The paramount decision between farm tables and classic rounds with linens has plagued couples and event designers for time and memorium. Linens offer infinite options to help create the perfect tablescape and overall event look. On the other hand, farm tables can be just as versatile in their look depending on the rest of the decor.

Photos by Vafa Photography

For years, round and rectangular tables were the standard, and the linen industry ruled with an iron fist! 

Not without reason, either. The draw toward tables with linens is that of a clean-cut, classic look, and they happen to come in every shade of your imagination. Through shade, texture and layering, you can make your dream wedding or event come to life. The options and combinations are quite literally endless, so if you know what you want, little can stop you.

The choice of table shape includes more factors than you might guess. Round tables are especially convenient for social gatherings, allowing guests to talk freely without straining necks and voices. No longer are we restricted to a forced conversation only with the person next to us, because everyone faces the same center point! As a result, the centerpieces for circular tables can be tall, glorious works of art or smaller, cute, and more cost-efficient! Round tables are also easily maneuverable in irregular-shaped spaces (which happens to be the case with our reception area here at Leo Carrillo Ranch).

No respectable event allowed tables to go unclothed. It was indecent! Imagine naked tables all over your wedding, bare legs out for the world to see!

Scandalous.

The Rustic look, with all its wood and naked tables, didn’t become a trend until couples started wanting more to their weddings than hotel ballrooms. Couples began to desire less of a “big white wedding” look and sought something more tailored to fit their personalities. These farm tables appeal to those looking for something casual yet high-quality to carry the importance of the occasion.

The rustic look is growing in popularity to this day. Event planners and Pinterest personalities alike are discovering the untapped potential for these wood canvases. In places where outdoor events are available most of the year, they’ve become a standard!

Soon, a new generation didn’t mind these barbaric clothless tables. They were charming, simple, craftsman works of art. They had begun to appreciate the freedom that comes with a good glossy stain and not much else.

While farm tables grew in popularity, the divide between rustic and contemporary also expanded. Couples and wedding planners were tasked with exploring this new event motif while still trying to appeal to an older generation with traditional wedding ideas. The next hurdle became organizing these events with polar opposite visions and expectations battling for dominance. People had to decide: follow the traditional classic look of tables with linens, or embrace the new picturesque look of bare farm tables.

So the feud began…

Until someone discovered in a burst of inventive brilliance…

… why not have both?

Finally!!

In a stroke of genius, someone combined the two in the ultimate compromise. The final product is called Rustic-Chic (or Boho-Chic depending on the amount of pampas grass in the rest of the decor). The look is well-rounded, regal yet approachable, clean yet quaint. It melds the best of both worlds and can transform the layout of any event.

Where will your loyalties lie?

Ask our Event Coordinators to help you decide which style best fits your function when planning your next event at Leo Carrillo Ranch!

Thanks to Vafa Photography for the visual aid to this story!

And huge thanks to Personal Touch Dining for the Coordination and Management of our venue, as well as the phenomenal food quality and selection!

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

Magic in Maroon!

Alexandria Monette Photography shared some of the photos from this incredible day here at our beautiful Ranch.

We’re so excited to show off this fantastic couple and their gorgeous wedding day!

Kyla and Warren were, by far, one of the sweetest couples to grace us with their love.

Their easy-going personalities blended effortlessly with their romantic Boho-Chic motif, and we can’t get enough of the sensational maroon accent color!

Kyla chose an exquisite lace dress paired with a set of cheeky maroon velvet heels!

The simple lines gracefully accentuated her beauty while the softness of the lace added a vintage sweetness to her overall look.

Warren and his groomsmen, in their striking maroon suits, completed their look with amber ties and some sienna dress shoes.

Looking so bold and trendy must be thirsty work!

Where Kyla was delicate with vintage elegance, Warren was bold with retro lines.

Their looks melded together seamlessly for the perfect boho-chic vibe.

Is there anything more romantic than a delicate flower crown?

Wildflower Studios was the floral genius behind all the blossoming masterpieces, big and small, throughout the day.

The ceremony was out on our Washhouse Patio in front of our welcoming pepper tree, where DJ  Nick Weiss welcomed guests with his sweet-sounding guitar.

Wildflower Studios gave our tree a full makeover or the ceremony!

We would never think of having such a fun contrasting combination of the delicate peonies and dried palms.

Alexandria Monette had quite the task of appeasing our feathered camera-fiend while still capturing the wedding vows.

It looks like we need to brush up on their wedding etiquette!

After the big kiss, everyone was encouraged to enjoy cocktail hour while the Bride and Groom finished taking pictures.

Personal Touch Dining provided the bar and food service during cocktail hour, and our favorite appetizers are hands down the Brie Puff-Pastries with Apricot Sauce and Blueberries.

A perfect marriage of sweet and savory, we could’ve eaten an entire platter to ourselves!

Personal Touch Dining doesn’t just stop their fantastic service at food and beverage!

They also provided all the linens and tableware, setting each piece to make Kyla and Warren’s dream tablescape come to life.

The love birds chose to use these artsy amber goblets and mismatched antique china plates to continue their unique vision.

The minimalist flower vases are adorable and add just the right amount of brass accent tones to these gorgeous farm tables.

We love having The Photo Bus here at the Ranch!

Their vintage bus is the perfect compliment to almost any motif, from retro to rustic, and guests always have a blast!

Cocktail hour was full of great music, fun photo booths, and amazing food, but the night had just begun!

Just before dinner service began, the happy couple took a moment to themselves during their heartwarming first dance as husband and wife.

Personal Touch Dining served the season favorite: the Strawberry Spinach Salad!

This crowd-pleaser is like taking a bite out of summer with its creamy goat cheese, fresh slivered almonds, and sweet strawberries.

They also served their signature Garlic Whipped Mashed Potatoes, Fresh Seasonal Veggie Medley, and their delicious Herb Encrusted Mahi-Mahi with a Lemon Chardonnay Sauce.

Now and again we have a couple who can’t decide on which type of cake to order for their big day, so they get two!

Both incredible cakes, made by Flour Power Cakery, were personalized to fit each personality flawlessly.

A classic scraped tiered cake for Kyla in peach and strawberry was complimented by Warren’s expertly decorated “Family Name” sign cake in chocolate.

Nick Weiss kept the dancefloor jumping for the rest of the evening and even played a special song for the happy couple who wanted a private moment before their grand exit.

Alexandria Monette captured this special moment, and you can feel all the love just by looking at them!

Surrounded by their cheering friends and family, Warren and Kyla had their grand exit out from the front of our historic Hacienda.

We’re deeply honored that these two chose our beloved Ranch to start their greatest adventure!

Their love for each other will light their long and beautiful future together, and we’re so happy for them!

Thanks to all our excellent vendors who help us make the magic happen!

Special thanks as always to Personal Touch Dining for the Coordination and Catering of all our special events!

Vendors:

Alexandria Monette: Photography

Nick Weiss: DJ

Wildflower Studios: Florist

The Photo Bus: Photo Booth

Personal Touch Dining: Catering

Flour Power Cakery: Tiered and Groom’s Cake