#TogetherInHarmony
We attended the most gorgeous wedding this past weekend for my fiancé’s good friends, Alex & Harmony. To say their wedding was gorgeous is an understatement. My fiance was in the wedding and thus we stayed on the property where the rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, and reception were all held. Where is this you may ask? Gardener Ranch in Carmel Valley. The venue was absolutely breathtaking and the atmosphere so serene. It was definitely a wedding of #bliss, #boundlessbliss as I like to say.
Travel:
Our weekend started out with taking a day off Friday. Who couldn’t use a day off? We flew into San Jose and took CA-17 and CA-1 down to the small quaint and adorable town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Driving through the redwoods, taking in the fresh air around all of those windy turns. Ahhh. Takes me back to relaxation just thinking about it. There is something about the fresh hair blowing your hair in every which direction that makes life just seem so much better. It alleviates ever ounce of stress or care in the world you have. At least for me it does.
Location:
All wedding festivities took place at Gardner Ranch. We stayed in the River House with 3 other couples. We had an “adult slumber party” in the loft with another couple. Two king beds all in one loft. So comfy cozy, and so much fun! It was fabulous to be able to literally walk out the house and no more than 2 minutes down the private road to all of the main festivities. The atmosphere at Gardener Ranch reminded me of camping in the mountains during the summer in Colorado. The air was so fresh, and the river running next to the house…bliss!
Rehearsal Dinner:
Friday night we had the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was a quaint group of the wedding party and their significant others. Additional wedding guests joined later in the evening. We enjoyed a pool and nature side view. Dinner was a buffet of Greek food. The falafel was by far my favorite. As one point I had grabbed a falafel to munch on and my fiancé thought it was a donut and took a huge bite only to find out it wasn’t. The look on his face was priceless. My favorite part of the food menu that night was S’mores. They literally had all the fixings set up around an actual campfire. Yes, real wood, none of the roasting over sternos on tables. I of course had to have two. They were just so delectable my sweet tooth couldn’t help itself.
It was a fabulous evening of visiting which was followed by four amazing speeches. All of which were tear jerkers. Who else gets more tearful as they age? I sure do. The tears start flowing super easily. The speeches were given by the bride’s and groom’s parents. The theme of the speeches seemed to revolve around babies. I think every speech referenced them having babies and when they were going to have them.
Wedding Day:
Saturday morning was started with a run in the rain. The cool, humid temperature/atmosphere was so refreshing. I crushed some hills. It was a great start to what was a long happy day of celebrating. The wedding started at 4 pm and we were seated outside with lush greens all around us. They had a beautiful ceremony. The rain started sprinkling with the sun deeply shining down on the wedding party and then the beautiful bride. It was like a moment out of a movie.
Wedding Ceremony:
To say Harmony looked gorgeous is an understatement. She wore an amazing spaghetti strap wedding dress. Her bridesmaids all wore a wrap dress purchased from Lulus. They were adorable. All the girls were able to wrap their dresses up differently. Her bouquet was a 100 days of sunshine; big and gorgeous. The fresh pops of color and blossoms of Spring were pristine. The gentleman wore charcoal suits with white button up shirts. The groomsmen were gifted flower ties, suspenders and pocket squares. They either had a succulent or ranunculus boutonniere with a quaint little tie on them, giving them the extra pop.
The wedding itself was done on the lawn at Gardner Ranch. We sat in white wooden chairs facing some very large trees and gorgeous flowers. The wedding started out with a few sprinkles amongst rays of sunshine. While I do not know Harmony and Alex very well, I learned during the weekend Harmony had lost her father. The sprinkles of rain amongst the sunshine felt like a sign from him. It felt like tears of happiness descending from the heavens above. The wedding went off without a hitch and Alex and Harmony successfully went from Mr. & Ms. to Mr. & Mrs.
Cocktail Hour:
The cocktail hour was located outside under these beautiful hanging edison bulb strands. A large and in-charge charcuterie and cheese board was cocktail hour food. I tell ya, a couple after my own heart. They had a cute lemonade and water stand set up as well as some cornhole boards. The atmosphere was so peaceful, so relaxing, so inviting.
Wedding Reception:
The night was filled with so much fun. The food again was amazing. These two really hit it right on with their wedding food. Their made of honor (sister) and best man gave some amazing speeches, which were some of the best I have ever heard in a long time.
I proceeded to hit the dance floor, which was held in a seperate building adjacent from where the reception was held. The dance floor was those cute black & white large square tiles and the ceiling was glass so you could gaze at the stars while dancing. They had a live band which really got the party going. Super fun!
All the dancing led me to visit the donut bar a couple times.Yes, you heard me right, donuts, and I clearly ate two of these. The donuts were held in a 3 tier basket tour and were all sorts of fun flavors. I had a chocolate, because what girl doesn’t love chocolate and then a coconut one. Mmmm. My mouth is just salivating thinking about them. Their guest book was definitely another fun highlight. A polaroid camera and a book with gold pens to write a fabulous message.
The party went on after the wedding as most do and well into the night. It was so refreshing to see a bride and groom so calm throughout their wedding day. They embraced every moment with a smile.
Harmony & Alex I wish you nothing but the best in the future. Your wedding was one for the books and one of the best I have been to.
Cheers to you two!
XOXO
