“Rachel + Andrew’s wedding was such a relaxed, fun celebration of love! They were so smart to pick such a fantastic venue… Orcutt Ranch is one of those locations where everywhere you turn you see something new. Having the reception in the garden created a feeling of being transported to another time, and the little details they brought in worked so seamlessly with the space. You don’t need much when surrounded by roses and a historic house from the 1920’s!” – Candice Benjamin Photography “The wedding venue lent itself very well to a DIY bride, because it was a beautiful blank slate – every little thing had to be brought in. After making lists upon lists of everything we needed, from extension cords to ribbons, one of my favorite moments of the wedding day was finally being done with the lists and the worrying and walking from the bridal suite to the ceremony. When I heard the song that I had chose so many months earlier (Patty Griffin’s “Heavenly Day”) and saw my soon-to-be husband waiting for me under this breathtaking sunny sky and huge tree, its one of the memories that I flash on most often… … Yes! The burlap wreaths on the aisle were sewn by my mom, the kid gift bags at the reception with coloring books and little toys were stuffed and stamped with love by me, my Mom sewed the awesome purple lace that was made by her Mom onto the ring pillow, I made the chicken wire table assignment from a frame I found at the Rose Bowl Flea Market, the street name signage at the tables were an Etsy purchase, my mom and I glued ribbon around the edges of the cheap-o dessert stand to class it up a little bit and it hid the corrugated cardboard really well, and Andrews graphic designer friend made the cutely worded bar signage for us. I strung the childhood photos in the dessert room on the twine to fill up the empty shelves, it was a fun way to get our moms involved (they are both out of state) by going through old photos and choosing their favorites. I also had a friend string nylon rope outside and then he attached all those globe lights to the rope with zip ties and that alone saved us over $2,000! My brother and cousins did all of the globe light removal/tear down at the end of the night too, total lifesavers. The caterer also was the table/chairs/linens vendor and that was a huge relief, less coordination for me to do! Our officiant was one of my oldest friends from growing up in New Mexico who did such a great job, people asked if he was a professional wedding officiant! ..My something blue were my shoes; something old was my grandmother’s handmade lace wrapped around my bouquet; something new was my dress and something borrowed was my earrings… ..My planning advice is to only focus on what’s important to you and your husband. I don’t remember every detail of the menu because it wasn’t as important to us as spending hours deciding on music playlists! My ceremony advice to the future brides is to remember to look over at your family after you become a wife – with your family sitting on your side, they end up being a bit out of sight and I didn’t really make eye contact with my parents or brother after we became husband & wife!” – Rachel, the bride Photographer: Candice Benjamin Photography // Dress: Maggie Sottero/Madison Marie – purchased from Kay’s Bridal in Simi Valley // Grooms Attire: Jos A Bank // Bridesmaid Dresses: Ann Taylor // Flower Girl Dresses: Mini Boden // Hair Stylist: Novak Salon // Ceremony + Reception Venue: Orcutt Ranch // Caterer + Rentals: Pierre’s Catering // Mini-pies: Simplethings Sandwich & Pie Shop // Florist: The Exotic Green Garden // Invitations: ‘Dappled Glade’ by Wedding Paper Divas // DJ: DJ Bumbaclot – Andrew Veeder