Love at Rancho Las Lomas: Maria & Jon Married!

Real Weddings

Apr 25

Written By

Oh Happy Day! This fine Friday I have the pleasure of sharing one of my favorite weddings of all time with you! Almost a year ago, Maria & Jon got hitched at the one and only Rancho Las Lomas. Thankfully, the dynamic duo of Lukas & Suzy Van Dyke Photography was there to capture each and every fabulous detail (for more of our work at this fab space, check out our Give Back Styled Wedding blog post). The venue, the couple, the style: everything about this wedding just makes me swoon with delight.The look & feel direction we decided to take for Maria & Jon's day was “Rustic Elegance.” Maria chose a visual pallet that incorporated all the colors in a sunset sky. It was also important to our lovebirds that the day had a sense of progression to it, which was partly what made Rancho Las Lomas such a great fit for their fête. The guests started off the event at the ceremony, which took place on a wooded staircase under a canopy of lush trees. The guests then moved to the tiled pool area for cocktail hour (during which time they were encouraged to partake in a scavenger hunt, designed by the groom, allowing guests to explore the on-site zoo). After cocktails and small bites, the guests were brought through a small house, which was littered with cute signs and framed photos of the couple, in order to enter the reception patio where dinning and dancing ensued. Finally, at the end of the night, the guests were invited to join the couple in the lodge (with a fireplace and everything) for post-party dancing and mock-tails! The guests were continually ohhing and ahhing as they progressed through each part of the celebration. There was never a dull moment to be had!Maria’s personal sense of style was simply lovely. From her designer blush gown, to those Jimmy Choos on her feet, and everything in-between, there was absolutely nothing ordinary about her look! She gifted her ladies with super cute kimonos for the getting ready festivities and each bridesmaid’s dress captured a different aspect of the sunset sky. But we can’t leave out the fellas! All Jon’s guys were looking foxy in their corresponding (yet not precisely matching) get-ups. Jon looking the sharpest of all in his custom made wooden glasses! When it came to designing the day, the couple and I were a (wedding planning) match made in heaven from the get-go. We organized the whole affair in barely five months and sometimes Maria’s sense of style and my eye for design could be a quite dangerous combination. However, as iron sharpens iron, we worked together to create a day that was 100% fabulous in both the areas of aesthetics and guest experience. PS – I seriously love it when a bride has exquisite taste!Maria had some great friends who pitched in to create a ton of super fun DIY details. For the ceremony, streamer ribbons with bells were created for the post-kiss celebration. The couple loves to travel, so we used colorful old postcards in a vintage suitcase to serve as the day’s guestbook! The floral designer (Judy at Enchanted Gardens) had a great time brining the aesthetic vision to life. We used a combination of big soft blooms with smaller textured pieces to create variety and depth. Judy brought in a plethora of small metallic and crystal trinkets to give the day a detailed, vintage feel. We paired Tuscan wooden tables with neutral burlap runners and a combo of colorful napkins as a base for the floral arrangements. No two pieces, bouquets, or arrangements were identical and it was absolutely gorgeous!One of the things I just loved about this day was the ample amount of signage! Let’s just say that if people got lost or didn’t know what to do, it was not from a lack of communication on our part! We used a combination of DIY crafted signs, immaculately designed printed items, and chalkboard signage to make everything both cute and informational! Maria’s mom made the wedding cake and hand crafted stacked cookie favors for each place setting (and both were crazy yummy!).The couple and guests danced the night away to a live band as the on-site animals watched over the party. Maria & Jon choreographed their own wedding dance and the traditional money dance was most definitely one to remember. Once everyone was all tuckered out, they sobered up by the fireplace at the lodge with good conversation and yummy comfort food. All in all, it was one of my favorite weddings to date, and I have never had a more tiring day of work in my life (it was a huge venue with lots of steps, and I was in heels all day, don’t judge!)Happy Anniversary to Maria & Jon! We at Marisa Nicole wish you a lifetime of happiness! To check out their same-day-edits wedding video, click here!Vendor Love: