Pickwick Gardens is one of those beautiful oases hidden in the urban jungle that is Burbank. The famous Garden Wedding Pavilion, with its backdrop of trees, flowers, and a waterfall, yet covered from the July afternoon heat, is where Michelle and Chris began their new lives together. This day was not just about the two of them though. Michelle and Chris both had two children each from previous marriages, and the six of them also became one family. This was symbolized in one of the most unique ways I have ever seen. The family built a “Unity Puzzle” out of wooden pieced. Each piece had a family member’s name on it, and they each took a turn to add their own piece to the new family puzzle. With the ceremony now complete, it was time to go celebrate.
Tracy Thompson, Michelle’s friend and photographer, drove all the way from Las Vegas to shoot their wedding, and she wasted no time getting everyone through family photos before the heat got to them. Because of everyone’s efficiency, we were actually about 20 minutes ahead of schedule going into the Grand Entrance. The incredibly flexible chef and staff at Pickwick rolled with the changes, moved things around, and helped us get the bridal party inside and out of the heat that much faster. Michelle’s mom, Barbara, gave the toast and really set the mood for the evening with a combination of sincerity and humor.
Michelle told me when we met that the most important thing to her was that she and her guests could dance the night away. Because everything ran so smoothly and ahead of schedule, there was no rush to the night, and when it was time to dance, everyone flooded the dance floor. As the first set of dancing concluded, the three daughters, as well as one of their friends, surprised Michelle with a choreographed dance routine to one of Michelle’s favorite songs: “Get Ugly” by Jason Derulo.
Because almost everyone was married, we decided to have some fun with the bouquet and garter toss. I called out ALL of the women to come to the dance floor, explaining that whoever caught the bouquet tonight would get lucky for sure! When the first bouquet tossed by Michelle bounced off the chandelier, a “Do-Over” was asked for. I noticed there were two other bouquets sitting on the head table so I said “grab those and let-em rip!” Michelle tossed two more bouquets, but they both landed in the same woman’s arms. Here’s where things got real interesting. Chris then grabbed one of them, and he had a turn tossing flowers. Of course, he then had more fun dancing around and eventually taking off Michelle’s garter and tossing it to the guys. (Again…ALL the guys with the same prize on the table!)
Dave’s recommended vendors from this wedding included:
- Pickwick Gardens – www.pickwickgardens.com
- Lovely Photography – www.facebook.com/Lovely-Photography