Hi everyone! As wedding season kicks off, I hope you’ll enjoy this long overdue look at our wedding from last November, including a little bit about shopping for and tailoring the dress! =)
About Us
We got married within a month of our 9 year dating anniversary, so this fall will mark 10 years of being together, and 1 year of wedded bliss. =)
The Venue
Fast forward to wedding venue scouting time, and Stone was first on our list. It turns out Stone in Escondido had some limitations (party size, music restrictions) that were deal breakers for us…but a new, bigger Stone Brewery location had just opened in Point Loma so we focused our attention there.
The day we arrived to tour with the event coordinator, a wedding reception was being held in the exact space we were interested in. We peeked in on the festivities and it was just what we wanted. Laid-back party atmosphere. Delicious food. Delicious beer with two(!) dedicated bars. A kick-ass band playing their hearts out (we liked them so much, we got their card & ended up convincing them to play our wedding too…). We basically said, “We’ll have what they’re having”, booked the space & picked the date right there on the spot. Our impending nuptials were quickly dubbed “Wedding of the Century” by beer thirsty friends and family once the location details started circulating. =)
The inside space we booked at Stone Brewery, Liberty Station // the chandeliers are beer bottles!
If you’re thinking about a San Diego wedding…Stone is actually a great deal. There is no space rental fee…just minimums that you have to meet, which we easily met and surpassed. It kept our party rentals down to a minimum because most things were included free of charge, such as all tables, chairs, dining plates and silverware, even the servers and tray passers were Stone employees set aside just for our party. Food and drink prices were also not the normal price-gouged wedding prices, which was spectacular. I’d definitely recommend!
The Dress
Fun fact: I ended up finding the navy version of the Theory dress on sale!
Ultimately, I decided I’d probably feel more comfortable in something a little more “bride” than the shirtdress, so I booked an appointment with Monique Lhuillier in Los Angeles, since they consistently produce a line of cute, short reception dresses. It was the only bridal dress appointment I booked, and after trying on 3 dresses, I chose the very first dress I tried on that day. The boutique took my measurements, placed the order, and my mom and I toasted with a celebratory glass of wine at the restaurant next door. =)
I knew exactly what shoes I would wear…my blue suede Manolo Blahnik BB’s.
Alterations
I went through 4 rounds of fittings. The first was to fit the bodice that lined the inside of the dress. The second was to bring the dress up at the shoulder to better align the waistline and bust to my own since I’m so petite. The third was to slim and adjust the bodice for a snugger fit. The last was to adjust the neckline, since I wanted it cut lower than the original design. I was able to pick up my finished dress 1 week before the wedding. Phew! Just in time.
The Wedding
A few fun facts you might like to know before heading into the photos.
- Our colors/textures were navy and charcoal tweed.
- We had a short and sweet ceremony at the brewery in an outside courtyard, officiated by a good friend of ours who got ordained just for the occasion (what a great friend!).
- We kept our wedding party SUPER small, only consisting of a single maid of honor and best man. They also happen to be the reason we met almost 10 years ago, which made it extra special to us.
- The outside bar started serving beers before the ceremony, which wasn’t planned, but ended up being great! Oddly enough, it calmed my nerves seeing friends and family happily sipping on beers during the ceremony.
- The flower leis we are wearing is called a Phuang Malai, which is a flower garland from Thailand.
- All night, people were complimenting my hair. My response, “Thanks! It’s not mine!” I have SUPER thin hair, so there’s not much to work with. I wanted it to look like I actually had hair, so my hair stylist put in extentions and no one was the wiser until I told them. Ha!
*note: for privacy sake, I’m only including a selection of photos that don’t include party guests.
Mmm…beer…*drool drool drool* // The real reason everyone showed up ;)
Our wedding band: The Show Ponies (check out their Youtube Channel!)
They played “La Vie en rose” for our ceremony // so happy a guest captured it on video!
Some of you may know these wedding crashers ;) Wendy, Jean, & Jen
The growlers were a popular party favor
Neither of us like cake, so a friend of ours who went to pastry school agreed to bake her signature Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies for our dessert. They were DELICIOUS!
About half way through the night, I kicked off my 4″ Manolos and switched into a comfy pair of Tieks. =)
All in all, it was a pretty laid back wedding which is exactly what we wanted. I hope you enjoyed the photos, and look out for a little special treat tomorrow. =)
Wedding coordinator: Lindsey Price // Wedding photographer: Tim King // Wedding band: The Show Ponies // Hair & Makeup: Alli Micucci at Bijou Beautiful // Venue: Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens Liberty Station // Floral Arrangments: Studio B Floral Design // Dress: Monique Lhuillier // Shoes: Manolo Blahnik & Tieks
So happy you shared your story…. So beautiful!
Thank you Vanessa! =)
Kelly, your wedding looks so thoughtful and beautiful! I love that you were true to yourself and it really shows! I wish all the luck in your life, your wedded life, and your blog! You inspire all the time to embrace who I am and what I like :)
Thank you so much Hongru! So nice of you to say! =)
Beautiful, Kelly! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Catherine!
Hi Kelly, I just recently discovered your blog and I love how true you are to your style. I love that dress, and your wedding looks like it was amazing! Congrats!
Thank you Genevieve! Welcome! =)
love reading this, kelly :) and beautiful pictures
Thank you Amber! Hope you’re doing well. =)
You looked absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing your story and pictures. Much happiness to you both.
Thank you so much Karen!
Congratulations! A beautiful wedding!
Thank you Carol!
Absolutely gorgeous! (Funny thing: I was looking at Stone for ours, and now I wish we’d asked them for quotes because I think I assumed it was too much from what information they had online.)
Thanks Revanche! We feared the same thing going into it, but figured it didn’t hurt to try since it was our ideal location from the first time we laid eyes on it. It was actually a really good deal. I’d recommend it for any event, really. =)
Swoon! the flare of your dress is perfect! thanks for sharing your special day and little tips on your wedding style :) what a fun intimate wedding!
Thank you Olyvia! =)
Absolutely love your short bridal dress, it’s modern yet pretty and feminine enough for a wedding! Thanks for sharing your story and how you planned the wedding, really enjoy reading it!
Prudence
http://www.prudencepetitestyle.com
Thank you Prudence! =)
Thanks for sharing about your wedding! You looked stunning and it sounded like a wonderful, laid-back day!
Thank you Caitlyn!
Oh Kelly. Thanks for sharing the details of your special day. Congratulations to both of you. It all sounds so lovely….the venue, ambience, all your beautiful clothes, the happy faces….special memories.
I personally prefer a modern wedding dress and yours looks so, so pretty on you.
I’m curious about what nationality your husband is and the story behind the wedding bands on your shoulders. This detail is striking.
Wishing you both a loyal, long and loving marriage filled with lots of laughter and the strength to ride all the years and grow old together.
Kind regards, Deb.
Thank you so much Deb! My husband is Thai, and those flower garlands draped around our shoulders are called Phuang Malai. I dried them out, but still have to figure out how I want to frame them. =)
Everything about this is perfect! You looked stunning in your dress, and what an amazing venue. Congrats Kelly!
Thank you! =)
So beautiful! I love it so much I want to redo mine (something I thought I would never say). The dress, the shoes, the venue, you totally did it right.
Haha! Thank you Angela! =)
may i ask how much the minimum was?
Hi Ellen! I think their prices recently went up a little bit, but when we booked, it was $5K for the dining hall and $5K for the adjacent outside courtyard in food/drink/extras spends. They also have different pricing for daytime vs. evening bookings…so you could save a lot of money by doing an early event (over by 3pm I think it was…but don’t quote me on that) and you could cut that down by about 1/2! We did a sunset ceremony and night reception, so we opted for the heftier minimum, but we reached it pretty easily with a full seated dinner and open bar all night. They have other spaces for different prices, but I liked that particular dining hall/courtyard combination because it was so private.
thanks!
You look beautiful and you both look so happy. I wish you both many years of love. Congratulations!
Thank you Chechina! =)
Kelly, I’ve been waiting months for this post! ;) And it was worth the wait! You looked absolutely stunning. I’m so, so happy for you and Mike. Loved your dress, the shoes, and all the details because they’re so *you*. Also have to echo the guests… absolutely adore your “fuller” hairstyle. Congrats!!
Thank you so much Cee! I definitely referenced back to your beautiful small and intimate wedding while planning. ;)
Kelly, thank you so much for sharing your wedding story. It’s fabulous and so much like what I wish for mine to look/feel – From the dress to the location! You have such great taste (especially the beer part)!
Thank you so much! =)
Beautiful wedding! I love how you tailored it to your personalities and didn’t give into the wedding machine. You looked beautiful. What do the neck, rope embellishments signify?
Thank you Gigi! We are wearing Phuang Malai around our necks, a traditional flower garland from Thailand (my husband is Thai). They are worn during celebrations, like graduations and weddings. =)
Kelly, Love love love your story, your dress and choice of shoe, and all the photos!!! You look so great! Congratulations :)
Thank you Kim! =)
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so happy for you both and I LOVE that you made it very personal and to suit your personalities :) Absolutely loved your dress too!
Happy Anniversary!!
Thank you, Carol! =)