Tucked away amongst the ranch-style houses on Sand Canyon Road in Canyon Country is a breathtaking home whose owners, Cheryl and Lindsey, rent out about four times a year for the ultimate backyard wedding. On Saturday, May 14th, The Davidson Estate was the backdrop and stage for Ariel and Jake’s wedding. As the guests began to arrive on this warm Spring afternoon, they could see the finishing touches being put together by the coordinators, The Soiree Sisters. The guests made their way poolside to witness the ceremony that would bind Ariel and Jake together for life.
After the ceremony, guests made their way over to The Tiki Bar for some refreshing beverages and eventually over to the lawn where they found their seats. As R&R Photography took romantic photos of the newlyweds, the guests were treated to a cocktail music playlist of their own choosing. (All of the songs played were requests they sent in with their RSVP cards.) It was finally time to bring Ariel, Jake, and their entire bridal party in to officially kick-off the party. Jake took the microphone and thanked their guests for coming, thanked his new wife for everything she did to make this day happen, and finished up by asking her to dance. Every guest looked on from the edge of the dance floor as Ariel and Jake danced to “La Vie En Rose” by Louis Armstrong.
A delicious buffet was prepared by Stonefire Grill, but because we didn’t want the guests standing in a long line, we decided to have a little contest to see which tables would be excused first. Music played a huge part in Ariel’s life, and Jake told me he and his stepmom used to play music trivia games all the time. I suggested using a variation of that music trivia game as a contest to release the tables. They loved the idea, and the guests had a blast trying to guess the name of the song by just hearing the guitar solo. Soon, everyone was fed and ready to party…which they did!
I’ve often found that the success of a backyard or outdoor wedding is achieved through equal parts of pre-planning and hiring the right vendors. Ariel and Jake, along with their families, put so much work into making sure their wedding would be absolute perfection. However, if they didn’t hire the right team to turn their vision into a reality, the overall success of the wedding may or may not have happened. Ariel and Jake chose a fantastic team to help them. From the Davidson’s who do so much more than just rent out their home, to the coordinators who made sure everything was perfect and kept everyone on schedule, to the photographers who captured every minute from the first look to the very last song…I was honored to be included among such professionals.
Oh, and no, the bride didn’t come up and punch me in the face even though that’s what several of the photos made it look like. During the last song, Ariel came up to hug and thank me for such an awesome time and then started dancing with me. When the song ended, she took the mic and thanked everyone who stayed and partied till the end: everyone who helped make her dream wedding come true (including HER DJ), and of course, her new husband. She ended her speech by screaming “BEST WEDDING EVER!!!”
Dave’s recommended vendors for this wedding are:
- The Davidson Estate – Cheryl Davidson – cdavidson0807@gmail.com
- The Soiree Sisters – Brynn & Ever – eventsbysoireesisters.com
- R&R Creative Photography – David & Jodi – randrphotography.com