While many couples look for venues in their hometown or close city area, some look to take their weddings to other dreamy destinations. Staying in California, Christina and Ian found a slice of paradise on Catalina Island. Next to the ocean, the intimate and lovely wedding day complimented the blue with warm hues of love. The stunning floral arrangements were by California Florist Heidi Rosenfield of Field of Roses. On a day filled with close friends and family, California Wedding Photographer Alexandra Wallace did not miss a thing.
Bride Christina earned the title of a wedding planner in our books, so continue scrolling to see how her vision came to life!
How did you utilize your skills and experience to make your wedding dreams come to life?
"I did all the planning myself! I've worked as a day-off wedding coordinator, so I knew a thing or two about timelines and details, but it was still so much work even for a 24-person wedding!"
The Details
"I was so happy to see, in person and in photos, my bridal vision come to reality. Picking bridesmaid dress colors so was hard, I took a gamble and didn't choose one! I let each girl select a color they felt beautiful in, and I think it paid off!"
The Memorable Moments
"I felt extremely calm and at peace during the wedding ceremony. And I had the best time getting ready with my bridesmaids. I had a slumber party the night before (highly recommend) with my oldest middle school friend. We spent the whole night gabbing about people from high school, which was a great distraction from the big day. In the morning, she put on my favorite wedding movie ("The Wedding Date") and it was the perfect way to kick things off!"
How did this wedding differ from any other wedding you've done?
"I'm not a wedding planner but given I've worked as a coordinator before, I'd say that the size and intimacy of mine was different. Before covid, I never would have imagined such a small wedding, but the intimate time with our closest family and friends was truly special."
How did the wedding design express the couples love story?
"We had some small elements like the Kansas City Chiefs cufflinks I gifted the groom. Football is our love language and our favorite pastime as a couple. We also had some large elements like hosting the wedding on Catalina Island, our favorite place. We first visited the island in 2018 after the devastating Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara disrupted a trip we had planned to San Diego. When we rescheduled, we decided last minute to pivot to Catalina Island. It was cold, February, but we couldn't get over the European charm, walkability and ease-of-access to so many fun activities. We made it a habit to return at least once a year and it was a great getaway for our intimate not-quite destination wedding."
Were there any challenges you had to overcome on the day of the wedding?
"When we got engaged, we committed up front to a 20-month engagement. At the time, there was no vaccine for covid, and we wanted our wedding to be during great warm weather on the island. We got what we wished for and then some -- our wedding was during a heat wave! Like most of coastal California, Catalina Island lacks A/C. So what we hoped would be highs of 80s and lows of 70s was really highs of 100 and lows of 88! Amazingly, Alexandra Wallace's photography doesn't show all the sweat that was pouring off of us that day. We managed to buy the last few fans on the island a few days prior but it was a scorcher."
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