Meet the Interns!

It’s the beginning of a new season, which means it is time to take a moment and introduce our new interns! Let’s learn a little bit about one of our new SDSU interns!!

Meet Gina:

Hi! My name is Gina Navarro and I was born and raised in Orange County, CA. Since I was young, my love for the ocean has never changed. Because of how close I lived to the beach; surfing, kayaking, paddle-boarding, and any other type of water sport was always a big passion for me. I have two older brothers, which I admire immensely, a mother that shares my second passion of yoga with me, and a loving father that is consistently pushing me to be the best I can be.

My major at San Diego State University is Recreation Tourism Management (which not a lot of people have heard of). I fell into this major on complete accident. Hospitality was a huge part of my life, always working in restaurants and helping out events for restaurants as well. After taking one class in RTM, I knew this was the major for me.

This last semester, I spent 5 months studying abroad in Florence, Italy. It was the most amazing experience and I learned more in those 5 months than I could have ever imagined. After taking an event planning course while I was there, I decided when I returned home, I would be on the hunt for the perfect internship in event planning. I could not be more excited about the opportunity to be one of two interns at Personal Touch Dining!! I learn something new every time I come into the office whether it be blogging for the different venues, or learning what goes on to coordinate the ideal wedding. I feel extremely grateful to be a part of the Personal Touch family.

Favorite Movie: Harry Potter (all of them of course)

Favorite Food: Italian food is the best.

Dream Vacation Spot: Maldives!!!

Flower Arrangements: A Trend Different From The Rest

Sometimes it is hard to break away from the traditional bouquet trends… Modern, nicely put together, and color coordinated is a style we have always been very comfortable with. But recently there has been a new trend in town! Why settle for a flower arrangement that no one will remember? Not only are florists creating large and diverse bouquets, but brides are incorporating these wild flowers in their entire wedding décor as well. Table settings are different by adding runners of flowers instead of a traditional style of separate flowers down the table. Succulents are a very popular addition to the arrangement, and are even being added to the cake design as well. With florists adding succulents to any flower arrangement, they are automatically creating a very rustic feel, which complements our venue, Leo Carrillo Ranch, exceptionally well! Every bride wants their wedding to feel different, but more importantly; they want their wedding to feel more beautiful than all the rest. This new trend of gorgeous/bewildering flower arrangements, is a style that florists have gotten really creative with and we cannot wait to see what it leads to next!…

Featured Florists and Photographs: The Dainty Lion, Layered Vintage, Siren Floral Co., and Green Wedding Shoes

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Cameron + Alexandra – Elate Photography – Leo Carrillo Ranch

Alexandra and Cameron are yet another wonderful couple to get married at the Ranch.  We love that they chose a more simple and elegant theme with blush and mint tones.  Their wedding really shows how versatile Leo Carrillo Ranch can be, over-ruling the stigma that the Ranch is best suited for a rustic or Spanish style venue. The happy couple chose to embrace our peacocks, even incorporating our white peacock into their cake topper! This wedding was perfectly put together by Lavish Weddings and captured by Elate Photography.

Lawn Games – One Wedding Trend That Is Not Going Away

We have been noticing that more and more couples have been opting to add lawn games to add some extra entertainment to their reception.  This is one trend that does not seem to be fading, and we are behind it all the way!  Lawn games are great accessories to any wedding reception whether they are just played during the cocktail hour or throughout the entire event. The games fit right in with the DIY craze that is going on now and you can customize or personalize each game any way you like with your names, wedding colors, pictures, or cute sayings.  I know when you hear lawn games you automatically think corn hole, but there are a ton of other games you can play around with such as jenga, latter golf, ring toss, and croquet just to name a few. You can do one or a variety it doesn’t matter. Either way guests love lawn games and it gives them an alternative to dancing or being stagnant at a able.

Take a look at some of the couples who have had lawn games at the ranch and inquire about some of ones we have available for you to use: 

Kimberly and Zack on Green Wedding Shoes

We came across this gem today.  Kimberly and Zack’s rustic, boho chic wedding at the ranch was featured on Green Wedding Shoes!  Green Wedding Shoes (GWS)  is a great resource dedicated to helping couples plan the DIY wedding of their dreams.  They feature real weddings as well as tips and creative ideas for DIY weddings.  GWS can also recommend great artists for all different types of projects!

Kimberly and Zack got married last year at the ranch, and their wedding was the epitome of mix and match gone right! Their bridesmaids and groomsmen tastefully picked out their own dresses and suits and they looked fabulous! Kimberly choose amazing wild flower bouquets and centerpieces which were absolutely stunning. We loved all the personal touches they added and how they mixed the shabby chic vibe of the ranch with elegant accents and place settings. It was quite a lovely event, and we are so happy they were featured on GWS!

To see the original post click here: http://greenweddingshoes.com/rustic-bohemian-california-wedding-kimberly-zack/

photography: Love Janet Photography // wedding planning, coordination + design: The Dainty Lion // venue: Leo Carrillo Ranch Carlsbad, California desserts: VG’s Bakery // rentals: Allie’s Party // vintage rentals:Pow Wow Design Studio // videography: Rodaniche Films // photobooth: SD Photo Bus // florals: Compass Floral //  calligraphy + signs: Ampersand Collections

Marissa + Matt – Engagement Session – Derek Chad Photography

A lot of times we focus on weddings, however Leo Carrillo Ranch is also a great place for engagement pictures! Our beautiful ranch  sits in the heart of a 27 acre canyon which boasts amazing plant life consisting of an array of flowers including birds of paradise, succulents, gorgeous agave, and an abundance of trees.  Couples can explore our historic ranch and soak in all the history while looking for the perfect spot to capture their love. We have no doubt that you will find that perfect place! If you are are lucky you might even see some of our friendly peacocks which reside on the ranch.

Take a look at Marissa and Matt’s engagement pictures taken by Derek Chad Photography to get some inspiration!

Jacklyn + Ryan – France Photographers – Leo Carrillo Ranch

Jacklyn and Ryan got married at Leo Carrillo Ranch exactly 4 weeks ago.  In the midst of this fickle San Diego summer, they lucked out with a perfectly sunny day. We are lucky that Rachel from France Photographers suggested our “hidden gem” of a venue to this wonderful couple. Jacklyn and Ryan are a very laid back couple and Leo Carrillo ranch fit their needs and personalities perfectly. They fell in Love with the Ranch and we fell in love with them! France Photography did a wonderful job of really capturing the love and happiness of this adorable couple.  Congrats to these newly weds!

Vanessa + Veronica – Eder Photography – Leo Carrillo Ranch

We are so happy to feature Vanessa and Veronica today, who got married at the ranch on June 12th. Their wedding was a chic Mexican styled wedding coordinated by Amy June Weddings and Events, and captured by Eder Photo.Vanessa and Veronica chose to have a traditional style Catholic ceremony. These two beautiful women showed so much joy and love throughout their ceremony and reception that it was hard to keep a smile off your face while being around them. Following their ceremony were lawn games, music, and dancing.  These two were so happy and easy going it was a pleasure to host them and their guests for their wedding.

Don and Vanessa’s Wedding Featured on the Bachelorette’s Desiree Hartstock’s Blog

Earlier this year we shared some pictures taken by Mink Photography of Don and Vanessa’s wedding.  Don and Vanessa had a beautiful DIY wedding at the ranch, which caught Desiree Hartstock’s eye. Desiree was the 2nd runner up in season 17 of the Bachelor and became the Bachelorette in season 9 of the show the Bachelorette. Desiree is an accomplished bridal professional who used to be a bridal stylist and is now a wedding dress and jewelry designer working with Maggie Sottero and KVBijou. We love that she decided to write a piece on budget friendly weddings, because who isn’t looking to save some money when planning a wedding?  We are thrilled that the wedding featured was Don and Vanessa’s and that it took place at our charming and beautiful Leo Carrillo Ranch.

To see Desiree’s full article click here: http://www.desireehartsock.com/9-budget-friendly-wedding-ideas/

Here are some more of our favorites from Don and Vanessa’s wedding:

Justine and Dave’s Wedding Featured on the Knot

It is always an honor to have Leo Carrillo Ranch featured in some of the top wedding blogs and websites.  This time we are so excited to share Justine and Dave’s wedding that took place at the Ranch this past October which has been featured on The Knot.com! We are thrilled about being on The Knot considering what a huge contribution The Knot makes to brides researching everything and anything for their weddings. Justine and Dave celebrated their nuptials with a colorful, rustic, Spanish style, DIY theme.  Below are some pictures taken by the very talented duo Jacob & Christin Willis with We Heart Photography.

To check out the article on The Knot you can to to: https://www.theknot.com/real-weddings/a-leo-carrillo-ranch-wedding-in-carlsbad-california-album