Set in a magical backyard of a quaint English-inspired family home was the most intentional and beautiful union of the sweetest couple, Katie and Clayton. The location was full of climbing vines and abundant greenery that transported guests to an oasis in the city. The scene was so unique, that it became the main inspiration and design for the invitations by Simply Stated Stationary. From the bars in Boston to merging their lives and moving to the Golden state – the couple was more than ready to celebrate their special day. These Cali-livin’ love birds were very selective when choosing their roles for the wedding and decided that there was no one better than their first pup, Bear, to have the title of best man. (scroll for those adorable photos)
P.S. & Associates Event Planning took inspiration from the couples’ first moments spent at that Boston cocktail bar (read their story below), as well as from Clayton’s passion for woodworking. Amber bottles were used in place of traditional vases to pay ode to Katie’s bartending background. Elements of wood were sprinkled throughout–Rosebud Floral Design mixed wooden flowers into the centerpieces, bouquets and boutonnieres, wooden bow ties adorn the dogs, a wooden card box sits atop the welcome table and exposed wooden dinner tables and bar set the tone for dinner. Victoria Gold Photography and Burgundy Blue Videography captured all of the personality and special details that went into this magical day. Katie and Clayton decided to forgo the traditional timeline for their reception, as they opened the dance floor with their first dance and invited guests to graze from stations full of food selections, as special to their relationship as all of the design details. Little Lily’s Kitchen provided a menu that also paid ode to the couples’ meeting place with Boston baked beans, clam chowder, mini Fenway dogs and Boston salad among the selections. Food, drinks and dancing took this night right to the end as DJ Keelez kept the energy up with an eclectic music selection.
How did you meet?
We met in Boston when Clayton moved into the city and Katie was managing a cocktail bar he liked to frequent down the street. It took a while for Katie to say yes to a date, as dating a guest wasn’t encouraged, but when Clayton’s job moved him across the country, she realized what she was missing. They started dating long distance immediately, eventually living together back in Boston before moving out to Los Angeles.
What is your proposal story?
In our apartment, we had an unused office space that we transformed and Clayton built a bar. Considering how we met, Clayton kept it pretty simple by getting down on one knee in the bar he built. It was perfect.
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding (your vision, color, style, and location choices).
We got married at a family estate in Pasadena that has been in Clayton’s family for years. The gardens and layout with the large lawn gave us the perfect canvas to create whatever we wanted – with the reception under the magnolia tree, cocktail hour with a jazz trio on the patio by the pool, and the reception with a dance floor on the lawn. We wanted something beautiful that was also rustic and casual. We went with mostly jewel tones, gold, and wood.
Tell us about your attire choices.
Katie wore the Megan from Grace Loves Lace – a dress she had been eyeing long before a wedding was even being talked about – as well as a custom bridal jumpsuit designed by the talented Amanda James to change into for the reception. Amanda also transformed Katie’s mother’s wedding dress (made by her grandmother) into a custom robe to wear while getting ready. Shoes were Tess from Bella Belle Shoes – insanely comfortable and with a heel stopper were easy to walk in on grass. Clayton wore a bespoke hunter green suit from Pocket Square Clothing in downtown LA.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
We really wanted our wedding to be easy and fun, with great food and drinks and some people we love. We chose to not really do a bridal party – mostly to save on any of that drama or expense that would put on our friends and family. Also, the best way to make your wedding easy and fun for you? Hire an amazing planner. Chabeli and her team were absolutely priceless.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
Oh man … every minute, truly. The rehearsal dinner the night before at The Raymond in Pasadena was the perfect way to start the weekend. Getting ready was exciting, the first look was an incredible moment, the beautiful ceremony our friend Hector put together and saying our vows, THE FOOD – oh my goodness the food. If there was a number one moment – it would be (Katie) walking down the aisle with her parents, seeing all these people you love standing together, and then turning the corner to see Clayton standing there. I know some people don’t do a first look because they’re afraid of ruining that moment-but I promise… it will be special no matter what. For Clayton it was right before our first dance and seeing Katie walk in after her costume change into her jumpsuit.
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
Our flowers were done by Rosebud Floral Design. We gave Amanda a few directions (we were a little lost on what we wanted) and she really ran with it. She incorporated wooden flowers, lots of greenery, andpops of color that were perfect. I think my favorite aspect was the lanterns she filled with flowers that were hung from the tree we were married under-imitating an arch of sorts.
Tell us about your wedding cake.
We decided to not go with a traditional cake or cake cutting. Instead, we did a sweets table filled with small cookies, tarts, brownies, etc from a local favorite-Julienne’s.
What did you do for favors?
Clayton has always been a fan of the colored sunglasses at weddings – so Katie surprised him with them in our colors with the wedding date on them.
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
The signage was done by Katie – the favorite being the seating chart on a reclaimed door and corresponding table “numbers” that were flowers and herbs found in her garden. Clayton made all the wooden holders. Sheena, from our planning team, had the brilliant idea to use brown bottles instead of typical flower vases on all the tables. Bear, our chocolate lab, was Clayton’s best man – he and our other lab, Cam, wore green leather collars and wooden bowties that Clayton made. We had some customized coloring books from Etsy for the children and during the reception had a separate area for them with a popcorn machine, games, and a sitter to supervise. Our catering was with Little Lily’s Kitchen and they are all about the personal details. After some conversations getting to know us, Chef Kevin put together a personalized menu for us highlighting some of our favorite foods from Boston but making everything without nightshades since Katie is allergic. Clam Chowder with celery root, a beetroot cocktail sauce with the raw bar at cocktail hour, it was beyond what we could’ve imagined possible for our day.
Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?
For getting ready, Katie’s mother’s wedding dress was turned into a robe to get ready in. Pieces of the lace were also used on her bouquet and on her mother’s wristlet. Simply Stated Stationary made our invitations and included a hand drawing of one of Victoria Gold’s photos of the estate, as well as the red door that guests would ultimately enter through. Katie wore diamond earrings and a bracelet borrowed from her mother-in-law, Kathy. We wanted to keep any traditional wedding things short and sweet – so after we entered the reception we did a combined father/daughter and mother/son dance to Sam Cooke’s ‘Nothing Can Change This Love’. We said a short speech to thank everyone for coming and our first dance was only part of The Best by Tina Turner (big Schitt’s Creek fans here!) to open up the dance floor for everyone. We also did a “Day of Fun” on Sunday for anyone who was still in town for the afternoon. It was a laid back pool party with tacos and a build your own spritz bar. Basically, we just wanted a little more time with everyone and it was a great way to relax. We chose to not see the wedding bands we picked out for each other until the ceremony, in front of everyone. It was such a cool moment to share with everyone – Katie’s was covered in small diamonds all the way around (matching the band of her engagement ring) and Clayton’s was a custom mokume gane ring.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
I know everyone says this.. but it truly does go by SO quickly. Our friends, the Sheffields, gave us some great advice I will pass on. Consciously, take at least three moments to stop, look at each other, take two deep breaths, and be present in that moment. Things will go not according to plan, some details may fall through the cracks, but at the end of the day it will not matter, I promise. It would be a boring story if everything was perfect!