Devon + Collin | Laurie Ashley Photography
Golden Days of Summer
Devon and Collin had vibrant florals and lots of gold accents to bring out all the warmth of their love to their Wedding and Reception here at our Ranch.
We asked them to share some of their thoughts about their big day, and the answers are so sweet!
The lovebirds got ready in our Bridal Suite and Groom’s Room, and we loved how perfectly their rustic-chic motif went with all the abundant natural beauty.
How did you meet?
Devon: “Collin and I met our Freshman year in 2010 at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. We were both student-athletes – he played football, and I played golf. We were friends for a few years and then started dating in 2013.”
We loved this picture taken by Laurie Ashley Photography. She had so many unique angles we’d never seen to achieve the perfect shot.
Tell us about your proposal!
Devon: “Collin and I still live in Chicago close to Wrigley Field. The area around the field was recently renovated with nice restaurants and a new hotel – Hotel Zachary. When we walked into the lobby of the hotel, Collin proceeded to walk past the bar and straight to the elevators that went up to the guest floors. He said there was a “second bar” on a higher floor, but when we got out on a higher floor, it was clearly just guest rooms. We went into one of the hotel rooms overlooking Wrigley Field, the door to the room was propped open with a “Model Suite” sign on the door, he said to check it out. Once inside the room, we turned the corner there was an arch of market lights and flowers on the floor with balloons in the shape of the word “Love” in the background. He got down on one knee, and I said: ‘Of Course!’ After the proposal, my best friend popped out of hiding and took pictures of us. We ended up staying the night in the beautiful hotel. It was a wonderful night, and I was definitely surprised!”
Laurie Ashley Photography also captured this special moment below.
The happy couple went without a first look, opting to share a private moment before the ceremony just out of sight from each other beneath one of our many romantic arches.
D: “We had a ‘first touch’ before the ceremony. We didn’t see each other, but on a corner of the building, Collin stood on one side, and I stood on the other, and we held hands moments before walking down the aisle. We didn’t say much, but after the months of planning and the craziness of getting hair and makeup done all morning, worrying that everything was going to fall in place, that moment was calming and reassuring that the day was going to be perfect.”
Studio Fleurish decked our pepper tree with a dreamy garland of roses in luscious shades of pink for the ceremony.
Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day?
D: “We loved that tree and wanted that to be the star of the show. We put a garland around the tree and kept the aisle simple with two floral arrangements at the last two guest chairs at the start of the aisle.”
Heartfelt touches like this are always so special to us.
D: “Collin’s dad passed away his senior year of high school. It was important to us to honor his memory, so we brought Collin’s favorite pair of his dad’s cowboy boots to the wedding and put them on a seat for the ceremony with Collin’s Dad’s name on a reserved sign.”
Nick Weiss welcomed guests to the ceremony site and heralded Devon down the aisle with his talented guitar skills.
D: “Collin’s stepdad, John, performed the ceremony. One of Collin’s Mom and Stepdad’s wedding gifts to us was a large leather bible, with our names engraved on the front, that he used during the ceremony. That was a special gift we will enjoy for the rest of our lives.”
You’ve got to love the look on Collin’s face!
This glow keeps spreading, onto Devon, and even we can’t help but smile!
How did you both choose your wedding day look?
D: “We wanted to keep it classic and romantic, but also relaxed and true to the gorgeous venue. Collin and his groomsman wore matching navy suits from Banana Republic with blush ties and socks. I was in an all lace blush and form-fitting ivory gown from BHLDN, and my bridesmaids were in flowy Jenny Yoo dresses. My sister, the Maid of Honor, was in a solid blush color, while my two Bridesmaids – my now sister in law and best friend – wore a blush watercolor print, which matched our overall color palette well. My shoes and earrings were rose gold, inspired by my rings.”
After the ceremony, Personal Touch Dining started the party by serving up the newlywed’s signature drink, and some incredible bite-sized appetizers.
Did you personalize the day in any way?
D: “Signature Drink and Party Accessories – We featured our dog, Chi a lot. It was important for us to include him as he is a big part of our lives and family. We had a signature drink named after him and got a beautiful sign made from a vendor on Etsy with a watercolor of his face. We displayed this sign on the bar.”
To have and to hold, to keep the beers cold, custom koozies are always a hit for the perfect wedding favor!
D: “The Koozies we handed out at the bar included a hunting-related phrase, ‘The Hunt Is Over.’ Collin grew up hunting in LA and still does in Chicago. It is a large part of his identity, and we thought this phrase fit the bill. We also included antlers in our decor that are representative of our style and Collin’s hunting.”
Finding their seats for dinner was easy for guests on this rustic seating chart, thanks to the available escort cards.
The floor looked dressed and ready for dinner!
We love the classic white linens against our dark wood dining chairs.
D: “We wanted our wedding to be relaxed, but traditional, colorful, and just a good time for our friends and family. Growing up in CA, I always dreamed of an outdoor wedding with market lights and CA vegetation. Most of our friends and family traveled from other states, so we ultimately wanted to give them a true CA feel, and Leo Carrillo Ranch was the perfect venue for our vision.”
Studio Fleurish took charge of the gorgeous floral arrangements on each table for the simple, yet elegant, centerpieces.
D: “After the first meeting with our wonderful florist, Studio Fleurish, Nadine used the three words: ‘Classic Romantic Elegance’ and I think those were three buzzwords I kept in mind throughout the planning process. Color Palette: Bright Pink, Blush, Ivory, Yellow – Large florals with bright greenery – with Navy and Gold accents.”
Personal Touch Dining helped set tables and brought Devon and Collin’s tablescape vision to life.
We’re always up for unique napkin folds, and this was the first time we’d had a couple ask for this arrangement!
D: “We created the table numbers on Minted – One side was the table number surrounded by a gold border, and the other side was a photo of Collin and me with a thank you note to our guests. We brought in gold chargers for the table settings to add more pops of gold. The menus at each seat matched our wedding invitations and had a gold floral design on them.”
After a charming Grand Entrance and First Dance, Personal Touch Dining treated us to another fantastic dining experience!
D: “When the DJ announced us as Mr. and Mrs. walking into the reception and all of our guests were standing and smiling and clapping for us, that was a pretty surreal moment. The love and happiness we felt was really great.”
The SD Photo Bus always adds a fun twist to a classic photo booth.
Guests love all the wild props and instant photos to take home!
D: “We had ‘heads on a stick’ signs made of his face that people used on the dance floor and in the Photo Bus. Some of our favorite photographs from the wedding included these signs of our dog’s face – Collin and I took a series in the front of the photo bus with us holding the signs over our faces. I have these framed!”
Personal Touch Dining helped supplement the dessert bar so the happy couple could keep their cake and still satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.
The shelves behind the dessert bar in the Cabana are great for displaying favorite photos!
D: “We had a hashtag sign made for the wedding – #alwaysandforEllis. We also included a lot of pictures from our engagement sessions in Chicago and San Diego. We got mismatched wood and gold frames to feature these photographs in the cabana area. I also framed a floral heart print I gave my Maid of Honor and Bridesmaids for the cabana area.”
Finally, the last song ended, and our incredible coordination team helped all the guests line up for the Grand Exit out in front of the Hacienda!
What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
D: “Seeing how 13 months of planning turned out – it was more than we could have imagined between our vision, the visions of our vendors, and Personal Touch Dining. It was surreal looking out from the bridal suite to see the guest tables and the Photo Bus being set up.”
“More specifically: FLOWERS!!! And Grand Exit (Our friends and family held up foam glow sticks, and running through that sea of people and colors was a great way to end the night.)”
We loved having these two celebrate the beginning of their forever here at the Ranch!
Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
D: “Collin traveled during the week, so we had wedding planning ‘check-in’ meetings on Sunday evenings. It was nice to have that designated time to sit down together and talk/update each other for just an hour or two every week. If something came up during the workweek, I would just set it aside for the weekend – made the week a little less stressful knowing that whatever came up would be addressed on Sunday.”
“During the planning process, to see how everything was coming together, I made a single page planning board/collage and would update that when I started purchasing items for the day to see everything come together, and all the colors. It was a fun activity, and got our families that much more excited for the big day and us.”
Can’t get enough of these two?
Us either!
Check out their wedding website for more details under the “Our Story” section. – Knot Wedding Website – Devon Brown and Collin Ellis
Thanks to all the phenomenal vendors who helped us pull all these pieces together!
Special thanks to Personal Touch Dining for all our Special Event Catering, Coordination, and Venue Management!
Vendors:
Invitation Designer – Minted
Men’s Attire – Banana Republic
Veils and headpieces – David’s Bridal
Dress Store – BHLDN
Jewelry – Earrings – Kate Spade Rings – Anton’s Fine Jewelry (Baton Rouge, LA)
Bridesmaid Dresses – Jenny Yoo
Dress Designer – Katie May