Stephanie + Roarke | Walter Wilson Studios

Posted on February 6, 2020
in Updates
by lcr

Live and Love Colorfully!

Roarke and Stephanie brought all the colors of their love to our Ranch for their wedding and reception.

Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? 

Stephanie: “We were inspired by the peacocks + cactus at the ranch paired with the Romantic touch of the hacienda and bougainvillea.”

Adore Folklore provided the fun rugs that went down the ceremony aisle, further incorporating the southwestern vibe of our beautiful patio area into their motif.

How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? 

Stephanie: “I made a few DIY signs and put our pictures and a lot of items from our house around.”

This First Look was so sweet!

How did you two meet?

Stephanie: “We met in college at UCI. He was in a frat, and I was in a sorority. We were on a frat bus to lake Havasu, and he introduced me to fireball whiskey.”

Tiny Victories was responsible for the incredible florals placed all over the Ranch.

They helped knit together all the different parts of decor that brought vivacity to the event, and we were so taken by Stephanie’s stunning bouquet!

Personal Touch Dining greeted guests to the ceremony area with Cucumber Watermelon Mojitos!

Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?

Stephanie: “During our ceremony, we literally ‘tied the knot’ by incorporating the Celtic tradition of handfasting.”

“Each of our parents placed a ribbon that represented parts of a strong marriage, and we tied a knot with them. His family is Irish.”

“We also took a fireball shot during the ceremony to remember how we first met. It was a fun surprise no one knew was coming.”

Did you have a specific theme, style, or color palette? 

Stephanie: “The theme was kind of romantic boho with wildflowers and a mix of patterns likes the dresses and the aisle rugs.”

“Once I found my fun bridesmaids dresses, the colors all came from there! I didn’t want a set color palette, just a variety of fun and vibrant colors.”

Nick Weiss not only sang and played guitar during the ceremony, but he transitioned effortlessly into the cocktail hour, where he continued singing and playing in the background until the grand entrance!

Personal Touch Dining served appetizers and provided the bar service, with more of those delicious mojitos, as guests enjoyed the casual atmosphere.

Tiny Victories brought so much excitement to the tabletops!

Stephanie: “The flowers made everything come together!!! I loved the flowers so much.”

Just look at the small forest of flowers adorning the sweetheart table!

Tiny Victories is a true master of their craft.

Adore Folklore finished off the rest of the tablescape with their amber goblets, chargers, plates, and festive napkins.

The sweetheart table had an exclusive table setting, while the family and head tables had less extravagant similar versions.

How did you both choose your wedding day look?

Roarke knew he wanted a blue suit, and I knew I wanted a dress that was a little less traditional!

Personal Touch Dining served another bountiful buffet with their fresh Mahi Mahi and addicting Mashed Potatoes!

We love the look of this long feasting style head table where the Bride and Groom sit like royalty in the middle of their friends and family.

Did you personalize the day in any way? 

Stephanie: “We did a bridal party dance after dinner to the tequila song.”

What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

Stephanie: “I loved incorporating the fireball shot into the ceremony; it was very us.”

“Our first dance to I’ve got you babe was one of my fav memories bc we had a little routine and nailed it! It was fun to learn together.”

 

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

Stephanie: “Make it as you as possible!”

We wish these two all the best in their bright future together!

Thanks to all the vendors who helped us make the magic happen, we couldn’t do what we love without you all!

Details:
Invitation Designer- ETSY 
Men’s Attire- SuitSupply 
Veils and headpieces- ETSY 
Dress Store- Grace Loves Lace 
Bridesmaid Dresses- AMAZON 
Dress Designer- Grace Loves Lace
Vendors:
Photo Booth: Can Ham
Photographer: Walter Wilson Studios

Lily + Ross | Anna Delores Photography

Posted on January 9, 2020
in Updates
by lcr

Springtime Sunshine at the Ranch!

 

Anna Delores Photography shared these pictures from Lily and Ross’ charming Spring Wedding and Reception here at the Ranch last year!

We reached out to the newlyweds and asked for a little inside scoop of what they remembered most about their big day, and if they had any tips for future couples.

 
How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
Lily: “We met via OkCupid in D.C. in October 2011. I was a speech-language pathology grad student at GWU, and Ross was working at the Treasury Department. We hit it off on our first date and have been together ever since! Four and a half years, two cross-country moves, and three Brooklyn apartments later, Ross proposed in Central Park in March 2016. A mutual friend’s grandmother made the ring from an heirloom diamond my grandfather found on a Brooklyn street in the 1950s.”
 

Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? 

Lily: “Our biggest inspiration was the ranch itself. We were and are absolutely in love with the space, and it was important to us that our aesthetic choices serve as complementary touches to the existing structures and gardens.

That said, I had the hardest time making decisions on almost everything wedding-related! It took me months to settle on yellow and white with lots of greenery for our flowers. Luckily, Kristin Osterloh,” of KO Floral Designs, “did an amazing job with the garland and repurposing flowers from the ceremony to re-use at the reception.”

During this time of the year, our feathered tenants are bold, beautiful, and always ready for their glamor shots!

Anna Delores Photography caught this one showing off for the bridal party.

 

The ceremony, accompanied by musician and DJ Nick Weiss, was beautifully heartfelt.

 

What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
Lily: “Saying our vows – I didn’t know it would make me so emotional, but I cried the entire time!”

Anna Delores Photography added a special treat to Lily and Ross’ wedding shoot by snapping some priceless polaroids for the happy couple to take home with them that night!

Pictured here is just a sampling of them all, but having an expert take polaroid pictures sure makes a difference in quality!

 

 

How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
Lily: “LOL, this was the hardest part for me! I was SO stressed out about how to decorate the cabana, and I spent hours scouring the blog and LCR’s Pinterest for ideas. Most of our decor was DIY – we bought a bunch of frames from eBay and Goodwill for family photos, and I went to Target for streamers and paper flowers. Kristin probably contributed the most with her gorgeous floral designs, which we used for both the ceremony and reception.”

Kristin, of KO Floral Designs, added a little extra sunshine to everything she touched that day!

We love the delicate white and yellow floral choices she went with, it added so much to the romantic feel of the whole event.

 

After the ceremony, Personal Touch Dining kept guests thoroughly entertained while the love birds took some family pictures.

Between the lawn games, delectable bite-sized appetizers, and craft cocktails, guests of all ages were having a blast!

 

 

We love the way the main dining area turned out!

The crisp white linens are perfect for a fresh Spring day, and our dark wood chairs always create such a pleasant contrast.

 

 

KO Floral Designs provided the floral centerpieces, placing a sweet and simple arrangement on each table for guests to enjoy.

A little bit can go a long way on these round tables!

 

 

How did you both choose your wedding day look?
Lily: “After we got engaged in 2016, I was totally overwhelmed with the multitude of options for my wedding! I had no idea where to start, so I thought, well if I pick a dress first, I can use that as a springboard for everything else (style, theme, color, etc.). I actually ended up buying a dress before we even set a date! But finding my dress really did help inform every other decision I made, including the location and venue.”
“Ross knew he wanted to wear a blue suit, but was having trouble finding the right shade and cut. He initially bought a $500 suit online, which ended up looking terrible because the fit was all wrong. Luckily he found a beautifully cut wool suit at Bonobos about a month before the wedding, which fit perfectly!”

 

Nick Weiss played music for Ross and Lily’s Grand Entrance and First Dance.

We love Lily’s choice of her flowy strapless gown, it fits our Ranch’s motif perfectly, and she looked incredible!

 

 

Personal Touch Dining treated everyone to another fantastic buffet dinner, and we’ll never get tired of their famous Citrus Marinated Tri-Tip, always carved to-order!

 

 

What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

Lily: “Our favorite parts of our wedding were the sweet speeches from our family and friends, our first dance, and getting to spend time with the people we love but don’t get to see often enough. It was really special to have our dear friend read the poem Ross read to me when he proposed (Having a Coke with You, by Frank O’Hara) during our ceremony. Another special moment came from Ross’s aunt, Annie Leibovitz, who took portraits of us before our ceremony, something we will always treasure.”

Flour Power provided the adorable personal cake for the ceremonial Cake Cutting.

KO Floral Designs decorated it, and we can’t get over how cute all the dainty yellow flowers were!

 

Personal Touch Dining supplied the rest of the sweets for guests, who helped themselves to cupcakes from our dessert bar.

 

 

Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
Lily: “Wedding planning is stressful! We decided early on what was most important and where we were willing to splurge versus what we didn’t really care about, so that definitely helped our decision making. Remember that you can pick and choose what to include in your celebration – you don’t have to follow every tradition or do things that are trendy right now if they’re not important to you. For instance, Ross and I never bring home wedding favors, so we didn’t have favors! Think about weddings you’ve attended or been part of – what worked and what didn’t work? What did you like/what did you not like?”
Lily: “I would also advise couples to keep the not-so-fun yet essential logistics in mind! Plan these out first so you have a better sense of what ‘fun stuff’ you can afford – for example, figure out transportation to and from the wedding for you and your guests before you book that photo booth or late night snack! Remember that you can almost always add things at the last minute if you have extra room in your budget, but it’s a lot harder to get back a deposit you’ve already put down or figure out how to cover an expense you didn’t plan for late in the game.”

 

Huge thanks go out to Lily and Ross for choosing us to share in their special day, and for taking the time to answer our questions!

Hopefully, your words of wisdom will help any future couples looking for a starting point in their planning process.

From the Leo Carrillo Ranch Team, we wish these two all the best and can’t wait to see what their bright future has in store!

 

 

Thanks also to the fantastic vendors who helped us create such a magic-filled day!

We can’t do what we love without you all!

Special thanks to  Personal Touch Dining for the Venue Management, Event Coordination, and Event Catering of all our Special Events here at the Ranch!

 

 

Vendors:

Anna Delores Photography

Catering, Coordination, and venue Management: Personal Touch Dining

KO Floral Designs

DJ: Nick Weiss Music

Cake: Flour Power

Invitation Designer: Minted
Men’s Attire: Bonobos
Veils and headpieces: KO Floral Designs
Bridesmaid Dresses: Reformation and BHLDN
Dress Designer: WToo by Watters

 

Amy + Sean | Harmony Haft | Historic Leo Carrillo Ranch Weddings

Posted on October 10, 2019
in Updates
by lcr

 

 

All In The Details, Darling!

 

 

Amy and Sean had some of the most thoughtful personal details planned out for their big day here at our beloved Ranch!

 

For example, don’t miss Amy’s dress with the tiny bits of antique lace intermixed in the layers of her skirt.

 

 

Their custom-built ring box, plucked from a fairy forest floor, enchanted us!

 

One of our favorite little details were the wine bottles meant for messages instead of a sign-in book!

 

Each of the six bottles had custom-printed labels for a specific occasion in the future.

When those events came around, the love birds would uncork the bottles and read the well-wishes from their family and friends.

 

So thoughtful and unique!

 

 

Down the ceremony aisle, vibrant floral arrangements from Snowberry Studios framed the scene for the main event!

 

 

This bridal party had a couple of quirky details as well.

 

Amy had a Bridesman, and Sean had a Groomswoman!

 

 

 

What’s a flower girl without a flower crown?

 

This tiny wreath-decked angel stole the hearts of every guest!

 

 

 

 

After the heartfelt ceremony, guests were encouraged to enjoy the cocktail hour hosted by Personal Touch Dining.

 

This gorgeous rustic-chic seating chart perfectly displays the luxurious and romantic motif the happy couple sought!

 

 

 

Don’t think we missed the gold flatware and glass chargers.

 

We love it when couples take the extra time to think about their tablescape!!

 

 

To go with their rustic-chic look, Amy and Sean brought in The Photobus to keep guests busy with pictures and wild props throughout the night.

 

DJ Nick Weiss transitioned effortlessly from singing and playing guitar for the ceremony to rocking the main dance floor.

 

 

Everyone in attendance was lucky enough to witness another one of Leo Carrillo Ranch’s spectacular sunsets, with an extra twist!

 

The clouds parted and revealed a double rainbow, which made for some one-in-a-lifetime pictures snagged by Harmony Haft Photography.

 

 

 

We’re so excited for these two and their bright future ahead of them!

 

Honored that they chose to celebrate with us, we wish them all the best.

 

 

 

Thanks to all the vendors who helped this event run so smooth!

Special thanks to Personal Touch Dining for the Venue Management, Event Coordination, and Catering of all our special events!

 

List of Vendors:

Harmony Haft Photography

Snowberry Studios: Florist

Nick Weiss: DJ

Personal Touch Dining: Catering, Coordination, Venue Management

The Photobus: Photo Booth

 

 

Amy + Mike | Kami Olavarria Photo | Leo Carrillo Ranch

Posted on July 1, 2019
in Updates
by lcr

 

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!

 

 

 

 

Vintage Vogue | Leo Carrillo Ranch

Posted on May 20, 2019
in Updates
by lcr

If anybody knows Vintage, it’s us.

Our Historic Ranch is the Mecca of vintage accessories and flair!

From rustic to mid-century, even Victorian and Boho-Chic, every type of antique vibe fits our motif.

 

Photographer: True Photography. 

 

VW Busses are pretty textbook under the “Vintage” category.

The Photo Bus, pictured below, works with us here at the Ranch all the time!

 

Photographer: Photo by Chana and Don

 

From what we’ve seen…

the experts in Vintage Boho-Chic might be Folklore Vintage Rentals.

Their extensive collection of vintage furniture can be combined in endless combinations to create multiple themes.

 

Photographer: True Photography. Lounge Furniture: Folklore

 

Photographer: True Photography. Furniture: Folklore

 

If these pictures look familiar,

it’s because we just used Folklore to furnish our Stables in our Styled Grand Opening Photoshoot!

They were great to work with and we felt like they truly understood what we wanted the overall theme to come across as.

 

Photographer: Holly Ireland Photography. Lounge Furniture: Folklore

 

They’ve also furnished some of our lounges at our main location

and couples love piecing together their perfect relaxation space.

 

Photographer: Plum & Oak. Lounge Furniture: Folklore

 

This Welcome Table from Folklore looks like it belongs here!

 

 

Photographer: Plum & Oak. Furniture: Folklore

 

We know all these choices can be intimidating…

So just ask our talented Coordinators about your Vintage options!

They have all your answers and are always excited to help.

 

Thanks to all the awesome photographers for their stunning shots and to the vintage rental companies who dress up our beautiful Ranch!

Leo Carrillo Ranch is Managed, Coordinated, and Catered by Personal Touch Dining.

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