Backyard wedding above the Hills in Fallbrook, California
When we first got to Kelsey’s house to take photos of her and her girls getting ready we knew it was going to be a good day. 90’s hip hop videos playing on the tv from Wu Tang to Missy Elliot and lots of white claws we were feeling the vibe early on. Kelsey and Fernando had one of the best weddings someone could ask for, a private family residence overlooking the hills of Fallbrook with close family and friends. Besides saving Kelsey from a pack of red fire ants during their romantics in the field all else went to plan, hearing Kelsey’s dad deliver one of the most heart felt speeches we have ever heard had to be a major highlight from their wedding day.
Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
“I was lucky enough to be on Summer vacation while I planned our wedding. I teach 3rd grade and when school got out in June, I turned to my husband and said, "Let's do this." With a lot of help, we planned our wedding in about 7 weeks. I knew I had a vision, but my husband and I were very honest with ourselves and knew the "less is more," strategy was going to be the route we would take. Our goal was to have an awesome night with good food and drinks. I think we accomplished that. We talked for many months about having our wedding in my sister and brother-in-law's home. We still wanted to look at some different options but after visiting a few gorgeous venues, we realized that less is more. Jacquie and Chris have a stunning backyard that cannot be replicated and it was also better for our budget! We are so lucky to have had them offer their home for us and to have put in so much work to make it happen.I knew going into our wedding I wanted the style to be soft and romantic and I knew I wanted to incorporate navy into the color palette. Our florist played a big part in bringing in soft, romantic hues to the natural farm tables, and the glassware from our rentals companies and gold flatware brought the entire tables cape together.”
Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
“We were so lucky to have had our wedding in an already beautiful home and backyard. We had to think very little about decor because the yard was already gorgeous! One part of the decor that I was eager to incorporate was vintage-style furniture. I knew I wanted our guests to be able to get up and mingle all throughout the night so we strategically placed couches and chairs throughout the yard for seating. My sister's blue velvet couch inspired it all and I found the rest of the mismatched pieces on Facebook Marketplace. Thank goodness I had a truck to borrow and a mom to come with me to help lift the furniture!”
There are so many great San Diego wedding florists, what were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
"I met our florist a couple of years ago when we both worked at Prohibition Brewery in Vista. I learned that Sae started her small business but also worked with big name wedding florists in San Diego. Not only did I immediately fall in love with her sweet personality, when she showed me her work- I was hooked. Her style was exactly what I was looking for. Sae 's work is soft, romantic, ethereal, and everything I wanted. When I showed her inspiration pictures, I showed her photos of all of her own work! I showed her photos of the dinnerware we would be using, the tables and shares, the colors I wanted to incorporate, and she even visited the venue to get her vision right. I put all of my faith in her with no boundaries and she came up with the rest!”
How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
“When I was 20 years old I worked at a mom and pop deli in Fallbrook and Fernando worked a few doors down in the same shopping center. He would often come in for a sandwich, some chips, or most frequently, a Monster energy drink. I told all of the girls I worked with that I thought he was so cute and one day he'd be my boyfriend. One of my coworkers (and best friends) ended up telling him what I thought of him. He eventually gave me his phone number and we started dating!Fernando proposed to me at the edge of the cliff in La Jolla at the Torrey Pines state park. His cousin and girlfriend were with us and they were able to capture the moment on video. It was so special to us because we often went to hike there on dates since we started dating in 2012. We drove back to his sister's home in Fallbrook where ALL of our family and friends were waiting to surprise me. I had no idea, it was amazing.”
Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
“During our cocktail hour, we hired a mariachi band from San Diego to play for our guest while we took family photos in the back yard. I loved hearing the music as we took photos and bringing in a part of our Mexican culture to our day. So many of our guests said they loved the band!”
Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
“I knew I wanted to shop at BHLDN for my wedding dress. I have followed their Instagram account for a while and have seen beautiful, ethereal, and affordable dresses that I've fallen in love with. The style I chose was one I've been in love with forever, but I never thought it would look good on my body type. I tried it on first and I knew it was the one. I joined my husband and his four groomsmen on a day trip to downtown LA where we chose navy suits for the men. It was fast, easy, and affordable. We took them around the corner to get altered the same day and it was much easier than renting. All of the groomsmen were happy with buying a nice fitted suit for a good price instead of renting one. We shopped for navy ties and white pocket squares at Nordstrom Rack (Calvin Klein), and found brown suspenders on Amazon. My husband had his own pair of brown, wingtip shoes from Cole Haan (previously purchased at Nordstrom Rack) and each of the groomsmen found their own brown leather shoes in a similar style.”
What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
“Besides finally getting up to the altar and saying, "I do," the speeches were the most special part of our day. Both of my sisters, the best man, a groomsman, my two sisters-in-law, my mother-in-law, and my dad spoke. Everyone's words were heartfelt and honest and truly touched my heart. When my dad went up to give his speech, I knew I would need tissues. He is a pretty reserved man, can be somewhat intimidating to those who don't know him, but he has the biggest heart and has an amazing way with words. In the end, he brought up my husband and they took turns taking a swig of whiskey from the bottle by husband had gotten him for fathers day. I will never forget that moment or their embrace that followed.”
Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?
“Just keep it simple. You will look back on your wedding day and realize that what really mattered was you and your groom and the love that you two shared.”