My good friend and wedding planner Lizzy Thomas called me awhile back and asked about my availability for a charming and down to earth couple she was working with. She thought I would be a great fit for Ceri and Elliott’s wedding. Anytime Lizzy calls me, I jump at the opportunity to work with her and her clients, so of course I said yes, and we quickly set-up a meeting. Ceri and Elliott were just as Lizzy had described, and we quickly hit it off and began planning out their wedding night at the McCormic Home Ranch in Camarillo.
After months of planning, many phone calls and texts, and a couple of face-to-face meetings, we finally arrived at the big day. The ranch style home was the perfect setting for this rustic wedding. Ceri spent months before the wedding creating all kinds of unique decorations like custom made chalkboards and signs, which were scattered everywhere. Elliott found some fantastic live musicians to play during their ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner. The guests mouths were watering as the BBQ smells from the “It’s All In The Sauce Soul Food” Food Truck cooked up appetizers, dinner, and cobbler for dessert. Everything was just perfect as the guitarist played the first note of the pre-ceremony music. Ceri and Elliott’s friend, JJ, performed the ceremony and after a romantic kiss in the wedding garden, the bridal party was whisked away to take photos as the guests were invited to the back patio for cocktails.
I have seen many Grand Entrances in my day and many sparkler exits…but on this day, Ceri, Elliott, along with a team of photographers, coordinators, and bridal party members armed with lighters, made a sparkler Grand Entrance happen. We lined up all of the guests along the gravel driveway and lit the sparklers. This coordinated effort was no small feat as each sparkler only lasted 80 seconds! We invited the guests to return to their seats and brought Ceri and Elliott out to the dance floor for their first dance. Halfway through “Blackbird” by Sarah McLachlan the song changed into “Shine” by Donavon Frankenreiter, at which time we invited their parents to join them on the floor. Then…it was time to eat and time for Jazz Mandala to play on.
After dinner, we kicked off the dancing…which was needed as the temperature suddenly dropped unexpectedly. Everyone stayed warm while jumping around and getting down to the many great requests Ceri, Elliott, and their guests made. As a special surprise, LED Glow Sticks were brought out, and the energy level jumped from 10 to 11! There was so much for the guests to do that night…from dancing, to the photo booth, to a game of Corn Hole (don’t laugh), to just wandering around and exploring the beautiful grounds of the home…the guests stayed happy and involved until it was time to wrap it up and say goodnight.
Dave’s recommended vendors from this wedding included:
- Lizzy Thomas and Company Wedding Coordinators – www.lizzythomasandco.com
- Jazz Mandala – www.jazzmandala.com
- MCCormic Home Ranch – www.mccormickhomeranch.com