LaurenMarkColomyJenkins)

AUGUST 21, 2022 +

NOTES ON THE DAY…

IS THERE A MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING THAT STANDS OUT?

We loved how our bridal party came to play. We had a groomsman walk down the aisle with the bridesmaid bouquet in his teeth, which totally lightened the mood. Our flower girl was not about wearing the fancy dress and shoes, so she walked down the aisle in a tie dye t-shirt, floral leggings and sneakers (and ROCKED it) and our best friend was our officiant. According to our guests, the vows didn’t leave a dry eye in the place. For us, all of the speeches were so beautiful and funny, and we felt so seen and loved by all of our people.

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR CEREMONY AND RECEPTION VENUES?

Mark always wanted to get married in the Sunken Gardens, which was perfect because my grandparents were married in the same spot in 1953. So that made the decision to have the reception at El Paseo easy. These two venues often go together, and El Paseo was the perfect solution to organizing and fulfilling the areas of weddings we did not want to coordinate ourselves (food, linens, drinks, seating).

DISCUSS YOUR ATTIRES, COLORS AND WEDDING THEMES.

This is the question I always avoided while wedding planning because I still don’t know how to answer it. We went with what felt like us, and our team of creatives did the rest. I wore a cotton eyelet dress that I bought second hand paired with hand-made floral earrings made by my dear friend Kathy, Mark wore a blue suit that brought out his eyes, and all I could give PacWest Blooms was that I wanted a sunflower incorporated in our bouquets. They delivered florals more beautiful than I could have ever designed or even imagined. Our color scheme ended up giving an indirect nod to us as Packer’s fans since our florals were primarily gold from the sunflowers, and my bridesmaids wore dark green.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON WHAT CAKE AND FOOD YOU WERE GOING TO SERVE? DID YOUR GUESTS ENJOY YOUR CHOICES?

This was one of the benefits of choosing El Paseo for the reception. We sat down with Troy (the manager) and Alex (the chef) and got to choose anything from a menu that sounded delicious (and delicious it was). They were also incredibly accommodating to meeting our needs for guests with dietary restrictions and allergies. I never worried about these guests because Chef Alex went out of his way to ensure all of our guests were fed something delicious. And we opted for the non-traditional dessert route – we ordered local from Tyler’s Donuts and had a donut-wall in lieu of cake. And a taco truck for the rehearsal dinner! Blue Corn Tacos went above and beyond for us, seriously hire them for your next event.

DID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGE HOW YOU PLANNED YOUR WEDDING OR INFLUENCE THE DATE YOU CHOSE?

I mean, it definitely pushed the date! But that was such a blessing because we could take our time with decisions. Both of us were working full time. I am in a full-time graduate school program, and we moved twice since getting engaged. Yeah, we needed all the planning time we could get.

HOW DID YOU INCORPORATE YOUR OWN PERSONALITIES INTO THE WEDDING DAY?

The donut wall was definitely us, and it, along with all of our centerpieces, were hand-carved and decorated by Mark’s aunt Marlene. There were no two centerpieces alike and we loved that. I changed into a crop top, silk skirt and sneakers as soon as I could to be able to dance. The DJ played a Wisconsin Badgers hype up jam that Mark got to share with his college friends, and I shared a special mother-daughter dance to a slow cover of Free Bird that transitioned into the original. The dance floor was full all night. Honestly, our DJ nailed it with the music selection. It was a mix of oldies and '90s/'00s we all know and love. And it was all perfectly captured by one of my closest college friends (our photographer, Brian Lovelace). According to our guests, the whole day was perfectly “us.”

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART FOR YOU IN PLANNING A WEDDING? WERE THERE ANY HICCUPS? IF SO, WHAT WERE THEY, AND HOW COULD THEY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

So, funny story – but not at the time – we almost lost our venue five weeks before the wedding! There was an error in scheduling that impacted three couples at the courthouse, but our hero of the day was Vanessa who was able to get to the bottom of the issue, solve the problem for everyone and every couple ended up ensuring their date was safe. That stress took a few years off my life though. Luckily it all worked out!

ANY ADVICE FOR COUPLES PLANNING A WEDDING?

Double check your reservations and don’t sweat the small stuff. There are too many details in a wedding that you can get lost in. The whole day is such a whirlwind, chances are you won’t even notice it. We were both surprisingly calm the day of, because we knew the little things didn’t matter, the most important part was when we said, “I do.”

THE MAGIC MAKERS…

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Dulce Dia Events

Cake/Dessert: Tyler’s Donuts

Photographer: Brian Lovelace (SoCal Wedding Photographer)

Invitations: Minted

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken

Gardens, El Paseo Restaurant

Hair & Makeup: Blair Dessert (Beauty Crew 805)

Dress Shop: Maggie Sottero Designs

Tux: Generation Tux

Flowers: PacWest Blooms

Music: DJ Zeke (Zeke Monarrez)

Officiant: Steven Lozier

Rentals: Casas Party Rentals

Honeymoon: Mini Moon in Monterey

Rehearsal Dinner: Blue Corn Tacos (at Manning Park)

Spray Tan: Sweet Cheeks IV

Bridal Gifts: Solid Goods (Caitlyn Damron)

Bridal Jewelry: Noah’s Garden Creation (Kathy Wang)

Wedding Rings: Bryant and Sons Jewelers

Perfect, Hydrated Skin: Lend Your Love Body Butter

The beautiful sanctuary of Carpinteria Community Church, adorned with stained glass windows and intimate lighting, is the perfect place for family and friends to gather on your big day. The rose garden creates a colorful backdrop for wedding photos. Stay & celebrate in the Parish Hall for your reception, with a seating capacity of 105 people (champagne, beer and wine acceptable). High beam ceilings, french doors, hardwood floor, and adjacent patio sets the stage for lasting memories.

Request a tour & book your date, today!

Please call for more information.