Real Wedding California

ABC Member Planner: Merryl Brown, MA, CWP™, Merryl Brown Events, www.merrylbrownevents.com, merryl@merrylbrownevents.com.Photography: Elizabeth Messina Photography.ABC Member Businesses Involved: Classic Party Rentals.Non-Member Businesses Involved: Flowerwild, Full of Life Flatbread, The Mobile Home Boys, Isaac Hernandez Videography, Tina Schlieske, The Stationery Collection, Janice Blair Calligraphy, DJ Mike Ober, Robin Loves Cake, La Tavola Linens.The Couple: Alaina and Matt are a southern California couple, well educated, well traveled, and very drawn to a bohemian aesthetic, 1960s rock, and the alternative music scene.Inspiration: Sunstone Villa in the Santa Ynez Valley is a remarkable place to produce magnificent wedding celebrations. For this decidedly bohemian chic wedding, we were asked to create something magical, dream-like, and fun—with great music. We incorporated features that celebrated the phases of the moon and other planetary elements, using soft and subtle tones, amazing flowers, gorgeous Italian china, and locally sourced foods from the celebrated Los Alamos Full of Life Flatbread. Along with a DJ that played between sets so that the music never stopped, we brought in The Mobile Home Boys band, for an atmosphere that was reminiscent of Coachella, with non-stop dancing and partying, amazing foods served all night long, and an ethereal, candlelit after party with a palm reader, planetary inspired cupcakes, late-night flatbread cooked in an outdoor pizza oven, and music by Tina Schlieske that went on until the wee hours of the morning. In all, it was a memorable, unique and stunningly beautiful celebration.Color palatte: White, taupe, apricot, blush, with pops of pink. Budget: $200,000.Guest count: 180.Most unique design element: The collateral material was simply divine as was the wedding cake—both celebrating the planetary theme in a stunning and unique way.Biggest Challenge: The wind and a musical glitch, two items that, despite much pre-planning, could not be easily remedied. If I were to do things differently, I would have hired a different musical group for the ceremony and not the band’s lead guitarist. It’s best to use seasoned ceremony musicians for ceremonies. Learnings: You are only as good as your weakest link, so never take risks with weak links or unknown vendors on your important events. ••