1. Real Weddings

A Natural, Vintage-Inspired Wedding at the Gardens of the Villa San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, California

The historic build of this Italian villa—with walls covered in green ivy surrounded by lush landscaping—was paired with a natural color palette of gre

The historic build of this Italian villa—with walls covered in green ivy surrounded by lush landscaping—was paired with a natural color palette of greens, browns and whites, creating the perfect ambience for this vintage-inspired, garden wedding. The Villa San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, California, was the first venue Brenda Constantino (38 and a graphic designer) and Mark Olson (41 and a solutions architect) looked at, and they fell in love with the grounds for their outdoor wedding celebration. Brenda designed all the stationery for the wedding, which she marked with a logo and branding inspired by the leaf pattern on her engagement ring. The couple were married at the wedding arch covered in white flowers and greenery, with a backdrop of the ivy-covered walls that was captured on camera by Vitaly M Photography. Brenda embodied a vintage style with her wedding dress, designed by Augusta Jones, which was a cream-colored strapless gown accented with beads and lace. The reception followed soon after, where guests were served a delicious three-course meal that ended with a bar of mini desserts, from caramel-apple lattice-top pies to Italian pizzelle wafer cookies and a small wedding cake that was covered with buttercream frosting. “We created a custom wedding ceremony with help from our good friends that really reflected what we wanted to express to each other, as well as our gathered friends and family,” Brenda says. “The intimate outdoor venue kept us close to our guests and connected to the outdoors.”

Brenda wore a strapless cream-colored Augusta Jones wedding dress, which had a lace overlay that draped past the silk slip underneath.
The two flower girls wore ivory dresses with puffy tulle skirts, and each had a sage green sash wrapped around her waist. The young girls had white bows that tied their hair back in a half-up style, with sage and white ribbons draped down over their hair.
Brenda designed the programs herself, on white stationery and printed with sage green and black text. "As a graphic designer, I felt obligated to design all the wedding stationery, such as the invitations, wedding programs, menus, thank-you cards and vow booklets," Brenda says. "I also created a logo and branding that incorporated the leaf pattern on my engagement ring."
The bridal bouquet was a lush, overflowing arrangement of ivory roses, garden roses and scabiosa mixed with banana leaves. The flower arrangement went along with the natural color palette of the wedding day, made up of greens, whites and browns.
Hanging Yellow Hydrangea Aisle Decorations
Mark looked down the aisle at the outdoor ceremony, which took place at the Villa San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, California. A single ivory rose boutonniere was pinned to his charcoal gray jacket lapel. Mark's sage green tie with a paisley pattern gave his look a pop of natural color.
Brenda and Mark had their outdoor ceremony surrounded by the gardens at the villa venue, and were married by their good friend serving as the officiant. The couple stood at the wedding arch adorned with ivory hydrangeas, roses and scabiosa mixed with greenery, with a backdrop of the building covered in green ivy.
Elegant Silver Crystal Necklace
The sweetheart table was dressed in a cream-colored tablecloth and set with sage green napkins, white plates and two green champagne glasses. The wooden chiavari chairs were decorated with long banana-leaf garlands draped on the back.
Custom-Made Natural Seating Chart Cards
Nordstrom Headpiece Adorned With Crystals
At the outdoor reception, dining tables were decorated with ivory flower arrangements of roses and scabiosa mixed with greenery, which were then arranged inside glass bottles and vases. The lush centerpieces were surrounded by votive candles, which added extra pops of color to the natural look.
Caramel-Apple Lattice-Top Pies
The small buttercream wedding cake had a topper that displayed initials made of wood. The cake was arranged on top of a white simple stand surrounded by green leaves. In addition to the cake, the dessert table had caramel-apple lattice-top pies, butterscotch toffee in shot glasses and a variety of cookies made by the mothers of the bride and groom.
Lace Overlay on Wedding Dress