Enchanting Garden Glam for a Wedding on the American Riviera

After a jet-set proposal in Switzerland while traveling to a destination wedding in Italy, Christina and Gordon knew they wanted to bring their family and friends together somewhere incredible for their own wedding day. The Kansas-based couple fell in love with the American Riviera, and invited guests to Santa Barbara for their enchanting garden glam wedding day at Belmond El Encanto! Their beautiful palette of pink and taupe with plenty of fresh garden greenery added to the magic of their Southern California venue, treating guests to a weekend of wine tasting and fun before the wedding day. Planner Lindsey Antioho Events and florist Emily Reynolds Design made sure their every wedding day dream came true while Michael Radford Photography and Robert Michael Films captured every memory!

See their WEDDING VIDEO from Robert Michael Films

Enchanting Garden Glam for a Wedding on the American Riviera

Christina and Gordon invited guests to their Santa Barbara destination wedding at Belmond El Encanto with these watercolor invitations adorned with subtle greenery prints to bring their garden glam style into the first wedding details!

Stunning captures by Michael Radford Photography made sure to document each lovely detail of the wedding day, including both engagement rings!

From the Bride:

Gordon and I were flying to Europe for our friends’ wedding in Positano, Italy. We decided to spend a week in Switzerland before joining the wedding crew in Italy. We flew from New York to Zurich and stayed at a beautiful hotel that overlooked Zurich. Gordon was acting a little weird when we were going through security at JFK, but I didn’t think anything of it. Little did I know he had not one, but two rings in his carry-on luggage that he was planning to propose with. One of the rings was a gift from his Grandpa. It was the engagement ring he had proposed with over 70 years ago to Gordon’s Grandma Zelda.

Gordon proposed on the hilltop of the hotel as the sun was setting. He pulled his grandparents ring out first and explained that their ring was as symbol of the commitment and love they shared for each other over 70+ years and he could think of no better ring to propose with.

He then pulled out a second ring he had designed with a jeweler that symbolized our journey beginning. It was an absolutely perfect proposal!

While planning their Santa Barbara wedding back home in Kansas, Christina relied on her planner Lindsey Antioho Events and florist Emily Reynolds Design to help realize her wedding day vision. They helped create the enchanting garden glam details that transformed their already magical ceremony space and brought the garden in to the ballroom reception. Emily designed the bride’s lush bouquet of taupe and blush with deeper notes of plum to complement her beautifully romantic style.

Christina’s bridesmaids looked California chic in fitted blush bridesmaid dresses from Jarlo London. They each carried romantic garden bouquets that complemented the soft colors of the bridal party.

The couple shared a sweet First Look in the gardens before signing their beautifully designed ketubah, as part of the blend of their heritages present in the wedding celebration.

The ceremony took place in the gardens at Belmond El Encanto. Emily Reynolds Design transformed the wisteria arbor, with blush drapery and hanging vines. A flower adorned chuppah in front of the towering archway brought the focus back to the beautiful couple as they exchanged vows. They celebrated both of their heritages by having the ceremony performed by a rabbi and a Catholic priest.

Christina and Gordon walked over a path laid on the garden’s lily pond after they were proclaimed husband and wife!

Michael Radford Photography and Robert Michael Films made the most of the Southern California sunshine for an intimate couple’s session in the gardens before the bride and groom joined guests for cocktail hour in the ballroom.

They celebrated with signature cocktails – an Old Fashioned for the groom and the Charmer for the bride, combining grapefruit-infused vodka, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, and lime juice. The cocktails held gold paper straws with escort card flags to become a chic seating chart!

The key to a garden wedding indoors is flowers, flowers, and more flowers! Emily Reynolds Design dressed the crisp white tables with arrangements of peach and nude roses, plum accents, and lots of greenery, clustering smaller arrangements in vintage vessels and bud vases, with towering urns of greenery for the Head Table. Gold flatware and taper candles in hurricane vases added to the romantic table decor in the ballroom!

Many of the couple’s favorite wedding day moments happened on the dance floor! DJ De Bois Entertainment made sure the party kept going all night, and the bride herself was crowned the MVP of the wedding thanks to her amazing moves!

WEDDING VIDEO –

Robert Michael Films

WEDDING VENDORS –

Enchanting Garden Glam for a Wedding on the American Riviera

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