“Picca and Edward set out to share their EPic Love Story with their guests, and they did just that! Married in an intimate, charming courtyard in San Juan Capistrano, CA, they were surrounded by friends, family, lush garden greens and so much pretty! From library card escort cards and bookmark place cards to a “library” of delicious desserts, each detail was lovingly crafted to perfection by the bride and her groom. Guests dined, danced and celebrated under the stars. Truly an unforgettable evening!” – Weddings & Events by Viv

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

Can I say all of it!?! Since then, we can’t stop thinking about the day we got married. We’ve watched countless videos and looked through hundreds of photos over and over. We miss it so much!! But if I were to choose my favorite par, it was definitely our ceremony. For me particularly, it was when Edward said his vows.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

What didn’t we DIY!? We wanted to share our love-story with our guests from the get-go. From there, I “ran-away” with a love story theme. We printed escort library cards and filed them in card catalog boxes I purchased from Marshall’s. For each place setting we included hand-made menus and bookmarks as place cards for each guest. A different color of ribbon on each bookmark indicated beef, chicken or vegetarian.

For our center pieces, we labeled each table by chapters (frames were purchased from the .99cent store and chapter labels were printed from home). I purchased books at the thrift store and spray painted them in gold. The mercury flower vases that sat on top of the books were purchased from Michael’s Craft Store and others from another DIY bride on Craigslist. To set the mood for a romantic evening underneath the stars, tea candle lights were provided by our florist.

One of our bridesmaids (Pamela) who is also a fellow DIY bride herself helped us with our ceremony programs. We included photos from our DTLA engagement shoot and printed on left over paper from our invitations. A handful of picture frames were purchased from various thrift stores and DIY’d into Chalk board signs. Each sign was handwritten with the help of another DIY bride (Alyssa) whom I met through one of my bridesmaids.

Our dessert library included all home-made treats, desserts, cake and cake topper by family and friends! To serenade our guests, we had one of Edward’s friends since 7th grade (Camille) perform an acoustic version of one of our favorite songs of 2014, “Latch” by Sam Smith. Our cousins Ricky and Christine of The Yodsukars, Photographic & Cinematic also co-wrote and produced a mini-film of how Ed and I met, telling our love story which eventually led to Ed’s proposal. When we asked my little nieces and nephew what their favorite part of the wedding was they all said, “When we watched the movie!”

As for my bridesmaids, I wanted each of them to be different. I wanted them to express their individuality and at the same time be comfortable in the dress that they were wearing. I gave them a color palette and had them choose their own dresses. All different styles but complimentary in color. I made a “book” proposal for each of the girls. It included a mini bouquet, monogram rings (which they wore on our wedding day), our color palette (made out of paint chips), a tiny bookmark with a quote stamped on one side (“The joy of the journey is best measured by the friends, not the miles”), a personal note and details about the wedding, the dresses and how each of the girls were special to me!

To set the mood/theme for our wedding, our invitations were mini booklets with old school library RSVP cards. I found a designer on Etsy and I was able to custom make our invitations! We purchased the electronic version of the invites, bought paper in bulk from Kelly Paper and took it to a local print shop. I couldn’t be any happier with the end result!

Our ceremony backdrop was a fireplace lit with romantic candle light adorned with flowers. I pitched this idea to our florist the first time we met and she did such an amazing job!!! I was so thrilled and excited to see everything come together!!!

Something old, new, borrowed and blue?

• Something Old: (don’t cringe!) a pair of my favorite lace undies
• Something New: Sparkly shoes! Who doesn’t love shoes!?
• Something Borrowed: I borrowed a hair brooch from Katie, a friend of mine who also wore the brooch on her wedding day.
• Something Blue: The pearl on my garter.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

Have fun with it and give yourselves enough time so that in the end, you’re not scrambling for last minute projects. I always told myself, “Whatever we don’t finish by our wedding day, I’m not going to worry about it!” But with the help of family, friends and the groom himself our team pulled through and finished all our DIY projects on time! – Picca, the bride

Event Credits

Photography: Jeremy Chou Photography // Venue: Franciscan Gardens, San Juan Capistrano // Wedding Coordinator: Weddings & Events by Viv // Florist: Green Leaf Designs // Catering: 24 Carrots // Cake + desserts: made by friends and family of the bride & groom // Officiant: A Moment to Cherish // DJ: Waller Entertainment // Videographer: Boffo Video // Linen Rentals: La Tavola // Furniture Rentals: Archive Vintage Rentals // Photobooth: Perfect Shot Photobooth // Dress: Pronovias via Mariposa Boutique // Garter: The Honey Bee Shop // Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Bridesmaids dresses: Personally chosen // Getting ready robes: Silk and More // Hair: Jodi Lopez // Makeup: Sharleen Carlos // Groom's attire: Hugo Boss // Groomsmen attire: Personally chosen // Ties: The Tie Bar // Parents gifts: Inspired Stitches