“Christine and Will traveled from their home of Nashville, Tennessee to get married in the Sunken Gardens of Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Christine’s hometown. They chose the romantic Villa & Vine on State Street for their courtyard garden reception packed with colorful flowers to show off the architecture of the space. They wanted to bring that mission and Latin style flair to the wedding, incorporating Spanish tiles as favors, margaritas as their signature drink, and a Mexican buffet for dinner. Christine succeeded in creating her goal of simple elegance on a budget throughout the day, from the minimal ceremony decorations, to her classic and clean bridal look, to the handmade reception table decor.” –Kaitie Brainerd Photography

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

I would say seeing Will at our first look, for the first time is my favorite memory from our wedding day. I was so excited for him to see me, because I knew he was going to love my dress, and he definitely did! I loved having this time together before our ceremony to take some pictures, and just soak up the moment. We both wrote each cards, so we got to read those, and we also went to the top of the courthouse where we could see our guests arriving for our ceremony. That was really neat!

My grooms favorite memory from our wedding day was our impromptu glass of champagne we drank as we walked to our wedding reception! The photographer walked with us to the reception and snapped photos along the way… as we were walking a local restaurant stopped us and offered us a glass of champagne! Of course we couldn’t turn down a glass of champagne! We drank it in their doorway, and then continued on to our reception.

Another favorite memory for me was seeing all of our family and friends in ONE place. It was unreal, and made me overcome with happy emotions! I loved walking around to the tables during dinner seeing so many old family friends.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

I made all of our wedding favors! My mom found tiles {from Mexico} on Amazon and I added our wedding stamp and felt pads to the back of them so they were like little coasters. I also made simple welcome bags for guests staying at hotels. I included some locals maps, snacks and water bottles. I DIY’d the glass vases that were used on our cocktail tables and the rehearsal dinner. I took hot glue and drizzled it over the vase, then sprayed the glue gold and then we stuck a few flowers in them! It turned out so pretty, yet it was so simple to make. The idea was found on YouTube by our florist!

Our cake was made by one of my Bridesmaid’s moms! She is the most amazing chef and baker, and gifted us our beautiful cake for our wedding. My uncle baked all of the cookies for our dessert! My Aunt passed away a few years ago, and my uncle figured out how to make her amazing, delicious, chocolate chip cookies! So he made them in honor of her for our wedding. My stepfather made the mirror that we put above our fireplace at the reception. My cousin did my makeup.. instead of having a makeup artist come in, my cousin did our makeup!Our family friend loves to film, so he made a special wedding video for us, and also blew up pictures as a surprise for us to have around our reception.

Overall, we used resources and the talents of our family and friends to help make our day as beautiful and special as possible. It showed me how many people we have that really and truly care about us to make such a gorgeous day for Will and I. We could not have been more lucky and thankful to have everyone help!

Did you have a something old, new, borrowed or blue?

The necklace I wore was my something old. My Mama let me borrow it. It was a very special diamond drop necklace that my Papa had given to my Mama. My something new was my wedding dress which we found at David’s Bridal. For my something borrowed Rone Regency Jewelers let me pick out what I’d want to wear on my wedding day! I selected beautiful diamond stud earrings, and a diamond bracelet. They made me feel like a princess! As for my something blue, I wore my mom’s garter that had a blue bow on it.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

My advice would be to enjoy the process, don’t stress the little things, and have fun! Trust the people you hire and know they are going to make your wedding day the most special day for you. I knew what colors I wanted, and the vibe I wanted, but I wasn’t sure of all the details, like the flowers for example, but I trusted our florist {who is one of my mom’s best friends}, because I knew she would work her magic and make our wedding absolutely beautiful! -Christine, the Bride

Event Credits

Photography: Kaitie Brainerd // Ceremony Venue: Santa Barbara County Courthouse // Reception Venue + Catering: Villa and Vine // Invitations: JP Stationary // DJ: Gavin Roy // Rentals: Just 4 Fun Party Rentals // Engagement Ring: Rone Regency Jewelers // Bride's Attire: David's Bridal // Bride's Shoes: DSW // Bridesmaid's Attire: Anthropologie // Hair: Amanda Ryan Hair // Groom's Attire: Men's Warehouse // Bridesmaid Gifts: Arden and Gold // Flower Girl Dress: California Poncho // Stamp for Favors + Welcome Bags: Earlfetti