Many years in the making, when it came to their wedding Jaime & Steve knew exactly what they wanted to showcase “them.” Jaime’s vintage inspired sophistication (a girl after my own heart she loves all things Downton Abbey and Art Deco!) mixed with Steve’s laid-back casual California personality. And with it all rooted in the tradition (and color palette) of the San Francisco Giants baseball team made for a truly unique, and so elegant event.

I won’t waste a moment in handing over to Jaime to talk us through the couple’s planning process and the details & special moments (of which there were many!) of their big day….. “The most important aspect when planning our wedding was securing the venue. I first fell in love with the Heritage Museum of Orange County after attending the Victorian society’s holiday tea with my bridesmaids & friends in the bridal suite of the Kellogg House years ago.

This venue is an absolute gem! The centerpiece of the museum, which covers nearly 12 acres in all, is a historic plaza featuring several buildings from the 1890s set amid extensive floral gardens and citrus groves. Among the buildings is the Kellogg House, our ceremony site, built in 1898. Every aspect of the wedding was inspired by the venue. With the exception of our color palette where we drew inspiration from our love of the San Francisco Giants — champagne, coral, tangerine, patinaed silver.

There are a few things we decided to splurge on: live music, our videographer (who also shot some of our wedding video with Super 8 film), and the stunning 1937 Packard Sr. car.”

THE DRESS

“After working for a bridal designer years ago and dreaming about the big day since I was a little girl, I knew that the dress would have to be a showstopper. I saved a ton of dresses and had a very specific look in mind. However, I ended up going in the opposite direction!

While they were beautiful dresses, they were very overwhelming. I really wanted to wear the dress and not let the dress wear me. I am very cognizant of my petite size and the fact that our wedding was in the middle of August, and I would be out on the dance floor for most of the night. So, the dress had to be lightweight, yet exquisitely detailed, handmade, and feel as if it was an extension of me.

This was the third dress I tried on and proceeded to tear up every time I kept coming back to it. I just had the feeling that it was the one! The dress made me feel like an old Hollywood movie star crossed with royalty. The dress is by Amare Couture and I found it at the Casablanca Bridal Flagship boutique in Newport Coast, California.

I kept the accessories minimal and selected a swarovski crystal belt with similar leaf detailing to coordinate with the beadwork on the bodice. A 100 year old heirloom brooch, originally worn by my great-great-grandmother on her wedding day in 1908, acted as my something old, and was sewn on to my feather headpiece by AA Bridal. There is a special heart shaped bracelet that belongs to my husband’s grandmother. It has become a tradition that every female in his family wears it on her wedding day. My mother-in-law graciously presented me the bracelet to wear and it acted as my something borrowed. My blue Christian Louboutin sequin shoes were my statement something blue.”

My bridesmaids carried flower-filled clutches in lieu of a traditional bouquet to honor my fashion roots.

UNITY JACK DANIELS

“A surprise, and a special moment, during the ceremony by the officiant, my cousin-in-law, were the unity Jack Daniels – which he proceeded to enjoy! It was done to honor my father-in-law who passed away a few years ago.”

FAVOURITE MOMENT

“Driving off in the 1937 Packard for a quick chauffeured joy ride after being pronounced husband and wife, while sipping champagne and reflecting the day’s events thus far…absolute bliss! It was the perfect time to relax, take it all in, cool down, and have some treasured one-on-one time.

Our first dance was truly special. Having an amazing band perform one of our favorite songs, “Die a Happy Man” by Thomas Rhett, softly singing the lyrics to each other, and twirling around the dance floor under the lights with our loved ones looking on was so moving.”

THE FLOWERS

The vision was a light, summer focused palette that honored the aesthetic of the venue, plus adding a pop of San Francisco Giants orange. Juliet Garden Roses, Chablis Spray Roses, Polo Rose, Mother of Pearl Rose, Peach Stock, Anenome, Apricot & Orange Ranunculus, Hydrangea, and assorted greens including Silver Dollar Eucalyptus were used. The flowers embodied a gathered, yet refined shape to create a romantic & timeless visual statement with a touch of uniqueness.

THE CAKE

“We still receive compliments of how delicious our cake was! Simple elegance that would suit our sweetheart area’s décor without upstaging is the design we were going for. We opted for four tiers, three flavors (red velvet with cheesecake mousse; chocolate peanut butter cup; and white cake with raspberry puree and raspberry cream, lemon curd, and lemon cloud cream) all bundled up with a champagne Swiss buttercream frosting applied with a fluted, textured technique.

The cake was accented with cascading clusters of Juliet Garden Rose, Mother of Pearl Rose, Chablis Spray Rose, and fern which coordinated with the garland on the sweetheart table and the other florals throughout the wedding. A vintage tea cart, sourced and gifted by my parents, held our bottles of Veuve Cliquot, an antique tea set, and the beautiful cake. The cake was displayed on a vintage fluted silver pedestal stand with the dreamiest patina.”

WORDS OF WEDDING WISDOM

“To be true to yourselves and personalities throughout the entire planning process while honoring your families in a unique way. It’s often easier said than done but incorporating special family treasures adds a whole new personal dimension.

It is so beautiful when the significance of the union is felt on many levels throughout the entire day. After all, it’s a celebration of the blending of your two families and honoring those who came before you while looking forward to the future.”

THE PHOTOGRAPHY

“Jason Burns is an absolute talent and so wonderful to work with. We cannot say enough great things about him! We discovered him after an extensive Instagram search and was immediately taken with his composition, style, and ability to capture those treasured moments…telling a beautiful story. He is a consummate professional and has a natural gift to make his couples feel at ease in front of the camera.”

VIEW THE GALLERY

So many congratulations to beautiful bride Jaime and her dapper groom Steve. And a big thankyou to them for sharing their day with us, and of course to their wonderful photographer Jason Burns Photography  who didn’t miss a moment and captured every detail so perfectly.

For more of a glimpse of their beautiful day, do take a moment to watch this video – the speeches will give you all the feels!

Or if you love this super romantic vintage wedding, and are looking for more inspiration for your own big day, then you might want to see Ken & Sabrina’s fun Temecula Creek wedding, or Alex & Ian’s stunning wedding at Salisbury House! And Samantha & Steven’s honey themed wedding is super sweet.

Amy
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Credits & Contributors

Photography – Jason Burns Photography || Second Photographer – Henry with Human Artwork || Venue – Heritage Museum of Orange County || Event Planning/ Day of Coordinator – Blissful Events by Diana || Floral Design – Flour and Flower Designs || Stationery – DIY by the Bride || Videography – Wedding Video Pro || Wedding Cake – Flour and Flower Designs || Rentals – Signature Party Rentals & Found Rentals || Hair – Vogue Salon || Makeup – Cindy Stirling Makeup & Hair || Wedding Dress – Amare Couture || Bridal Boutique – Casablanca Flagship Bridal || Groom’s Attire – Friar Tux || Cufflinks – Tokens & Icons || Bridal Shoes – Christian Louboutin || Bridesmaids Dresses – Azazie || Headpiece – AA Bridal || Catering – Country Garden Caterers || Entertainment – SMITH || Bride’s Rings – Capri Jewelry || Groom’s Ring – Rustic & Main || Garter Set – Heirloom Garter Co || Handkerchiefs – Mindy’s Needle Art || Photobooth – Cheers to You