Where do I even begin with these two? Carly and Josh are not only stunning, gorgeous human beings (I know it’s not fair) but have the kindest and most generous hearts! Carly was referred to by our mutual friend, another Carley (with an E) who I also had the honor to do her wedding back in Feb 2020. I knew that I would love Carly immediately because when good friends introduce you to other good friends, you know it’s gonna be a good time!
From the moment that Carly and I chatted and she shared with me her very comprehensive mood board and vision for her wedding, I knew that I NEEDED to do her wedding. If there is anything that speaks my soul, it’s the DETAILS! Carly may work in the corporate world, but at heart she is a full creative and I love that she knew exactly what she wanted and I was honored to execute that vision for her. She trusted me immensely and allowed me to do my “flower thang” and just create magic. This is going to be an extra long blog post, but I promise it’s worth it to make it to the end! The amount of thought and details that Carly poured into her wedding day is just incredible!
Carly and Josh’s wedding took place in beautiful La Jolla, California at Scripps Seaside Forum. They had the Pacific Ocean as their backdrop and the day could not have been more perfect and beautiful for a late fall in San Diego!
The palette we choose was elegant and neutral: whites, creams, and touches of beige and tan in the textures of woven chargers for the table settings with touches of brass gold in the cutlery. We wanted elements of the wedding to feel modern with the structure of the building being mid-century modern but yet soft and coastal paying homage to their beloved city of San Diego.
Getting ready: have you seen a more stunning bridal party? I love that Carly’s hair was that classy beach wave with her sun-kissed glow-y glam that was just perfection! Hair: Hair by Kylie Kincaid/Blushin Babe Beauty and Make Up: Kyla Stuart
Bouquet and flowers: Here’s the thing, after being in the floral business for over a decade… I don’t know my flower seasons anymore! And here’s the reason why: global warming really is a thing + with farming technology, we can get spring flowers in the fall! Wild, I know!! Carly’s bouquet consisted of: Dahlias, cosmos, Japanese sweetpeas, clooney ranunculus, lisianthus, astilbe , stock, mini Italian pittsporium, and white nerine! We wanted the bouquet to feel classy and elegant while it not being overly structured. I used the mini Italian pittsporium as my variegated greenery to add that softness and organic element in the bouquet to break up all the white florals.
Ceremony: We kept things pretty simple for the ceremony. The beautiful ocean as the backdrop was our focus and didn’t want to take away from that simple beauty. So we did a few ground florals to frame the space so that it didn’t feel too bare.
Cocktail Hour: Jeni (named after the awesome ice cream creamery which they also had for their dessert for their guests) was the main face for the hour! Their beloved little doddle. If you so care to follow, she even has her own IG account: @jenithesplendiddoodle and it will make you happy! From the napkins to the ice stamp in your old fashioned cocktail, Jeni is there to make everyone smile!
First Dance: My team and I spent a few hours hanging and creating this suspended garden trellis installation. The vision for this was to create a suspended garden above Carly and Josh as they take their first dance as husband and wife. It also created a “wow” factor for guests to take pictures under.
Reception: We knew that once the sun set (which would be early in the fall), we wanted to make sure that the atmosphere of the dinner tables felt warm and intimate. I always say, never underestimate the power of a candle, because truly a warm ambiance can set the tone of the evening. For the guest tables, we did compote style centerpieces in a plaster garden pedestal vase surrounded by white pillar candles and mixed bud vases in delicate glass.
For the head table, we wanted it to feel slightly more elevated and set apart from the other tables so we did taper candles and added a woven textured charger that brought in that coastal vibe along with added floral table top clusters.
Cake and Champagne! Guys! I am obsessed with champagne towers! I know people have been doing it for ages but I think that it makes for the best photos and it’s just so darn fun! Once again, Jeni the doodle was the star of the cake as the “cake topper.” As for the champagne tower, we framed the space since both cake and champagne were sharing a table, we wanted to do some florals to frame all the coupes. Really loved how everything turned out!
Flower Repurposing: My opinion on repurposing bouquets + ceremony flowers is mixed. Pending on the weather and care of the flowers throughout the day, I usually don’t recommend repurposing flowers due to the natural wear and tear of these delicate flowers. HOWEVER, there are some floral arrangements I think are great to repurpose and it’s the ground florals! They are simple to move + elevates the reception space. You really get more for your dollar in those ground florals. We had several ground florals that were used for the ceremony space that we moved to the DJ table and to the ends of the dinner tables. By doing this, you add more life to the space without spending more.
More reception details: pretty sure everyone need Jeremy Jackson (@socalsax) to come and add some pa-zazz to their party! He is such a vibe!! Also I love me a second outfit change by the bride! That halter dress with light feathers give such a fun slick retro look!
Finally, I want to thank the coordination team: Always Flawless Production for truly being flawless and wonderful to work with. Ashley and Kelsey and the team made sure all the vendors and details were perfectly executed on time. And to Lily of Lily Tapia Photography who had the most incredible eye for detail and literally captured EVERY SINGLE detail of this perfect day! I can’t stress enough to all my couples of the importance of a good photographer who can capture both candid and portrait shots along with detail shots.
Last but not least: my love note to Carly and Josh. Thank you so much for allowing me to flower your special day. It was an honor to work with you and hear your love story and also bear witness to you both exchanging your vows (I was creeping in the corner with some of the other vendors all crying). I am beyond happy for you both and wish all the love and blessings to be poured on to your marriage and little family! Thank you!
Other vendor shout outs: Rentals by Crown Rentals and Adore Folklore and Concept Event Design; Catering by Giuseppe Restaurant; Cake by Frost Me Cafe and Bakery; DJ by Vynce “DJ Phreek”
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