Lauren and Aaron got married at the Oak Room in Calamigos Ranch and it was one beautiful day! Bringing the outdoors in while keeping an elegant and refined aesthetic was the goal for the overall design of the wedding. Rich wood elements combined with wild greens, ferns, moss and beautiful garden blooms created an outdoor atmosphere with a modern twist. Read more about all the details from their wedding below!
Why did you choose that location?
Lauren grew up surrounded by oak trees in Sacramento, California, and both Lauren and Aaron love nature and the mountains. They were looking for a Southern California venue with a Northern California vibe, which Calamigos Ranch offers. And bonus points, it has Lauren’s favorite tree - the oak!
What was the theme/mood of your wedding? How did you decide on that particular theme? How did you decide on your color palette?
In the words of our wedding planner, Weddings by Susan Dunne, “Lauren’s love for oak trees as well as both of their love for hiking and nature played a huge influence in the overall design that we created for them. We wanted to bring the outdoors in while keeping an elegant and timeless design. There were rich wood elements combined with wild greens, ferns, moss and beautiful garden blooms, which created an outdoor atmosphere. In addition to the forest wonderland, we incorporated a few modern touches through the chargers, some acrylic decor elements and stationery. Every vendor was hand selected to carry out our vision.”
We are both very simple people who love to spend time outdoors in nature – running, hiking, surfing. We wanted a very simple, organic wedding with a lot of greenery, which our wedding planner and florist were able to perfect. In regards to color palette, we envisioned neutral colors including creams and ivories. I was very hesitant to include color, but Susan was able to talk me into incorporating a few subtle green elements, like the napkins and name cards – I’m glad she succeeded in convincing me!
Tell us about your first look:
We had last seen each other the night before at the rehearsal dinner. It was an incredible feeling to know that our big day had arrived and we were finally able to celebrate our love. We are both private people and chose to share our personal vows during our first look, making for a very special, intimate moment.
Where did your ceremony take place?
Weddings by Susan Dunne says, The ceremony took place on the deck at the Oak Room at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu. Surrounded by natural stone waterfalls, this was the perfect location for two nature lovers like Aaron and Lauren. The walk down the aisle takes place over a serene pond and this journey is symbolic of the couple crossing a bridge into a new life together. The traditional chuppah, which sat just behind the bride and groom and, added more natural elements with its fresh greens and crisp, white roses while low hanging oak trees with twinkle lights and chandeliers adorning their branches added warmth to the ceremony.
Where did your reception take place?
The reception area was also at the Oak Room in Calamigos Ranch - it was across the pond from the ceremony with sweeping windows trimmed in oak and 360 degree views of the outdoors. This space truly brought the outdoors in while also using industrial accents such as iron chandeliers and twinkle lights to set the mood while a stone fireplace provided added comfort and character.
The design:
Similar to the invitation suite, the menu was printed on crisp, white card stock with a simple leaf emblem on the top. This provided a nice contrast to the deep, rich wood of the chargers while a dusty green linen napkin brought in another natural element. Name-cards featuring a gold leaf fish and delicate watercolor added to the minimalistic and classic design, pairing effortlessly with the menu. We chose to keep the table linens classically white and used simple glassware to maintain an elegant feeling. Beautiful centerpieces created by Mulberry & Moss were mostly lush greens arranged organically to mimic the surrounding outdoors and appear almost naturally grown. Some tables also included white roses and the contrast between the table settings created a purer sense of design.
Cake is a big part of the Eisenbud family and SusieCakes has long been our favorite bakery, so we couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to use them for our wedding. We did a combination of chocolate, vanilla and marble cakes. From Weddings by Susan Dunne, the planner: “For the design, as with most of the wedding it, we wanted to keep it simple and elegant while also incorporating natural elements. In order to achieve this, the cakes were iced with a casual hand and decorated with delicate flowers and bright greens.”
Tell us about your first dance song and why you chose it:
Jason Aldean – “You make it easy”. Aaron didn’t want a traditional “slow love song.” We were on a week-long roundtrip through the Utah national parks and probably listened to every possible first dance song. We ultimately chose this song because the lyrics aligned with our relationship and Aaron approved of the tempo.
VENDOR LIST:
Planning & Design: Weddings by Susan Dunne
Photography: Anya Kernes Photography
Floral Design: Mulberry and Moss
Venue: Calamigos Ranch
Hair and Makeup: Bliss Bridal Beauty
Cake: Susie Cakes Bakery
Styling Ceramics: Simple Things Ceramics
Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes
DJ: Red Shoe LA
Rentals: Borrowed Blu
Live Music: Angelica Strings
Officiant: Great Officiants - Marc Bachrach
Stationery: Minted
Lighting: Vox DJs
Calligraphy: @GSdurig
Churro Station: Mr & Mrs Churro
Mother of the Bride gown: Carole Kenney Design
