This week’s real wedding is sure to put a warm smile on your face. Crystal and Giampaolo California blue themed wedding, captured beautifully by Bryan Farrell, is exactly what we need to forget the wintery weather we’ve had this week. We love every frame; the wedding is so refreshing you can feel the sun on your skin and the sand beneath your feet. Enjoy.
Bride and Groom… Crystal & Giampaolo
Wedding date… Sunday October 19th, 2014
We met… When worked together at Costco.
The proposal… Giampaolo proposed in our home.
We knew he was ‘the one’… When I realised he was my best friend and I couldn’t live without him.
Length of engagement… 8 months
Our wedding photographer was… Bryan Farrell. We picked him due to his personality and excellent quality. He was very creative and fun to work with throughout the entire process. Additionally, he became a good friend of ours that made it extra special.
My dress … I went to several stores trying to find a dress. I had no luck finding one I liked that also fit in with my price range. We got really lucky when Giampaolos father told us he had a friend with a dress they wanted to give me. It was exactly what I was looking for, I just had to alter it slightly. I wore the pearl necklace and earrings Giampaolo gave me for our first anniversary.
I had… 5 bridesmaids who all wore chiffon, navy blue short dresses in different styles.
Our wedding flowers were… A mixture of flowers. My bouquet had light pink roses and blue hydrangeas. The bridesmaids were similar with more roses and baby’s breath. The centrepieces were boxes we had made to look like drift wood with lanterns and flowers surrounding them.
He had... 7 groomsmen. The best man was Giampaolos younger brother and the rest were good friends. They wore light grey tuxedos, navy blue vests and ties, with baby’s breath and a light pink rose boutonnières.
Our wedding ceremony was in … Coronado Island. We had a Christian ceremony with 125 guests. Giampaolo’s cousin played the violin as I walked down the aisle. The ceremony was short and sweet.
Our wedding reception was… On base so it was much more affordable. We fell in love with the location since it was near the beach.
Our wedding theme was... Navy blue, gold, and light pink
Our favourite part of the wedding was… A tie between our ceremony and the dance floor. Our ceremony was so emotional and our pastor did a great job keeping it light hearted and sweet. The dance floor was also my favourite because I did not expect so many people to get up and dance. It was so much fun.
Our wedding was unique and special because… Everyone who contributed to our big day was either a family member or close friend. It felt very personal and special.
Did anything funny or unusual happen at your wedding? I accidentally ate the first bite of cake instead of feeding it to my new husband.
Our first dance was… To a live rendition by the best man “I just don’t think I’ll ever get over you” by Collin Hay.
Our wedding cake was… A small cake with lots of cupcakes. They were white with blue flowers.
What is your advice for other brides? To accept help from anyone who wants to be a part of it. It’s very overwhelming, especially if you are on a budget and the more people to help the better. I think the best choice we made was to hire and work with people who were close to us. That made our wedding feel more personal.
Our honeymoon was to… Catalina Island. I recommend it, we had a great time snorkelling, biking and eating by the beach.
Suppliers
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal | Wedding Flowers: Breath Taking Bridal Bouquets | Wedding Entertainment: DJ Kanoya | Wedding Photographer: Bryan Farrell from Wedding Photographers Southport | Wedding Cake: Swedish Royal Bakery | Wedding Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas | Wedding Invites: Wedding Paper Divas | Wedding Transport: Coronado Limos | Wedding Venue: The Island Club – North Island Naval Base Coronado | Ceremony Venue: The Island Club – North Island Naval Base Coronado | Wedding Venue stylist/planner: Sheila Kanoya | Wedding Gift list: Bed Bath & Beyond | Wedding Catering: The Island Club
