Photographed beautifully by the exceptionally talented Max Wanger, the simplicity and pure bliss this wedding excudes really captivates you.
It's an example of the perfection that can be achieved through simple, personal touches... and an incredbile photographer to tell your story. The beautiful bride Jessica provides us with an insight into her stunning day...
WHERE: Monterey, California
THEME: We wanted our wedding to feel intimate and really us. I don't know that there was a specific theme, but I wanted some elements of our backgrounds to come through. Some Latin American influence and some Coastal Californian influence. The setting provided this alone, but our ring pillow was also made with a handkerchief of a map of California.
GUESTS: 35 of our closest friends and family. At one moment during the ceremony, our good friend and officiant had us pause and take a look at each person there and it was such an emotional feeling. We realized all the effort we put into planning the wedding and getting everyone together came through.
DRESS: Custom made by Dorie Kong. I fell in love with a Monique Lhuillier gown that cost more than my entire wedding budget, so I had this local designer in Orange County (where we're from) make my dress and it was inspired by the original.
HAIR & MAKEUP: Bride’s sister – not a professional stylist
RINGS: Albert Molina
STATIONERY/INVITATIONS: I designed our Save the Dates to look like a Curt Teich “big letter” vintage postcard using the engagement photos Max Wanger took of us. Tyler wrote a story we printed on the back. My brother painted our invitation and map for us. My family is Nicaraguan and my brother's art is inspired by Latin American folkloric art. He (Carlos Quadra) painted us under the crooked tree, and I had the cards printed through Digital Lizard - a great company where you can upload your own art and have it printed. They're quick and super easy. I used Photoshop to use parts of the painting for our RSVP cards. I designed our menu cards as well with Mexican papel picado (paper flags) across the top. We gave mixed cds as our favors. Our relationship began by exchanging "mixed tapes," so we thought this would be appropriate. We had custom cds I designed to look like records printed through Mixonic and I stuffed them in square vellum envelopes tied with baker's twine.
FLOWERS: My friend Nick McCoy works for an awesome wholesale flower company based in Carlsbad, California. He worked with me on choosing my flowers, mostly ranunculus, and had them shipped to Monterey the day before. My mom made all the centerpieces, boutonnières, corsages and bouquets.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Max Wanger
CEREMONY DETAILS: Tyler proposed under this beautiful crooked cypress in Pacific Grove, CA on the Monterey Peninsula almost exactly one year before our wedding date. We simply call it "The Crooked Tree," and we thought it’d be the perfect spot to get married. We're huge John Steinbeck fans so we loved visiting this area where so many of his novels take place. Our dear friend, Amanda Stuart, officiated the ceremony and did an amazing job. The three of us met in graduate school for English and Creative Writing, so she told the story of our relationship and broke each section up into "chapters." The experience was my favorite part of the day.
RECEPTION DETAILS: Esteban's (a restaurant specializing in Spanish Tapas) at Casa Munras Hotel in Monterey. We ate outside on their patio.
CAKE: We had a croquembouche (French "wedding cake" comprised of a tower of cream puffs) made by Pâtisserie Bechler in Pacific Grove. I made our cake topper out of clay I bought at Michael's, a local craft store. I really wanted a figurine of a bride and groom on a bicycle but couldn’t find anything for less than $100 and Tyler thought it was asinine to spend that much on a topper! I made it and it turned out better than I expected.
ENTERTAINMENT: Music: We had a mariachi trio sing at the ceremony site and used my iPod at the reception. We made a playlist of our favorite music. We didn't have any dancing.
FOOD & BEVERAGES: Babaghanoush with Crispy Pita Chips; Butter Lettuce Salad with Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Grapes, Walnuts; Watermelon and Lomo, House Cured Pork Loin; Sautéed Mussels with Chorizo and Garlic; Macaroni and Cheese with House-Made Béchamel; Grilled Spanish Sausage with Sweet and Hot Peppers; Chicken Leg Marsala; Grilled Flat Breads and Hummus. Wine & beer.
LITTLE EXTRAS: Since I didn't have bridesmaids, I asked my best friends to wear blue (any shade/print, etc.) and that snowballed into asking our immediate families to do the same and then eventually all our guests. It looked great, I think, and made for cool photos.
BEST ADVICE FOR PLANNING A WEDDING/TO BRIDES: If you're not having a religious ceremony or ceremony in a house of worship, I highly recommend asking a close friend or family member to officiate. It makes things more personal and meaningful. Shooting weddings, I've seen a lot of ceremonies, and it's always those weddings that are most memorable. The ceremony should be the most important part of the day - not your flowers, not your cake. Put time into planning your ceremony and don't be afraid to tell your officiant exactly what you want it to be. Our friend Amanda collected stories via email from our friends and families about us individually and as a couple and integrated these into our ceremony. I also highly highly recommend doing a "first look," or choosing to see each other before the ceremony. I felt so anxious up until the moment I saw Tyler. When it came time for the ceremony, I was so present, and walking down the aisle toward him, I was 100% nerves-free.
JESSICA'S CONTACTS:
- Photography: Max Wanger
- Bride's Dress & Veil: Dorie Kong, L’Mode Bridal; Ban.do
- Bride's Shoes: Nina Shoes
- Groom's Formal Wear: Suit - J Crew ; tie – Zara
- Rings: Albert Molina
- Hair: Jennifer Tarulli (bride’s sister)
- Makeup: Jennifer Tarulli
- Invitations: Carlos Quadra & Digital Lizard Print ; Calligraphy by Renee Polcher, Calligraphy with Style
- Flowers: Supplied by Nick McCoy of Floral Express, arranged by bride’s mother, Olga Quadra
- Cake: Pâtisserie Bechler
- Reception: Esteban’s at Casa Munras Hotel
- Ceremony: Shoreline Park, Pacific Grove, California
- Entertainment: Mariachi Trio, Serenatas Directo
- Decorations: centerpiece vases, Michael’s and Anthropologie
