Anna's Day!

Ah...I don't even know where to start this one....
When Anna called last year after being referred by a photographer friend, our first conversation lasted 2 1/2 hours. We talked about her wedding, her venue, her parents, her fiance, her budget, then moved onto life. When I drove away from the brunch the day after the wedding, I cried. Really, how does one put into words a year of planning, friendship, joy, frustration, happiness, family, dogs, visits, endless phone calls...all of it leading up to a purely magical night? Where Bernie Sue stood proudly at the ankles of each reader, and the fun, relaxed feel of a back yard BBQ (with slightly dressier people) was everything she dreamed it would be....

*I'm getting emotional again, just writing...I'll just stick to the facts, ma'am.*

Anna wanted to create a backyard/garden party and the venue that she chose, Flying Caballos, was perfect! Huge lawn, beautiful landscaping, and a fire pit! The flowers, from panacea event floral design, were a 'tossed together' look, as if she had just picked them from the garden herself. (But we all know the amount of work that goes into that kind of look!).
We had over-sized tables with benches for guest seating, which were also used for the ceremony seating. Anna made pillows with vintage fabric, and instructed me to 'casually toss them about' for the ceremony. When I finished my 'tossing about' and was getting ready to walk back to the reception, I just happen to look back on my work of 'tossing about'....
*yeah... well... I guess you could say I'm anal, because there was no 'tossing about'...every single pillow was diagonally placed, perfectly aligned...I had to have my assistant do the 'tossing'...*

The back yard BBQ continued as Two Cooks Catering rolled in their BRAND NEW custom made HUGE BBQ! The food was yummy, and the dessert? TO DIE FOR! No wedding cake here! Pies! Pies! Bring on the pies! Pecan Pie! Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie! Apple Pie! and home made vanilla bean ice cream to top it all off!

Jessi, from Bluebird Salon, in downtown San Luis Obispo made Anna, Jenny, and Roxanne all look their best, with her wonderful talent of hair and make-up.
Jonathan Monte spun some wild tunes for the reception, and the very talented Kipp Batley took almost all the pictures on this posting.
It truly was a magical wedding, and I thank Anna & Doug, and Roxanne & Simon, and Andrew & Sarah, and pretty much all their friends and family for being so nice, and relaxed, and allowing me to be part of this wonderful celebration! (And Bernie Sue, too! Jimmy misses you!)

People responsible for the loveliness:

Rentals: Unlimited Events (the rustic tables and benches)
Taylor Rentals
Hair and Makeup by Jessi Skipton
Music provided by Jonathan Monte
Flowers by panacea event floral design
Catering by Two Cooks Catering, LLC
Photography By Kipp Batley
Beautiful Venue by Flying Caballos, San Luis Obispo, CA
Lighting by Kramer Entertainment & Lighting
and a very special 'thank you' to Lauren, my assistant, for keeping my head on!