Inspirational DIY Boho-Chic Wedding!

Matt and Maddie had a gorgeous fall wedding here at the Ranch, and we loved all the intricate DIY details they incorporated into their special day!

These lovebirds were the perfect couple to get married here, and they were so kind as to answer some follow-up questions we had about their special day!

What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style, or color palette?

Maddie: “We were inspired by the bohemian beauty of Leo Carrillo and Southern California sunsets. We wanted our wedding to be fun, have a lot of texture and color, and be full of details that represented our guests and us!”

Maddie: “We incorporated a range of terra cotta, light pinks, and pops of yellow and white throughout, as well as palms and pampas grass!”

How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

Maddie: “We had such a blast designing with our amazing florist KO Floral Designs! Leo Carrillo is so effortlessly beautiful, so we wanted to just highlight and play off of the character at the Ranch.”

Maddie: “We wanted to focus our ceremony décor on the tree by using a garland with palm fronds and pampas grass.”

How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

Maddie: “Matt and I met when we were 15 years old in high school biology class! We started dating shortly after and have been together ever since! Fast forward ten years, and Matt decided to surprise me with a day of all my favorite things. He took me on a scavenger hunt around all my favorite places in LA and ended the night with a surprise in Malibu. We hiked to the top of a mountain and at the top, he lined the path with candles and rose petals and had a “will you marry me” sign, then he quickly got down on one knee and proposed!”

Tell us about your wedding!

Maddie: “At our ceremony, we included a wine box tradition, where we included letters to each other that we will read at our first anniversary, and replace every year to reflect on our relationship grew over the years.”

What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

Maddie: “We loved our ceremony!! It was so emotional and fun, and really captured our love for each other (we thought we wouldn’t cry…and we all cried a ton!)”

After this heartfelt ceremony, guests were encouraged to move down to the reception area for the rest of the evening’s festivities!

Personal Touch Dining worked in collaboration with the newlyweds to whip up some fun signature drinks!

Cam Ham Photo Booth delighted guests with their vast array of photo props and instant prints to take home!

Maddie: “We also incorporated a ton of DIY projects, such as:”

• Our seating board
• All of our signage
• Our custom laser-engraved coasters with each guests’ name
• Our table numbers
• Custom dyed table runners
• Our laser-engraved cake topper

We were in awe of this gorgeous and unique seating chart!

It’s such a personalized touch that makes guests feel special for seeing that bit of extra effort for them.

Every guest just needed to find their customized antiqued polaroid to find their seats.

Imagine looking up pictures for every guest!

Maddie: “For the reception, we wanted everything to look warm and blend with the sunset. One of our favorite décor items were our peacock chairs during our reception!”

The Grand Entrance, after some romantic sunset pictures, was immediately followed by the First Dance!

We love this shot by Vee Taylor Photography!

It visibly shows the tidal wave of love a Bride and Groom receive from their friends and family when they’re announced as Husband and Wife.

Always such a beautiful moment!

As soon as the Bride and Groom sit after their first dance, Personal Touch Dining offers them their tray of appetizers.

That’s when our Event Coordination Team plates-up their dinners for them, so they can take a minute to relax.

Maddie: “Matt and his groomsmen and friends also choreographed a dance for the wedding, and it was such an epic moment! It was such a fun and exciting part of the day, and our guests loved it!”

Bill Calhoun Mobile Music took over for the rest of the evening, always keeping the dance floor grooving!

This adorable Couple’s Cake had the customized cake topper mentioned earlier!

Personal Touch Dining made sure to have plenty of other desserts for the hungry guests to nibble on.

Here we see Red Velvet Cake Shooters, Cannolis, and Churros with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, all made fresh on-site!

What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

Maddie: “Ahhh – all of it!! Haha, we absolutely loved every part of our wedding, from our awesome vendors and décor to our fun-loving guests, to the music, and the amazing food  – everything was even better than what we had envisioned! We had so much fun dancing with family during the reception and loved getting to sneak away for romantic sunset photos!”

Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?

Maddie: “The advice out there is true! The day goes by so quickly, but you will have memories for the rest of your life. So, prioritize what will bring you and your partner joy as you celebrate the beginning of your future together! Having an amazing vendor team makes all the difference!”

There aren’t enough words to properly thank this gorgeous couple for including us on their special day!

We loved working with them and wish them nothing but the best in their future together!

Huge thanks also to our phenomenal team of vendors who helped us put together another dream wedding!

Special acknowledgment to Personal Touch Dining for their multiple roles and faultless commitment to our clients!

Vendors

Bill Calhoun Mobile Music

KO Floral Designs

Vee Taylor Photography

Reel Thread Films

Cam Ham Photo Booth

Personal Touch Dining: Catering, Venue Management, and Event Planning/Coordination

Invitation Designer: Bride DIY

Men’s Attire: Kenneth Cole, the Tie Bar

Dress Store: Ellie’s Bridal Boutique Alexandria

Jewelry: Bride – custom ring made out of family heirloom, Groom – Grandfather’s wedding band

Bridesmaid Dresses: Lulus

Dress Designer: Essence of Australia

Hair: Hair by Jordan

Makeup: Makeup by Nancy J

Where Polish Meets Peach!

Amy and Mike had a gorgeous bohemian ceremony and reception here at the Ranch and we loved their deep peach and soft charcoal color theme.

Michelle McClure coordinated and everything looked flawless!

Blue Bell Floral was the artist responsible for these gorgeous floral creations.

There were so many interesting and complimentary flowers they used; every time we looked at a bouquet we saw something fun and new!

The Bridal Party looked fantastic in their Marine Dress Blues, black suits, and platinum gowns.

Our Visitor Center Barn cast the perfect backdrop to fit everybody in the shot.

The ceremony at the Pepper Tree in the Wash House Patio enchanted us with the charming yet simple decor.

The Persian rugs and wicker baskets naturally complimented our red stones and dark wooden chairs.

Kami Olavarria Photo absolutely rocked it capturing all the amazing moments throughout the night.

Just look at this “We Did It” glow!

Personal Touch Dining provided appetizers and bar service during cocktail hour while guests enjoyed the perfect weather, mingled, and played some of our lawn games.

This Custom Seating Chart was the perfect mix of clean lines and whimsical flowers and matched the rest of the decor seamlessly!

White, Charcoal and Peachy Terracotta made for a fresh yet rustic feel and the triple-long center table created a fun focal point to the main dining area.

The Grand Entrance had a special Marine tradition: The Arch of Swords, ( AKA Spanking the Spouse according to Military Wedding Traditions), where the Bride and Groom entered the reception area through a tunnel of swords. At the end of the tunnel, they’re stopped and encouraged to kiss which allows them to pass the final guards. As they move past, the last Marine gives the civilian spouse a light tap on the behind and says “Welcome to the Marines!”

This lighthearted and sweet tradition was a treat for all as we watched Amy get accepted into the Marine Family.

Flour Power baked a delicious traditional three-tiered wedding cake, enough to feed all the delighted guests.

Another exciting Marine Wedding Tradition was the Sword Cake Cutting!

Everyone gathered to watch as Mike and Amy expertly sliced out a piece to share.

Pixster helped entertain the party with their user-friendly photobooth packed full of props!

Bill Calhoun Mobile Music was fabulous to work with as always and kept the fiesta flowing all night!

The dancefloor was THE place to be after dinner and the guests had a blast.

Just wanted to thank Amy and Mike for choosing to include us in their special day!

We had so much fun with you!

Round of applause to all the awesome vendors mentioned who helped us out and made everything so perfect.

Special thanks to Personal Touch Dining for Managing and Catering all our events!