In March, I had the honor of collaborating with the amazing team at Hotel Californian in Downtown Santa Barbara to produce a beautiful elopement inspiration and a ballroom dinner for wedding press to showcase and feature the resort.  It was an honor to host Wedding Chicks, 100 Layer Cake, Green Wedding Shoes, California Wedding Day, Bridal Bar, Santa Barbara Life and Style Magazine, 805 Magazine, and  JLM Couture to showcase the property!  While I do love real weddings, collaborating with brands and other artists to showcase and and generate creative content is so much fun.

Here is a link to a feature from this event on Wedding Chicks. 

For this modern elopement inspiration, I was inspired by the amazing tile work at Hotel Californian.  I brought in various textures and elements that complemented the architecture and interior design of the space.  From the wedding cake to the stationary, linen selections to the lounge, this shoot was curated to showcase the Hotel Californian venue.

We first captured an intimate elopement at the the hotel in the presidential suite and courtyard.  I created a floral wedding veil for the bride while she was getting ready, and then loved creating the intimate elopement ceremony setting in the courtyard with a deconstructed arch, ghost chairs, and a vintage car for transportation.  ​After the ceremony, we created a rooftop reception, complete with textured linens, hanging florals, custom calligraphy menus, and taper candles.   The bride wore a Hayley Paige gown from JLM Couture.  The groom wore a black Velvet coat from Friar Tux.  

In the evening, we invited members of the press into the ballroom for a beautiful multi-course meal.  My favorite design element was the wedding cake from Colin O’Dea Cakes–  I love how he brought in elements from the tile design in the ballroom and incorporated those patterns and textures into the cake design!   Also, Ashling with Lotus and Ash is one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE graphic designers, and she and her team knocked this entire graphic design (from menus to welcome baskets, escort cards to the invitation suite) out of the park! 

In addition to the dinner party, we also hosted a sunset sail with Santa Barbara Sailing Center and a farewell brunch. When hosting a destination wedding or event, I think it’s so fun (and important) to host other events and festivities for your friends and family.  Not only does this allow you to have more quality time with the people you love, but it also allows you to share your destination with location-specific experiences.