 500 guests. 

Please schedule an appointment to view the rooms in person, 

by calling us at (916) 443-5058 

> VISIT OUR WEBSITE REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM FOR A 

FULL LIST OF CHELSEA & CHRIS’S WEDDING 

PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH MORE DETAILS, 



Reservations and Information: (916) 443-5058 

1123 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 

www.sacramentomasonictemple.org


ASHLEY & 

SAMUEL 


JULIA CROTEAU PHOTOGRAPHY 

Ash and Sam met through mutual 

friends on a river float down 

the Mokelumne River. “A friend 

and I fell behind, and Sam held 

on to my foot and pulled me until 

the end of the float,” she remembers. 

“We talked the entire time.” 

A few years later, they would get 

engaged in Lake Tahoe while 

taking a scenic winter walk. 

The pair had very few expectations for their 

wedding. “We just wanted everyone to have fun, 

even kids,” Ash says. “Our wedding was very 

kid-friendly.” But they did have one request on 

dessert. “We knew we wanted pie!” 

Ash was thankful for the help of her “awesome” 

maid of honor, Desiree. “Our favorite 

time was probably the food tastings,” the bride 

shares. “The food was amazing and the cakes 

and pies were delicious. 

The couple exchanged vows during a sunlit 

afternoon in the company of their closest friends 

and family. “Our arch was unique,” Ash says. “We 

stood under two ladders that were decorated 

with succulents and two special knobs, one of 

Wonder Woman and one of Batman. They were 

small and we doubt anyone saw them but we 

knew they were there.” The bride also wore glittery 

Wonder Woman wedges 

and Sam sported customized 

Converse with Batman symbols 

and colors. 

The outdoor ceremony surrounded 

guests with fountains, 

sunflower and rose gardens and 

strings of lights. The reception 

that followed was held under a 

draped tent lit by chandeliers. 

“Needless to say, it was breathtaking,” Ash says. 

But the most memorable moment for the couple 

was the cake cutting. “I did a smash and run,” 

she laughs. “Sam, of course, got me back, but at 

the end of the night when our friends smashed 

another piece in his face, it was epic!” The cake 

also featured their signature superheroes as 

the toppers. 

Ash’s favorite part of the day was when the 

party started. “The deed was done and it was 

time for shots and celebration,” 

she says. But Sam reminisces 

about the end of the 

reception. “All of our friends 

were dancing in a circle together,” 

the groom recalls 

fondly. “Just like old times.” 

OO —Darren Elms 


We stood under two ladders that were decorated 

with succulents and two special knobs, one of Wonder 

Woman and one of Batman. They were small and we doubt 

anyone saw them but we knew they were there. 

—Ash 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Julia Croteau Photography 

530-295-4850 | 530-953-9848 | juliacroteauphotography.com 


PHOTO BOOTH Temple Photography & Photo Booth 

916-856-2543 | ritatemplephotography.com | See ad on page 235 

TURN TO PAGE 200 FOR MORE OF ASH & SAM’S 


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ASH & SAM’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH MORE DETAILS, 




LAKEISHA & 

ALBERT 


CHUCK ROBERTS PHOTOGRAPHY 

Thanks to a matchmaking mom, LaKeisha and 

Al first met back in 2013. “My mom played cupid, 

and I still can’t believe it!” shares LaKeisha. “She 

expressed how this good-looking single guy was 

working at her job part-time.” After giving her 

mom permission to give him her number, the 

two connected and went on a first date. “We 

have been inseparable ever since,” she says. “Our 

shared love for God and family made me love 

him more and more each day!” 

A few years later, the couple spent Valentine’s 

Day weekend together in San Francisco. 

After dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse, Al suggested 

they go to The Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton 

for a nightcap. “I could tell something was off 

with him that night,” recalls LaKeisha. “He kept 

asking me over and over if I was having a great 

time. My response was ‘Babe, of course I’m having 

a great time.’” After cocktails and dessert, he 

excused himself for a moment. Upon his return 

he got down on one knee and asked for her hand. 

“I was truly surprised and overjoyed,” she says. 

With a two-year engagement, the couple 

enjoyed plenty of time to plan their ideal wedding. 

“We wanted our big day to be a celebration 

with our closest family and friends,” says 

the bride. 

LaKeisha applauds her planner Belinda Cunningham 

of B-Coming Event Planning and Decor 

for keeping her on track. “I’m such a procrastinator, 

so she really kept us on our toes and on 

schedule with everything,” LaKeisha says. The 

couple also loved their photographer, Mackenzie 

of Chuck Roberts Photography, “I can’t express 

how much Al and I love her work,” she adds. “She 

made our photos look like a fairy tale!” 

LaKeisha can only describe the ceremony 

at Capitol Plaza Ballrooms as truly magical. “Al 

and I were blessed to have his grandfather, Pastor 

Erby Sr., marry us on our special day.” The 

reception was held in the same venue, but on a 

different floor in The Silver Ballroom. “Once we 

stepped out of the elevator we were mesmerized 

with the colors and lighting, and the food was 

pretty amazing,” LaKeisha says. “Our wedding 

planner and her team truly did an amazing job 

decorating!” 

One of the most memorable moments of 

the evening came from Al himself. “My father 

died from stomach cancer in 2015,” says 

the bride. “My mom, sister and I took it 

really hard when he passed. During the 

reception, Al surprised me with a slideshow 

of all the truly unforgettable moments 

with my dad. I cried like a baby, 

but that moment I will never forget; we 

really felt my dad’s spirit that night.” OO 



Folsom Community Center 

Let Us Host Your Very Special Day! 

Our favorite part of the 

day was saying I do! 

—the couple 

Our Wedding Amenities include: 

n Two ballrooms and open-air terrace; accommodations for up to 500 guests 

n Beautiful outdoor photo settings 

n Elevated stage, A/V & lighting 

n Full commercial kitchen and bar facility 

Call for Tours: 916-461-6620 

52 nAtOmA street • FOlsOm, cA 95630 

www.folsom.ca.us 

THE DETAILS 

t 

WEDDING PLANNER AND EVENT DESIGNER 

B-Coming Event Planning and Decor 

916-572-7381 | bcomingevents.com | See ad on page 236 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

Chuck Roberts Photography 

916-632-8941 | chuckrobertsphoto.com | See ad on page 234 

FLORAL DESIGNER 

Bouquet Florist & Gifts 

916-488-4888 | 800-676-4888 | bouquetfloristandgifts.com | See ad on page 237 

Your travel adventure starts now! 

TURN TO PAGE 200 FOR MORE OF LAKEISHA & AL’S 



LAKEISHA & AL’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG 


1(800) 872-8233 

info@exquisitetravelgroup.com 

ExquisiteDestinationWeddings.com 

CST #2048558-40 



HANNAH & DARREN 


JENNIFER RAPOZA PHOTOGRAPHY & PHOTO BOOTHS 

Childhood sweethearts Hannah and Darren 

met in second grade when Darren transferred to 

her school. They attended every class together 

through eighth grade. Years later, Darren proposed 

in June of 2018 on the top of the Sandia 

Mountains in New Mexico. Six months later, they 

married in a meadow in Twain Harte. 

The ceremony was simple and straight to the 

point. “We just wanted everything to be natural 

and subtle so that we could focus on our marriage 

celebration and the people who came to 

support us,” says Hannah, who chose slate blue as 

her color theme since it’s calming and traditional. 

Before the wedding, Hannah had butterflies 

in her stomach but felt so much better when she 

saw her groom at the reveal. “I was so happy and 

relieved when we finally got to see each other,” 

she says. Darren says seeing Hannah was a “feeling 

unlike anything else. I quite literally was at a 

loss for words and couldn’t look at her enough.” 

They held their reception in a barn that has 

special significance to the couple—growing up, 

they both often passed the barn as it was being 

built. “It would be Darren’s dream house and our 

dream to have a cabin like that when we grow 

old,” says Hannah. “It just fit us, we grew up by 

it, and it was gorgeous just like our relationship.” 

The 240 guests dined on a pasta bar, tri-tip, 

chicken and s’mores. Their rustically decorated 

cake featured three tiers with buttermilk frosting. 

It was completed with flowers and a personalized 

wood burned topper. 

For their first dance, Hannah and Darren 

danced to a combination of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” 

and Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in 

Love.” That second song was a nod to the bride’s 

grandparents who often played that song in their 

home and at their 50th wedding anniversary. 

Everyone was dancing that night, especially the 

groom. “I am typically not a dancing fella but it 

sure was a good time to get out there with all of 

our friends and family,” says Darren. 

Despite being swept up with planning before 

the wedding, Hannah wasn’t overwhelmed on the 

big day. “I was surprised about how much I did 

not care about the details,” she 

says, noting that during planning 

she was focused on every detail, 

including planning every song. 

“On the wedding day I did not 

hear a single song that played; I 

was too busy enjoying my wedding.” 

The couple wishes the day 

could have lasted longer. “You 

have to continually stop and 

take mental pictures of what 

is happening because it only 

happens once in your life,” 

says Darren. OO— Kristen Castillo 


My favorite wedding day moment was sitting 

at the head table with Hannah looking out and seeing 

all the friends and family that had traveled across the 

nation to support us on our special day. 

—Darren 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

Jennifer Rapoza Photography & Photo Booths 

209-613-4476 | jenniferrapozaphotography.com | See ad on page 10 


HANNAH & DARREN’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 


HANNAH & DARREN’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH 

MORE DETAILS, PHOTOS AND TIPS FROM THE COUPLE. 



CATHY & JEFF 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEAGAN LUCY PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Cathy and Jeff met at a dessert bar in Seattle. 

They dated for five years. Then came the proposal: 

“He surprised me at home by proposing 

one day,” says Cathy. “He even had my corgi 

deliver the ring.” 

The couple originally wanted to get married 

in Italy but due to the logistics of getting 

their guests there, they decided to get married 

closer to home. They chose to say “I Do” at Clos 

LaChance Vineyards because the winery immediately 

reminded them of a Tuscan villa and 

evoked the kind of ambiance they dreamed 

about. The couple chose a soft and romantic 

palette of light pink, peach and cream to complement 

the winery’s rustic elegance. “We had a 

simple and intimate ceremony, which was what 

we both had wanted,” she says. “We had a string 

trio playing some of our favorite songs and we 

had a mutual friend officiating so it was a very 

personal experience.” 

Wedding planning was tough enough but 

the couple had even more details to plan. “The 

biggest challenge was trying to buy a house 

the week before our wedding, which was a bad 

idea,” says Jeff. Yet, Cathy was surprised she was 

able to stay calm on the big day. “I was expecting 

to be much more nervous but once I got 

to the winery, everything just felt like it was finally 

coming together.” 

Cathy 

fondly remembers 

meeting Jeff under a big tree among the 

grapevines before the ceremony. “I just felt so 

excited to see him and to start our lives together 

as a married couple,” she says. “It was almost 

like meeting for the first time again.” Jeff loved 

listening to Cathy read her vows. “I felt so lucky 

to be with her,” he says. 

The guest list was intimate with 40 attendees, 

and the couple passed on having a bridal 

party, except for the bride’s baby niece who 

served as flower girl. They also skipped other 

traditions. “I think we’re both non-traditional 

people so we intentionally left out all the Chinese 

traditions from my side,” says Cathy. 

The reception was held outside on the terrace. 

The newlyweds wanted an outdoor reception 

since they love dining al fresco. Plus, 

they didn’t want their guests to have to travel 

to another location. “It was magical seeing our 

reception tables set up with our personal photos 

and the flowers, which looked even better than I 

envisioned,” says Cathy. 

There were some notable moments during 

their wedding day including 

watching Jeff’s father “dance 

for the first time since 1980” 

and Cathy seeing her husband 

do the worm. “I didn’t 

know he could even move 

like that,” she says. OO 

 



I just felt so excited to 

see him and to start our lives 

together as a married couple. It 

was almost like meeting for the 

first time again. 

— Cathy 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

Meagan Lucy Photographers 

916-484-1164 | meaganlucy.com/wedding | See ad on page 18 


CATHY & JEFF’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 


CATHY & JEFF’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH 



5starweddingfilms.com 

5starweddingfilms@gmail.com • 916.905.5782


TARIN & MATT 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JB WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY 

Sparks, Nevada, born and raised, Tarin and Matt have 

had mutual friends since middle school, but it was when 

they bumped into each other at a country concert at the 

University of Nevada in Reno that they hit it off. After 

four years of dating, along came a proposal—complete 

with candles, personalized football jerseys, “Me and You” 

by Kenny Chesney, a custom ring, and photographer to 

capture the sweet moment. Michael remembers thinking, 

”What better way to start our lives together than on one 

of the greatest days of the year: NFL opening day?” 

It was from that day on that the couple began planning 

their wedding, and Tarin, an excellent planner with 

a knack for organizing, took on the challenge. “The planning 

process went very easy as I knew what I was looking 

for; and Matt and I communicated about everything we 

wanted. The most difficult parts were finding the venue 

and finding my dress,” Tarin explains. 

The couple decided to have their wedding at the Tannenbaum 

Events Center with an outdoor, minimal theme 

and a dance floor big enough for everyone to break it 

down! Just as they wanted, everyone enjoyed the reception 

while eating, laughing and taking pictures, especially 

when it came to the photo booth. “We loved having our 

photo booth and jumping into pictures to surprise our 

guests, and now being able to look back at those pictures 

to see our guests having a blast,” remembers Tarin. 

And don’t forget the four-tiered cake that was 

packed with scrumptious flavors, including chocolate 

raspberry and red velvet. “Shoving cake in Tarin’s face 

was epic!” says Matt. “We both were committed to not 

being the couple to eat it off each other’s hands.” 

Everything—from Tarin walking down the aisle and 

the cake smash to the first dance and even the mashed 

potatoes—was a hit! The MVPs of the night scored a 

touchdown with pictures of their smiling selves and loved 

ones showering them with love and congratulations as 

proof. “My favorite part of the day was sharing my love 

for Matt with our family and friends. I remember smiling 

from ear to ear the entire time,” says Tarin. OO 

—Isabella De Garza 


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My favorite part of the day was sharing 

my love for Matt with our family and friends. 

I remember smiling from ear to ear 

the entire time. 

— Tarin 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER JB Wedding Photography 

916-220-0519 | jbweddingphoto.com 


TURN TO PAGE 200 FOR MORE OF TARIN & MATT’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 


TARIN & MATT’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG 



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FALINA & 

MICHAEL 


ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAMI 

It sounds almost cliché that a professional 

baseball player would 

find his spouse at a baseball game, 

since the job of professional athlete 

no doubt earns more than a 

few female fans. That’s exactly 

what happened for former probaseball 

player Mike, though, who 

met Falina at a game—but it’s 

not exactly what you’d think. “I 

played Citrus Heights Pony League Baseball 

with Falina’s brother, and her father was the 

coach, back when I was 11,” says Mike. “Falina 

was 10 at that time, running around, riding her 

bike and fetching foul baseballs for snow cones 

at our games.” The two were friendly as kids, but 

nothing came of it. 

However, a decade later, during which time 

Mike played for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh 

Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, 

he reconnected with Falina. They dated for 10 

years before Mike pulled off a poolside proposal 

while spending the weekend in Turks and Caicos. 

Though they dated for a decade, they had a 

very quick engagement, planning everything in 

only seven months. Falina says there’s a simple 

reason for that: she couldn’t wait to get married! 

“I went straight up to the Catta Verdera Clubhouse 

to ask what dates were available for that 

year,” she says. “I didn’t want to wait any longer 

to marry my best friend. When you find 

your forever, you want it start as soon 

as possible.” 

In a unique twist, the venue had December 

29 available; the date Falina’s 

parents married on 45 years prior. And 

just as her parents had done, Falina and 

Mike chose to have a candle-lit wedding. 

“I love candles,” she says. “It 

felt really romantic and magical.” 

However, that magic didn’t 

keep Falina from getting a bit 

teary when the music came on for 

her wedding party to begin the 

walk down the aisle. “I was waiting 

in the back room, and I almost lost 

it before walking down the aisle,” 

she says. Fortunately, she held it 

together and made it the altar for what she felt 

was the most memorable moment of the wedding: 

holding hands and saying her vows in front 

of their guests. Mike’s favorite moment took 

place just before that—although he loved hearing 

his guests cheer as he did his own walk down 

the aisle, the best moment for him was seeing 

Falina walk toward him as the music played. 

Between the ceremony and the reception, 

the couple had about half an hour to themselves, 

which Falina says was a great opportunity to 

be together and talk about the day (while also 

enjoying some appetizers, of course). They 

then went right into the 

booty-shaking reception, 

where 160 guests 

danced the night away. 

Both Falina and Mike 

say that while everything 

was amazing, a highlight 

was their wedding cake, 

complete with cascading 

flowers. “I loved our cake 

so much,” says Falina. “I 

remember looking over 

at the cake and getting so 

excited!” OO 

—Suzie Dundas 


Seeing how happy Falina was was by far my 

favorite experience. 

—Mike 

Sutter Creek Bridal Boutique 

209.267.0417 

www.theclothesmine.com 

THE DETAILS 

t 

VENUE AND CATERER Catta Verdera Country Club 

916-645-6722 | cattaverdera.com | See ad on page 143 

PHOTOGRAPHER Artistic Photography by Tami 

530-409-8567 | artisticphotographybytami.com | See ad on page 76 

SELECT RENTALS Celebrations! Party Rentals & Tents 

916-773-2133 | 916-562-2900 | 775-773-8900 

celebrationspartyrentals.com | See ad on page 111 

TURN TO PAGE 200 FOR MORE OF FALINA & MIKE’S 



FALINA & MIKE’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH MORE DETAILS, 




CHRISTINA & 

MICHAEL 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHOOP’S PHOTOGRAPHY 

Christina and Michael, who met while working 

together in a restaurant when they were in college, 

dated for nearly a decade before getting 

engaged. Michael proposed during a hiking trip 

to Yosemite National Park, one of the couple’s 

favorite places to visit. “He pulled his car over at 

a beautiful vista to look at the view and proposed 

with the view of Yosemite in the background,” 

says Christina. “I was completely surprised!” 

Eventually, their save-the-date cards featured 

photos of them hiking in Yosemite, and 

they continued to incorporate nature and scenery 

into their wedding, which was held a year and 

a half later at Cielo Estate Winery. “The willow 

tree and white gazebo where we said our vows 

was fairytale-like to us,” says the bride. “The 

location of the winery is just far enough from 

the hustle and bustle of city life to feel like you 

are getting away, but close enough to not be 

overly burdensome for guests to travel to and 

find a nice place to stay the weekend and enjoy 

themselves.” 

Eighty guests attended the wedding, which 

had a color palette of purple, maroon and pink, 

along with greenery to create a classically 

romantic atmosphere. “It feels like 

I was in a dream because it all happened 

so fast and was such a happy and joyous time,” 

says Christina, who loved her flower arrangements. 

When she first saw Michael on their wedding 

day, Christina says she felt, “Relieved, safe, loved, 

and at peace.” Michael, also savored the time the 

couple shared before the wedding, saying it was 

his favorite part of the day, “It really helped us 

calm down and focus on what was important: 

us!” 

“My favorite wedding day memory is laughing 

with my husband throughout the reception,” 

says Christina. “And once the ceremony was 

over, we finally got to relax and enjoy our family 

and friends.” Christina and Michael loved the 

ease of having their ceremony and reception at 

the same venue. 

While planning was challenging for the couple 

since they didn’t live near the venue or their 

vendors, the day went smoothly. “I expected it to 

be a stressful day but it was not,” says Christina. 

“All of our vendors and our wedding coordinator 

took care of everything. We had a great time!” 

OO —Kristen Castillo 


I expected it to be a stressful day but it was not. All 

of our vendors and our wedding coordinator took care of 

everything. We had a great time! 

—Christina 

THE DETAILS 

t 

VENUE Cielo Estate Winery 

530-672-8575 | cieloestate.com | See ad on page 228 

PHOTOGRAPHER Shoop’s Photography 

916-804-8578 | shoopsphotography.com | See ad on page 42 

BRIDESMAIDS’ ATTIRE The Bridal Box 

916-742-4638 | thebridalbox.net | See ad on page 175 

FLORAL DESIGNER Amour Florist & Bridal 

916-392-8168 | amourmoments.com | See ad on page 222 

TURN TO PAGE 200 FOR MORE OF CHRISTINA & MICHAEL’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 

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WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH MORE DETAILS, PHOTOS AND TIPS FROM THE COUPLE. 



ALEXANDRA & SAMUEL 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERICA BALDWIN PHOTOGRAPHY 

When Alexa looked out on the 

crowd of 120 wedding guests 

just before she was to walk 

down the aisle with her father, 

she felt nervous. That changed 

when she saw her groom. 

“I couldn’t take my eyes off 

of him the whole time I was 

walking and all I wanted to do was get to him,” 

she says. 

Sam said marrying Alexa was the moment 

he’d been waiting for: “In that moment, I couldn’t 

have felt more proud or excited to marry my best 

friend and the woman of my dreams.” 

The couple met through a mutual friend as 

teenagers when they were running buddies. 

They dated for five and a half years before getting 

engaged during a pre-Christmas vacation 

to South Lake Tahoe. He proposed while they 

were watching a movie wearing their pajamas. 

Engaged for nine months, they married in a 

fall wedding at Lake Natoma Inn. They loved the 

venue for its beautiful scenery and convenient 

location. 

“The ceremony was beautiful. We had an 

archway full of eucalyptus with a white runner 

and green trees above us,” says Alexa. “We had 

all of our loved ones around us, and my brother 

was our officiant. He ran a hilarious and slightly 

inappropriate ceremony, and it kept all of us 

laughing. My husband and I wrote our own vows, 

and he made me tear up with 

his thoughtful words. It was 

amazing.” 

Alexa wore a flowy chiffon 

dress with lace barefoot 

sandals instead of shoes. “I felt 

more comfortable barefoot,” 

she says, noting she also wore 

pearl earrings from Tiffany & Co. that she borrowed 

from her mother. 

They shot wedding photos on the trail surrounding 

the hotel. Their reception, also at the 

venue, featured a sit-down dinner and a glutenfree 

cake, especially for the bride. 

“My favorite wedding day detail was that 

our table centerpieces incorporated pictures 

of Sam and me at the same ages throughout 

our childhoods,” says Alexa. “Each table had a 

different set of pictures, and it was really cool to 

go through and look at the two of us as kids at 

different ages.” 

The day went fast but the couple soaked 

up the affection and support of their family and 

friends. “We really didn’t stress about the minute 

details during the wedding, we just focused on 

the love,” says Sam. Alexa agrees and advises 

fellow couples, “Throughout the process never 

forget that this is just one day of your life, and 

while it’s an amazing day, the real focus should 

be the love that you want to share for the rest of 

your life.”OO—Kristen Castillo 


We really didn’t stress about the 

minute details during the wedding, we just 

focused on the love. 

—Sam 

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THE DETAILS 

t 

VENUE AND CATERER Lake Natoma Inn 

916-932-2769 | lakenatomainn.com 


PHOTOGRAPHER Erica Baldwin Photography 

916-990-8826 | ericabaldwinphotography.com 


BRIDAL ATTIRE Second Summer Bride 

916-330-4422 | secondsummerbridesacramento.com 

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916-601-4107 | musicandmoredj.com 



ALEXA & SAM’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 


ALEXA & SAM’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH 


Come See Us For 

Something Extraordinary 

312 Main St. #103 Placerville 

530-622-6009 

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Mon: 10am-5pm; Wed - Sat: 10am-5pm; 

Sun: 11am-3pm ; Closed Tuesdays 



MARIA & KRISHAN 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEWS INC PHOTOGRAPHY 

Maria and Krishan have had chemistry since 

2008 when they met during their, you guessed 

it, high school chemistry class. Fast forward to 

2016 where Krishan proposed to Maria outside 

the auditorium right after she graduated nursing 

school. 

Two years later, the high school sweethearts 

had two ceremonies: one at a Hindu Temple and 

another at Larsa Banquet Hall. Nearly 70 guests 

attended the Hindu wedding ceremony, which 

included several customs, including lighting a fire 

together and walking around it. They also had a 

cloth tied together with the bride’s veil that they 

couldn’t undo until the end of the ceremony. At 

the end of the ceremony, everyone stood up and 

sang a prayer song. 

Maria felt many emotions on her wedding 

day. “It was the weirdest feelings all in one,” she 

says. “I felt really happy and excited, but I started 

to cry. I couldn’t help it.” Her favorite wedding 

day memory was holding onto her parents as 

they walked through the doors into the ceremony. 

“I saw Krishan at the end of the aisle,” 

she says. “It felt like we weren’t just a couple of 

high school kids anymore.” Krishan’s favorite 

moment was watching his bride walk down the 

aisle. “I was speechless when I saw her,” he says. 

“I was like, ‘Man, she’s beautiful. God this is really 

happening.’ It was surreal.” 

The next day, they had a second ceremony 

and reception at Larsa Banquet Hall, where 

they celebrated with more than 260 guests. 

The couple exchanged vows, enjoyed dinner and 

cake, and finished up the momentous occasion 

with speeches and dancing. Krishan loved the 

speeches (there were 14!) given by family and 

friends. “People explained how they watched 

our relationship grow and how far we’ve come,” 

says the groom. “All the great memories we created 

since high school.” 

The couple worked hard to incorporate 

each other’s cultures into the celebrations. They 

served Indian food at the first reception, a nod to 

Krishan, and they had mariachi music at the second 

reception representing Maria’s background. 

Krishan praises Maria for being “open to my culture 

and going to the temple with me.” Both 

wore traditional red Indian attire for the Hindu 

ceremony. Maria wore a red saree with gold 

accents and her gold jewelry was purchased 

in Fiji by her mother-in-law. Krishan wore 

a cream colored long shirt and pants with 

red accents. The western ceremony’s color 

scheme was black, white and gold—the 

same colors the duo wore at senior prom. 

With two wedding ceremonies under 

their belt, they advise engaged couples 

to not procrastinate or worry about the 

small details. And most importantly, Maria 

shares, “Don’t spend too much on the 

wedding; save up for the marriage.” OO 

— Kristen Castillo 


I was speechless when I saw her. I was 

like, ‘Man she’s beautiful. God this is really 

happening.’ It was surreal. 

—Krishan 

Alex Murray 

Independent Beauty Consultant 

916-849-8164 

www.marykay.com/afpmurray 

afpmurray@marykay.com 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Matthews Inc Photography 

209-770-1006 | miphotography209.com | See ad on page 66 

TURN TO PAGE 201 FOR MORE OF MARIA & KRISHAN’S 



MARIA & KRISHAN’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH MORE DETAILS, 




JILLIAN & ROBERT 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIXXIM PHOTOGRAPHY 

Robert always joked that 

he was going to propose 

to Jill while she was doing 

one of her favorite things, 

riding horses. And he 

made good on that promise. 

“Robert suggested a 

trail ride at Folsom Lake, 

so I invited my best friend 

and her husband to go on 

the trail ride also,” she remembers. 

“It worked out 

perfectly because they 

were in on the proposal 

and were there to take 

pictures.” 

Jill was in the middle 

of her master’s program 

when the couple began wedding planning, so 

she wanted to keep the process as straightforward 

as possible. “Our favorite part about planning 

was spending time together,” she shares. 

“We are both so busy it forced us to make time 

to get things done together for the wedding.” 

Although they had 120 guests in attendance, 

they wanted to keep the ceremony intimate. 

“Jill’s uncle officiated so that was really special 

for us to have someone that we were very 

close to marry us,” says Robert. The bride and 

groom also wrote their own vows, infusing their 

senses of humor to keep the ceremony fun and 

light. Robert loves Dr. Seuss, so the ceremony 

included a reading written by the children’s 

author. Their dog also made an appearance, 

walking Robert into the ceremony. 

It was important to 

Jill that her father, who 

has Parkinson’s, walk 

her down the aisle. She 

shares, “My older brother 

was also a champ during 

the ceremony. He had to 

make three trips down 

the aisle to escort my 

mom, one of the bridesmaids, 

and me until we 

reached my dad who 

was seated in the last 

row of chairs. Once we 

reached him, we did a 

hand off and my dad 

walked me down the rest 

of the way.” 

At the reception, the newlyweds relished 

in seeing their guests enjoy themselves. “One 

of my uncles danced his heart out, which my 

aunt later said didn’t even happen at their own 

wedding,” smiles Jill. 

They also set up different lawn games for 

guests to play during the reception and dinner, 

including corn hole and Jenga, both of which 

Robert built. “We had a custom wood brand 

that we used on the Jenga pieces,” he says. 

“The same emblem was also painted on the 

corn hole.” 

Other than officially tying the knot, Jill and 

Robert say their favorite part of the day was 

spending time with close friends and family they 

don’t get to see very often. “And eating,” she 

adds. “We love eating.” OO—Darren Elms 


Other than getting married, our 

favorite part of the day was spending 

time with our closest friends and family 

that we don’t get to see very often. And 

eating. We love eating. 

—the couple 

www.gracefulgatherings.net 

CALL or TEXT 

E-MAIL 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Lixxim Photography 

916-508-7868 | lixximphotography.com | See ad on page 31 


916-773-2133 | 916-562-2900 | 775-773-8900 


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JILL & ROBERT’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 


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OLGA & MICHAEL 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WHITE DAISY PHOTOGRAPHY 

Olga and Michael’s love story began overseas 

when they first laid eyes on each other during 

their junior year of high school. Olga had just 

moved with her friend and her family to one of 

the smallest U.S. bases in England, while Michael 

himself had lived in the area for most of his life. 

And at sixteen, shortly after Olga’s compliment 

on Michael’s Pink Floyd hoodie and Michael’s 

perfectly cheesy, sweet line asking Olga to be 

his girlfriend, the two began dating: “Never did 

I imagine wearing an oversized, classic rock 

hoodie would get me a girl, and to this day I’m 

still not sure how that worked out so well,” says 

Michael. 

In fact, it worked out so well that when the 

pair took a trip to Carmel Valley Ranch for New 

Year’s Day 2017, Michael surprised Olga with a 

ring he presented on one knee while overlooking 

the valley. Of course, she said “Yes!” 

The couple had a year and a half engagement, 

which allowed them enough time to stay 

organized and make the thoughtful decisions 

without feeling rushed throughout the planning, 

“We really wanted our wedding to be relaxed 

and fun and I think we pulled that off. During 

the reception guests would come up and tell 

us all the little details they enjoyed and how 

they thought it was so well planned—which 

to me was the highest compliment because 

that meant all the long hours making favors 

and dreaming up designs were totally worth it,” 

remembers Olga. 

The couple decided to have their intimate 

wedding for 50 guests at the Hellman-Ehrman 

Mansion at Sugar Pine Point State Park in Lake 

Tahoe, and it wasn’t until the time of the wedding 

that they hit a bump in the road. “The sum- 

mer of 2018 had some really terrible fires, and 

Lake Tahoe ended up being kind of right in the 

middle of two bigger ones which created this 

funnel of smoke and ash at the basin of the lake, 

and we were worried how that might affect the 

wedding,” the bride remembers. “I was trying to 

stay positive and not really think about how that 

might impact the day, but obviously we were 

nervous that our outdoor wedding was going to 

be cut short due to smoke, and also, we didn’t 

want to jeopardize our guests’ health.” However, 

after crossing their fingers and pushing forward 

with their plans, everything managed to fall into 

place, “By about 4 o’clock that afternoon, the 

smoke had completely cleared, and we had the 

most beautiful ceremony and reception with 

views of the mountains and the lake, and the 

most gorgeous sunset. We really got so lucky.” 

The long-awaited day started with Olga 

walking down the aisle, transitioned into the 

reception featuring delicious food from Blend 

Catering along with donuts from Doughboys 

Donuts and was topped off with “3005” by 

Childish Gambino. “It was one of my most 

played songs from college. When it came on 

everyone was so excited and started dancing 

and singing along, and it just really was exactly 

what I wanted the night to be,” remembers Olga. 

Their dreamy, unforgettable wedding 

that they happily shared with 

their family and friends is a memory 

they will both love and cherish for 

years to come. The bride remembers, 

“It wasn’t that long ago, but I can still 

picture the whole scene so vividly, 

and I hope that never changes.” OO 

 

— Isabella De Garza 


We opted for one of our favorite treats: 

donuts! We had a gorgeous display and shared 

a little donut bite together after dinner, and I 

think it was a really big hit with our guests. 

We also had a few left over which we got 

to share because who doesn’t want a little 

midnight snack for later? 

—Olga 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

White Daisy Photography 

530-401-0820 

whitedaisyphoto.com 



OLGA & MICHAEL’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 


OLGA & MICHAEL’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH 




ANNA & MARK 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KYLIE COMPTON PHOTOGRAPHY 

For Anna and Mark, the best time spent together 

is time spent outdoors camping, barbecueing, or 

enjoying warm weather; and time spent making 

fun of each other, of course. “We make fun of 

each other a lot!” says Anna. “In a good way. We 

like to make each other laugh.” 

Anna and Mark made each other laugh for 

three years before getting engaged in Puerto 

Vallarta, Mexico, in June 2017. Mark suspected 

Anna had a Pinterest account of rings she liked, 

so he created a secret account to figure out what 

she liked and didn’t like. “He nailed the ring,” says 

Anna. “He said that I didn’t even say ‘yes;’ I just 

stuck my hand out for the ring!” 

The joyful event, with 160 guests, was held 

at Joseph Family Vineyards, owned by Anna’s 

family. The ceremony was under a large oak tree, 

with Mark’s son playing a role of honor as the 

ringbearer. They added a few rustic-yet-elegant 

details, like their welcome cart, decorated with 

greenery and photos of the couple. But Anna 

says that the natural backdrop of the vineyard 

was stunning enough without requiring much 

additional décor. 

Mark’s favorite part of the ceremony was 

watching Anna walk down the aisle; Anna says 

that walk was her favorite part, too. While the 

goal of the ceremony was to create a fun and relaxed 

atmosphere, Anna says that the walk was 

emotional. She walked down the aisle to Pachelbel’s 

Canon in D—the same song her mother 

chose at her wedding. Her mother died when 

Anna was only 16, so choosing the same song 

was a thoughtful way to honor her and have her 

included in the loving celebration. 

But after that, the party was all about fun, 

including laugh-out-loud speeches from loved 

ones. “We wanted everyone to be able to relax 

and have the wedding be a big party,” says Anna. 

That’s one of the reasons they decided to stray 

from the usual wedding fare and instead brought 

in a pizza oven along with salads and specialty 

pies. They also situated the long, communal 

tables near each other to create a close and 

intimate feeling during dinner. 

Both Anna and Mark felt that the ceremony 

went by far too quickly, so much so that Anna 

wishes they had started the celebration earlier 

to leave more time for dancing. But she also 

says that sticking to their budget and managing 

her desire for everything to be perfect was 

quite stressful and time consuming, 

so having it be done isn’t all bad. 

“There is also a bit of relief when it’s 

over, though, because the planning 

process is all-consuming,” she says. 

“It felt like now we can relax and 

start our life.” OO—Suzie Dundas 


Bridal Boutique 

My favorite part was right after our first official kiss 

as husband and wife, my son ran up and wrapped his arms 

around us and hugged us. It was an awesome moment. 

—Mark 

417 Oak Street • Roseville, CA 

916-742-4638 

www.thebridalbox.net 

D IANE 

W I LKINSO N 

D IANE 

W I LKINSO N 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Kylie Compton Photography 

775-843-7364 | kyliecomptonphotography.com 


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APRIL & DEXTER 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARCI TERRY PHOTOGRAPHY 

April and Dex, who met at work, dated for four years before 

getting engaged at Auberge Du Soleil during brunch. 

Dex had “Will You Marry Me?” written on the plate of their 

last dessert course. 

The couple actually had three weddings: a ceremony 

in Taiwan where the bride has family, a ceremony in Philippines 

where the groom has family, and their main celebration: 

a ceremony and reception in Northern California. 

Having multiple weddings was a memorable period for 

April and Dex. “It allowed both sides of our family to 

bond,” says April. “Having them and our close friends 

travelling with us and sharing the different cultures was 

very special.” 

Their ceremony at Vezer Family Vineyard was simple 

and personalized. They exchanged vows outdoors in the 

vineyard, where a pianist and guitarist played. Dex’s best 

friend officiated the wedding, and the bride and groom 

wrote their own vows. Dex’s favorite memory was seeing 

his bride when she appeared from behind the barn 

doors to walk down the aisle. April loved when Dex read 

his vows. The couple did not have a wedding party and 

wanted a “short and sweet” ceremony since the day was 

going to be very hot and they didn’t want their 140 guests 

to stay under the sun for too long. 

The reception was also held at the vineyard. The couple, 

both engineers, chose a light color scheme of white 

and gold, with bits of blush to complement the barrel 

room’s light blue shade on the outside as well as the lush 

greenery in the backdrop. They had a traditional Filipino 

money dance during the reception. 

Sticking to a budget and keeping the guest list low 

were challenging for the couple. “Filipino weddings are 

typically in the 200 to 300 guest range because of the 

young adults and kids,” says Dex. “It was difficult for me to 

break the news to my family and friends that our wedding 

was an adult-only affair.” 

They highly recommend having a wedding planner— 

they booked Danielle Vargas of Camellia Lane Events. 

“Some of the details that I sweated about did not even 

cross my mind the day of, either because I knew my awesome 

planner was going to take care of it or just having 

my friends and family by my side to share our special day 

was significantly more important than the little things,” 

says April. 

The day was a wonderful 

celebration and the couple savored 

the quality time and special 

moments. “At the end of 

the night, when all the ‘formalities’ 

were done and over with, 

we were able to just really have 

a great time with the friends 

and family,” says April. OO 

 



We had three weddings: the 

main one in California, then one in 

Taiwan and one in the Philippines, so 

at some point, my sanity was way more 

important than the budget. 

— April 

Beautiful weddings in a 

natural mountain setting 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Darci Terry Photography 

707-469-3736 | darciterryphotography.com 


1000 Cypress Point Drive // Arnold, CA 

209-795-1000 ext. 8 

www.sequoiawoods.com 

TURN TO PAGE 201 FOR MORE OF APRIL & DEX’S 


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JENNA & 

JESSICA 


SARAH MAREN PHOTOGRAPHY 

Anyone who’s been to a bar and 

had extra-friendly service from 

the bartender has probably just 

assumed that the kindness was 

false; a bartender who flirts with 

customers is likely to get extra tips, 

after all. 

“I will tell you that is not even 

true, at least not for me,” says Jessica, 

who was tending bar when she first met 

Jenna. “I had been hitting on Jenna for several 

months and was getting nothing back from 

her. Finally, one night her best friend was pretty 

much elbowing her, telling her to at least flirt 

back.” Flirt back Jenna did, and four years later, 

the two tied the knot at Granite Bay Golf Club. 

While they initially thought they’d get married in 

a family member’s backyard, they fell in love with 

the beauty of the golf club’s grounds, the ease of 

not having to plan each individual detail on their 

own, and the friendliness of the club’s resident 

wedding planner. “As a same-sex couple, you 

have to think about whether your wedding will 

be welcome in a venue and whether you will 

have to fight prejudice,” Jenna says. “But everyone 

at the club welcomed us and was excited 

for our wedding.” 

Because of weather concerns, the ceremony 

had to be moved indoors at the last minute to the 

club’s Library. But Jessica says that 

was just fine with her, as the floral 

designer and club staff gave the 

room an incredibly romantic feel, 

with cream linens, warm candles, 

and a stunning amount of deepred 

roses that lit up the room. 

Their ceremony included not just 

promises to each other, but also 

promises to Jenna’s daughter. “It was moving,” 

Jessica says. “I was sobbing.” 

However, the sobbing quickly tuned to celebration 

as the intimate 60-person wedding 

began to celebrate. They skipped most of the 

traditional first dances and went right to tearing 

up the dance floor, which was rocking non-stop. 

“Our DJ was amazing and kept everyone dancing 

all night,” says Jessica. “We have proof of his 

amazing DJ skills, because our nephew Scott 

literally split his pants from top of trouser past 

his leg. Apparently he knows how to drop it low.” 

Both Jenna and Jessica agree they didn’t 

want to create a wedding, rather a celebration: of 

love, of each other, and of the recent legalization 

of same-sex marriage in the U.S. “It has and continues 

to be a long road. So finding my person, 

the person that I choose to spend my life with, 

means more to me than a party,” says Jessica. “It 

is and was a celebration.” OO—Suzie Dundas 


Things happen, just roll with it. Make it about 

your person you’re marrying and forget the rest. 

—Jessica 

THE DETAILS 

t 

VENUE AND CATERER Granite Bay Golf Club 

916-791-7578 | granitebayclub.com | See ad on page 19 

PHOTOGRAPHER Sarah Maren Photography 

916-538-3602 | sarahmaren.com | See ad on page 22 

FLORAL DESIGNER Visual Impact Design 

916-489-3746 | visualimpact-design.com | See ad on page 234 

TURN TO PAGE 201 FOR MORE OF JENNA & JESSICA’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 

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PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH MORE DETAILS, PHOTOS AND TIPS FROM THE COUPLE. 



PAIGE & ANDREW 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW & MELANIE PHOTOGRAPHY 

Paige met Andrew on the first day of college classes. 

They both have ties to Germany, and they met in their 

language class. “As soon as I saw him walk into German 

class, I was like there he is: future husband,” she says. 

They quickly became close friends, but it was another 

couple of years before they started dating during Paige’s 

junior year. 

The couple grew together as they experienced more 

life changes—graduating, jobs and graduate school. “I 

got a very good job opportunity in Houston, and Andrew 

was planning to go to law school in Boston,” Paige 

remembers. “My friend asked me if I thought we would 

break up because the long distance was crazy, to which 

I burst into tears thinking how I never wanted our relationship 

to end.” 

The couple lived together in Washington, D.C. as 

Andrew finished law school at Georgetown. In their free 

time, they loved walking around the monuments. Enter 

Andrew’s idea for his proposal, inviting his sister and 

her husband along to hide and take photos. “When we 

arrived to the specific location where I wanted to propose—with 

the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin in the 

background—I said a few words to Paige prior to getting 

down on one knee and my sister anticipated that I did 

not have the guts to get on one knee, and yelled out ‘get 

down on one knee, dude!’ It all happened so fast, but 

before I knew it, Paige had the ring on her finger with 

teary eyes,” he says. 

They enjoyed the thrill of being engaged before 

jumping into planning mode. “We did not start planning 

right away because we knew we were moving from D.C. 

to San Francisco due to some new jobs. I also had my 

dream location in mind—my parents’ farm in Auburn. As 

soon as we decided California would be where we would 

marry, I searched to find the perfect planner.” She found 

that with Jenn Robirds Events, “Jenn was the best thing 

that happened to our wedding!” With the location and 

planner locked in, they could start bringing their overall 

vision to life. “I really wanted it to feel like we had a bunch 

of our best friends and family over for a big dinner party 

with lots of dancing and drinking,” she says. “I wanted it 

to be a day full of our favorite things: favorite food, colors, 

drinks, people and music.” 

For Andrew, one of his favorite memories happened 

after everyone had gone home. “We capped the night 

off in my tux and Paige’s wedding dress with a late night 

meal at—no place better—In-N-Out. We received a standing 

ovation when we walked in!” 

For Paige, one of the highlights of the day was her 

first look with Andrew. “They are still some of my favorite 

pictures because I still remember the feeling. Even 

though we have been together for seven years, I just felt 

so excited to see him.” OO—Kourtney Jason 


I remember watching Paige walk down the aisle. As I stood 

before the altar, I kept thinking about watching the bride walk 

down the aisle in movies and shows, along with weddings I have 

attended—this time, the bride walking down the aisle was my 

bride coming to me and everyone in the church was there for us. It 

was surreal, and I felt like all of it was a dream. 

— Andrew 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew & Melanie Photography 

530-274-2408 | andrewandmelanie.com | See ad on page 12 

WEDDING PLANNER, EVENT DESIGNER AND FLORAL DESIGNER 

Jenn Robirds Events 

626-841-3758 | jennrobirdsevents.com | See ad on page 236 

SELECT PAPERIE Little Bird Paper Company 

831-809-9403 | littlebirdpapercompany.com | See ad on page 167 

CATERER AND BAR SERVICE Randy Peters Catering & Event Center 

916-726-2339 | randypeterscatering.com | See ad on page 65 

CAKE AND DESSERTS Go West Baking and Events 

916-708-6264 | gowestbakingandevents.com | See ad on page 226 

DJ AND LIGHTING Extreme Productions Entertainment 

916-773-4329 | extremeprodjs.com | See ad on page 237 

RENTALS Celebrations! Party Rentals & Tents 

916-773-2133 | 916-562-2900 | 775–773-8900 | celebrationspartyrentals.com 



PAIGE & ANDREW’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 

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KAITLIN & EVAN 


CHARLETON CHURCHILL PHOTOGRAPHY 

Kaitlin and Evan became engaged after a romantic 

proposal on a black-sand beach in Maui—but 

technically, Evan proposed on the first date! 

“From our initial meeting I knew there was something 

special about Evan,” says Kaitlin. She remembers 

that he said on their first date that they 

should get married, but describes it as more of 

a “casual suggestion” than an actual proposal. 

But eventually they did marry, in July 2018 in 

Lake Tahoe. After a ceremony at Corpus Christi 

Catholic Church in Tahoe City, the reception was 

held on Evan’s family’s property, in a pavilion 

built specifically for weddings. Evan and Kaitlin’s 

wedding was the third held in the location, and 

the third that included a tree-planting ceremony 

to mark the occasion. “Evan’s parents dream is 

for the family to have entire grove of weddings 

memorialized on the property,” says Kaitlin. “It 

was important for us to contribute to the special 

memories this property already holds.” 

For these two, food and drink was an integral 

part of the celebration, with catering from Componere 

Fine Dining and the late-night arrival of 

the Pretty Odd Weiners Food Truck, a well-loved 

staple of South Lake Tahoe. Food played a part 

during the toasts as well, as they honored Kaitlin 

and Evan’s respective Irish and Polish backgrounds 

by serving shots of vodka or whiskey, 

paired with kielbasa and Irish soda bread. Their 

backgrounds influenced the party favors, too, 

as they gave out Tahoe-themed travel coffee 

mugs filled with Tasty Cakes (a nod to Kaitlin’s 

East Coast hometown) and almonds (a nod to 

Evan’s Sacramento upbringing). And for dessert 

they went all-out, too, offering a Champagne 

cake with raspberry filling as well as a dessert 

bar with cake pops, macaroons, mini cupcakes, 

and (of course!) Lake Tahoe-shaped cookies. 

As their wedding guest list included more 

than 200 people, owing to their large families, 

the planning to make sure that everyone enjoyed 

themselves was time-intensive. But Kaitlin was 

surprised when Evan revealed on the wedding 

day a project he’d been spending extra time on: 

a book he wrote that told their love story. “It was 

really sweet and touching to read through all 

of our special memories before heading to the 

church,” she says. 

Evan describes the day as “a blast from beginning 

to end,” especially on the dance floor, 

when he saw friends from all different points in 

his life together and having a great time. And 

fortunately for the couple, the good times didn’t 

end when the reception was done, as the two 

flew to France the next day for a two-week honeymoon. 

Though their wedding was fabulous, Kaitlin 

says that the morning after was also a special 

memory. “Eating breakfast burritos and drinking 

Champagne on the way to the airport the morning 

after an amazing night 

with our friends and families 

was one of the highlights for 

us!” OO — Suzie Dundas 


We knew that nine months would be a quick 

turnaround for planning a wedding of this size, but I 

don’t think we fully acknowledged how compressed 

some parts of the planning process would be. 

We would give ourselves just a little 

more time, if we had to do it all over again. 

— Kaitlin 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Charleton Churchill Photography 

916-520-4447 | charletonchurchill.com | See ad on page 16 


916-773-2133 | 916-562-2900 | 775–773-8900 


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ANGELA & JASON 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PASSION STUDIO 

Angela and Jason had a fairytale engagement 

followed by a a fairytale wedding. The two met 

in 2016 when Angela was working on a story 

as a reporter for CBS 13. They dated for a year 

and got engaged during a romantic getaway to 

Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Jason 

had booked a photo shoot to celebrate their 

one-year anniversary. They shot in multiple locations, 

including their last stop at the beach. 

“Once we walked onto a pier over the water, 

Jason got down on one knee and asked me to be 

his wife,” says Angela. “It was a fairytale proposal 

I will never forget!” 

A year later, they married at Cathedral of the 

Blessed Sacrament. Angela’s childhood priest 

officiated the ceremony. “Father Bernard Poggi 

led the ceremony in such a seamless and elegant 

way,” she says. “We felt so much love radiating 

from each other and our family members, it was 

truly a surreal experience.” 

The bride was emotional when she saw her 

groom. “I was so excited, happy and ready to 

bawl tears of joy but I tried hard not to cry because 

I didn’t want to be the bawling bride.” Jason 

was stunned by her beauty and felt blessed 

that she was walking down the aisle to become 

his wife. 

Throughout the day, they had several family 

traditions. During the ceremony, their mothers 

lit two candles next to the unity candle at the 

Cathedral altar, symbolizing unity as a new family. 

Angela’s father walked her down the aisle 

and the groom’s uncle did the first reading in 

honor of Jason’s father, who died several years 

ago. “Fusing our cultures together made for an 

entertaining wedding reception,” says Angela 

who’s Palestinian and Armenian; Jason is Italian. 

During their reception at the Hyatt Regency 

Sacramento, the couple danced to an Arabic 

song into the ballroom, where they met the wedding 

party and immediate family on the dance 

floor. “It’s tradition for the bride and groom to be 

surrounded by the wedding party and immediate 

family during this introduction, as it’s the 

first dance to celebrate us as husband and wife,” 

she says. They also did a chair dance, where 

the bride was lifted on a chair and the groom 

was sitting on his groomsmen’s shoulders, and 

they included “Dabke,” a popular folk dance in 

Palestinian culture. 

Jason has many favorite moments from 

the wedding, including exchanging vows, his 

mother-son dance, watching his grandma dance 

and his father-in-law’s speech. Jason enjoyed 

“seeing Angela’s reaction when we had a sneak 

peek of the decorated ballroom prior to the 

guests seeing the room.” She loved the look, saying, 

“I believe the floral and décor really add so 

much to the wedding reception vibe, and 

we wanted something elegant and glam 

at the same time.” Their lavender, white, 

blush and gold color palette popped for 

their summer nuptials. 

The day flowed smoothly for the 

couple, who honeymooned in Italy. “I 

don’t think there was ever a dull moment 

on our wedding day, and it was 

evident by how much fun our guests 

were having,” says Angela. OO 



I don’t think there was ever a 

dull moment on our wedding day, and 

it was evident by how much fun our 

guests were having. 

—Angela 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER, VIDEOGRAPHER AND PHOTO BOOTH Passion Studio 

916-595-9067 | 916-505-9299 | passionstudio.org | See ad on page 45 

RECEPTION SITE AND CATERER Hyatt Regency Sacramento 

916-321-3520 | sacramento.hyatt.com | See ad on page 17 

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STEPHANIE & 

MATT 


DANIELLE ALYSSE PHOTOGRAPHY 

Stephanie and Matt are thankful 

for second chances. They 

first met when Matt and a 

friend visited the bar where 

Stephanie worked. “They decided 

to try scotch for the first 

time at 11 a.m. on a Wednesday, 

and I made fun of them,” she 

says. Flash forward a couple 

years and their paths crossed 

again at a Spartan Race. “We 

exchanged numbers, but he 

was dating someone else so we remained friends 

for a few weeks. He broke things off and asked 

to take me on a date,” she says. 

Things took off between them, even though 

they’d have to go days without seeing each other 

due to Matt’s job as a firefighter. “Dating him 

often felt like The Bachelor,” she says. “He would 

plan extravagant dates whenever he was home. 

Our first few dates consisted of ice-skating in 

San Francisco, a trip to Tahoe to snowboard and 

a weekend escape to Seattle. That was all within 

the first two months.” They continued their adventures 

together, including a trip to Spain. “On 

day six of our globe-trotting, we went to a plaza 

and he says, ‘Dress nice. We are going to a fancy 

dinner.’ I looked around the plaza and said, ‘Matt, 

there’s no food here.’ I was starving,” she says. 

“Then, he got down on one knee and asked me 

to marry him. He arranged a photographer to be 

there and caught every moment.” 

They started planning soon after, waiting for 

some of the excitement to settle. They decided 

on having the celebration in Tahoe at Heavenly 

Mountain Resort—Stephanie couldn’t imagine 

getting married anywhere else. 

Her vision was to keep things natural and 

simple, and she relied on the 

floral designer to help bring 

it to life. “She made the most 

beautiful greenery garlands for 

the table and it made me so 

happy,” she says. “She added 

little touches of other small 

flowers throughout. I didn’t 

ask for it but she knew exactly 

what I needed.” 

For the ceremony, they 

added a more personal touch 

to it by having Matt’s best friend officiate. Then 

the cocktail hour was held outside on the deck. 

“It was beautiful, and everyone was having a 

great time!” she says. As the reception got underway, 

Stephanie had a moment to reflect. “I 

remember dancing and looking around, thinking 

this will probably be the only time in my life all of 

the most important people of my life are in one 

room. I was so grateful all of those people took 

time away from their busy lives, kids and families 

to spend the weekend with us,” she says. 

Offering advice to 

other couples-to-be, 

Stephanie says to truly 

enjoy every moment. 

“The day goes by so 

quickly. Don’t stress 

about someone making 

you mad, something 

not going right,” 

she says. “Remember 

someone chose to 

spend the rest of their 

life with you and that’s 

all that matters.” OO 

—Kourtney Jason 


The hardest part was making everyone happy. 

I think there is this stigma to do things a ‘certain way’ 

because it’s ‘tradition.’ I am not a traditional person so I 

didn’t want to do any of those things. The easiest part was 

that I had a great support system. Matt was awesome, my 

parents were awesome and my bridesmaids saved my life. 

Note: I suggest every bride to pick real friends. Not people 

they feel obligated to have there. My bridesmaids were so 

thoughtful and treated me amazing! 

— Stephanie 

THE DETAILS 

t 

VENUE AND CATERER Heavenly Mountain Resort 

775-586-4442 | skiheavenly.com | See ad on page 77 

PHOTOGRAPHER Danielle Alysse Photography 

916-239-9403 | daniellealyssephotography.com | See ad on page 233 

PHOTO BOOTH Temple Photography & Photo Booth 

916-856-2543 | ritatemplephotography.com | See ad on page 235 

TURN TO PAGE 202 FOR MORE OF STEPHANIE & MATT’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 

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CORA & AUSTIN 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KERI AOKI PHOTOGRAPHY 

Cora and Austin met in 2011 when they attended 

college in Sacramento. They grew up in the same 

area and even had mutual friends 

but somehow never crossed paths 

until a fateful birthday party. “We 

immediately hit it off,” remembers 

Cora. “There was an undeniable 

chemistry between us.” 

While on an Alaskan cruise 

several years later, Austin popped 

the question. After deciding not 

to go on any planned excursions 

and just venture out on their own, 

the couple rented mopeds and 

asked for recommendations on 

where to go. They were given directions to an old 

cemetery that most tourists bypass. “We walked 

all the way through and found a hidden waterfall 

in the back,” Cora says. “Austin pulled a little 

jewelry box out of his pocket, dropped to one 

knee and asked me to marry him!” The diamond 

in the ring once belonged to Cora’s grandmother. 

While planning the wedding, Cora and Austin 

made adjustments to the style and feel as the 

process went on. “I think it’s important to have 

an idea of what you want but also be flexible 

with your vision,” shares the bride. They found 

inspiration on Pinterest but added their own personal 

touches. “I think that’s what separates one 

wedding from another and makes it so special.” 

Cora is the first to admit that planning a wedding 

can be a time-consuming task. “I remember 

everyone saying ‘Don’t stress 

the small stuff’ but I couldn’t help 

it,” she says. “Now, looking back I 

wish I would of allowed myself to 

enjoy it more. It goes by so fast, 

and when it was all said and done, 

I actually missed it.” 

Once the big day arrived, the 

couple exchanged their personally 

written vows. “It’s hard to 

put such intimate, deep feelings 

into words let alone say them out 

loud in front of all your family and 

friends,” she confides, “but it made it unique.” 

Guests moved on to the reception at Mertz 

Ranch, a family friend’s private venue in Winters. 

The newlyweds enjoyed greeting each of their 

attendees throughout the evening. One moment 

that stood out for Cora was her father-daughter 

dance. “Our song was the wedding version of 

‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’,” she says. “And when we 

walked out on to the dance floor the version by 

Guns N’ Roses started to play. The wrong song! 

I don’t know why but I didn’t care. I didn’t even 

tell the DJ it was the wrong version. My dad and 

I just looked at each other and laughed and we 

danced.” OO 

— Darren Elms 


The one thing I will never forget from the 

reception was my father daughter dance. Our song 

was the wedding version of ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine.’ But 

when we walked out on to the dance floor the version 

by Guns N’ Roses started to play. The wrong song! My 

dad and I just looked at each other and laughed and 

we danced (horribly). No one knew it was the wrong 

song but us. In fact some people even told me they 

thought it was cool we chose that song! 

— Cora 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Keri Aoki Photography 

530-312-6690 | keriaokiphotography.com | See ad on page 235 

FLORAL DESIGNER Picture Perfect Petals 

760-846-0922 | pictureperfectpetals.com | See ad on page 237 

TURN TO PAGE 202 FOR MORE OF CORA & AUSTIN’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 


CORA & AUSTIN’S WEDDING PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH 

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JAMIE & PHILLIP 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA S PHOTOGRAPHY 

James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s 

Mill in 1848, sparking the California Gold Rush. 

Phil says he discovered gold at that same place 

when he met Jamie underneath a tree in Marshall 

Gold State Park. It was love at first sight for 

the couple, who lovingly call themselves “Team 

Craderson,” an ode to their last names. 

Jamie lived in Oakland and Phil lived east of 

Sacramento, but somehow they managed the 

hundred miles between them and figured out 

how to be together almost every day. Eventually 

Jamie gave up her beloved apartment in the 

Bay Area and moved in with Phil and his kids in 

Sacramento. 

During a hike in Death Valley, Phil planned to 

propose to Jamie at the summit. The two were 

completely exposed on the ridge of the meadow 

and lighting began to strike around them. The 

storm foiled his plans, but he suggested they rest 

in the shade of a small tree. This was his chance. 

Between lightning strikes, Phil took Jamie’s 

hands, looked into her eyes and told her that 

he wanted to marry her. Within moments, the 

clouds parted and a double rainbow formed over 

the trail in the exact direction they were heading. 

“We love the desert and Coloma, where we 

met kayaking, so we wanted to bring the desert 

to Coloma,” says Phil of their wedding plan. “We 

started almost a year early and worked steadily 

over the year leading up to the wedding, so it 

was never a last minute rush or overwhelming.” 

At their ceremony, their officiant Jason 

researched plants and animals that live in the 

desert and had several close friends and family 

read about the plants and animals and worked in 

analogies for love and happiness. Jamie’s mom 

nailed the river and desert motif with an arch. 

Phil also loved how his children played a role 

in the ceremony. “I was so honored to have my 

beautiful daughter walk me down the aisle, and 

I loved when my son gave me bunny ears in the 

middle of the actual ceremony.” 

Both ceremony and reception were held at 

the same venue, Earthtrek Expeditions. Guests 

enjoyed a delicious barbecue from Hog Wild Bar- 

B-Que/Luke & Lucy Catering. “The dining area 

was elegant and rustic,” says Phil. “The dancing 

was down by the Gold Rush façade where we 

got a lot of cool pictures from the jail and saloon.” 

Rather than go for overplayed wedding 

songs, the couple selected music that they both 

enjoy listening to. “We didn’t do any of the wedding 

reception traditions, like the garter toss, 

money dance or bouquet toss,” explains Phil. 

“We did a first dance and a last dance that included 

everyone. Other than that, we wanted it 

to be relaxed and no-pressure for our guests.”OO 



One of my favorite moments of the day 

was going back to the reception site with Jamie 

after everyone had left and absolutely devouring 

the remaining cake. As I sat there stuffing my 

face with tiramisu, and watching my beautiful 

bride do the same, it sunk in that I had just 

married my dream girl. 

— Phil 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Monica S Photography 

916-800-3214 | monicasphoto.com | See ad on page 237 

RENTALS Celebrations! Party Rentals & Tents 

916-773-2133 | 916-562-2900 | 775–773-8900 


TURN TO PAGE 202 FOR MORE OF JAMIE & PHIL’S 



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TAMI & JOSH 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARRIE AYN 

You may recognize Tami and Josh. A few years ago, they 

went viral after Tami published her “dudeoir” (a boudoir 

shoot for dudes!) photo shoot starring her friend Josh. 

“I was searching for the perfect model as I wanted a 

big, hairy, logger-looking man to really make it funny and 

appeal to all,” she says. “My friend Josh posted a funny 

picture in his underwear that week on social media that 

caught my attention, and I knew he was the one!” Over 

the next few months, their lives were a total whirlwind. 

They were interviewed by Cosmopolitan and HuffPost 

as well as featured on various national TV talk shows 

and radio shows. 

“Our courtship and dating was thrust right into the 

spotlight in the beginning,” she says. “The viral five seconds 

of fame ended, but we still really liked spending 

time together even when the public forgot us.” As they 

spent more time together, they found they could also 

bond over being single parents. “I am a single mom and 

had sworn off dating, as it was too hard to find childcare 

for work and to date. I hated the pressures and juggling, 

but Josh made it so easy and included my daughter on 

almost any outing we did,” she says. “He was never the 

guy that says, ‘Get a sitter and let’s go to the bar.’ He’d 

say, ‘What do you and your daughter feel like tonight?’ 

That made all the difference in the world. That’s when I 

knew he was definitely one to keep.” 

After dating for a year, Josh planned to propose to 

Tami and asked their kids to help him. “His son and my 

daughter are the exact same age, so they all worked 

together,” she says. “I thought we were dressed nice to 

go to his family reunion and maybe take a few pictures 

together. Instead, he drove me to his favorite tree on the 

property where he grew up. He got out of the truck to 

show me the tree and took a knee while the kids took 

pictures. It was beautiful, and, of course, like a girl, I was 

thankful I wasn’t in sweats with messy hair!” 

The wedding planning started immediately. They 

envisioned a country evening wedding with shabby 

chic touches, such as lace, old dressers, baby’s breath 

and mason jars. Tami’s daughter, Alexis, was her maid of 

honor and Josh’s son, Tyler, was his best man. “It was very 

special to us to stand alongside our children,” she says. 

Looking back, Tami loved all the little details that 

made the big day so unforgettable. “We had a really cute, 

shabby chic country wedding,” she says. “There were 

so many details all around the ranch 

from chalkboards and big letters 

that spelled love to antique furniture 

and chandeliers. It was everything I 

dreamed.” OO—Kourtney Jason 


We dreamed together of a country evening 

wedding, but I loved all the lace, draping, old dressers, 

crates, barrels, baby’s breath and mason jars—I wanted 

to incorporate a shabby chic feel. It came out even more 

amazing than I could have ever dreamed. 

—Tami 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Carrie Ayn 

916-207-2552 | carrieayn.com | See ad on page 86 

CAKE AND DESSERTS Frank Vilt’s Cakes 

530-409-7046 | frankviltscakes.com | See ad on page 227 

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IRENE & NOLAN 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CORI ANN PHOTOGRAPHY 

Irene and Nolan met working together in Lincoln. “We 

had known each other for a few years and had become 

good friends,” Irene shares. When Nolan invited her to go 

hiking with him at Hidden Falls she couldn’t resist. “I love 

the outdoors and waterfalls so it was a perfect first date.” 

Fast-forward to Christmas 2016, when Nolan took 

Irene to her favorite place in the whole world, Silver Falls 

State Park in Silverton, Oregon. At the park is a 117-foot 

waterfall with a trail leading underneath. As winter can be 

wet and chilly, Nolan took Irene into a small cave nearby. 

“It was cold so I snuggled up to Nolan and felt something 

in the pocket of his hoodie,” she remembers. “I leaned 

back and he pulled out the small ring box. I’m not sure 

if he intended on proposing at that exact moment but it 

was all I could have dreamed of.” 

The bride did most of the wedding planning herself 

with the help of her mom and grandmother. “My favorite 

times were searching for unique décor at thrift stores and 

watching my theme come together,” she shares. “Also, I 

planned on setting up a teepee for the kids play area, and 

I tested out my teepee building skills in my living room 

a few days before the wedding. After it was successfully 

built, my maid of honor, my mom and I all climbed in and 

joked around about all of the ridiculous things that would 

most likely take place during the wedding. The laughter 

was a huge stress reliever.” 

The ceremony was held under a large oak tree in a 

peaceful meadow. Nolan is of Irish decent, so the couple 

chose to incorporate his heritage in the wedding with a 

knot tying ceremony. “It was definitely the most emotional 

moment for us during the ceremony,” says Irene. 

The reception was held a short walk from the ceremony 

in a barn. Irene’s mom bought sheer fabric to hang 

in the rafters. “It was quite a bit of work getting such a big 

barn decorated, but it was simple and gorgeous once we 

were finished,” says Irene. 

Irene’s uncle’s band, a family trio, provided entertainment 

at the reception. “They set up right outside of the 

big barn doors and made the outside of the barn just as 

magical as inside,” says Irene. “They are all amazing and 

talented musicians, and made my reception classy and 

cool! I would highly recommend a live band to couples 

wanting an unforgettable reception.” OO—Darren Elms 


Prioritize what you hold most important. Devote 

your time and energy to those things. I got so caught up 

with the minor details that some of the bigger things 

were not given enough attention. 

—Irene 

THE DETAILS 

t 

PHOTOGRAPHER Cori Ann Photography 

530-307-3770 | coriannphotography.com | See ad on page 233 

BRIDE’S ATTIRE The Bridal Box 

916-742-4638 | thebridalbox.net | See ad on page 175 

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KATRINA & DARYL 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VALLEY IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY 

Newlyweds Katrina and Daryl have a romantic engagement 

story—and because Daryl broadcasted it on Facebook 

Live, many of Katrina’s friends were also able to 

share in the romance, too! “I’m immediately bombarded 

by tons of texts, messages, and calls,” says the bride. 

“Till this day people tell me stories of where they were 

and what they were doing when they tuned in.” Katrina 

thought the two were just going for a walk on the beach, 

only to have Daryl propose on the shore. After she said 

yes, her parents, along with Daryl’s mother, stepped 

out from behind a rock to share in the special moment. 

The duo met during a birthday dinner for a friend in 

college and dated for a decade before getting hitched. 

The celebration was held at the Fitz Place, in Santa 

Clara’s wine country. The venue was a recommendation 

from a friend in Katrina’s bridal party, and it was love at 

first site for the bride. “During our first tour I could tell 

in Katrina’s face that she was completely in love with 

everything about this venue,” he says. “I couldn’t deny 

Katrina the venue of her dreams.” 

The laid back, Bohemian-themed ceremony was held 

under an old oak tree and included a guest appearance 

from Ellie, the couple’s maltipoo, and Brady, Katrina’s sister’s 

dog. They were both dressed to the nines in custom 

outfits handmade by Katrina’s mother. 

It wasn’t just the pups that got special treatment in 

the ceremony, however. Daryl and Katrina’s officiant, 

Matt, asked them each to answer questions about their 

relationship prior to the ceremony and worked their 

responses into his speech on their wedding day. “Matt 

focused on us as a couple and was able to truly express 

our love for each other in words we couldn’t find ourselves 

during the ceremony,” Katrina says. 

The reception was held in the same location and 

included Mediterranean food, as well as tacos as the 

late-night bite. They skipped the cake and opted for not 

one but two dessert offerings to satisfy their collective 

sweet tooth: churros, picked by Daryl, and bibingka, a 

Filipino coconut-rice pastry from Binka 

Bites, a bakery in San Francisco that Katrina 

loves.

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