1. Real Weddings

A Traditional Wedding At the Santa Barbara Mission in California

Shannon Whitehair (28 and math teacher) and Stephen Whitehair (28 and a special education teacher) met while planning a mutual friend's wedding in 201

Shannon Whitehair (28 and math teacher) and Stephen Whitehair (28 and a special education teacher) met while planning a mutual friend's wedding in 2010. They hit it off immediately and began dating, despite living seven hours apart. Five months later, Steve quit his job and moved to be closer to Shannon. Steve proposed to Shannon on a bridge overlooking a botanical garden. "It was such a beautiful moment, and I didn't have to think at all about my answer," Shannon says. "I knew he was the one."The couple decided to have their wedding at the historic Old Santa Barbara mission in California. They chose the old Spanish church for sentimental reasons—they used to meet in Santa Barbara for dates when they were dating long distance. Their wedding was garden themed, with a color palette of natural shades like olive greens, browns, creams and whites with some pops of yellow recommended by their florist. Shannon carried a bouquet of white roses and gardenias. "White flowers like roses and gardenias have always been my favorites for the purity they symbolize," she says. After their ceremony at the Old Santa Barbara Mission, Shannon and Steve threw a garden reception at the Rincon Beach Club in Carpenteria, California. Their wedding cake, a three tiered white cake with an olallieberry filling, was specially delivered from Linn's Bakery in Cambria, California (a destination that's seven hours away!). " This cake was special to us because we used to drive to Cambria when we were dating and fell in love with it," Shannon says. "Linn's was our favorite place to grab a delicious dessert." In keeping with their down-to-earth garden theme, Shannon and Stephen gave their guests mini potted mint and thyme plants with clever sayings like "Mint to be" and "A love for all thyme."

The bride and groom chose to have their wedding ceremony at We had our wedding ceremony at the Santa Barbara Mission in California. They chose the location for sentimental reasons—they used to meet in Santa Barbara for dates when they were dating long distance.
The bride wore a strapless lace Allure Bridal wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and a long train embellished with buttons. She wanted a soft and romantic look, and was inspired by photos of Grace Kelly.
Metallic Bridal Shoes With Floral Embellishment
Platinum Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands
The bride carried a bouquet of white roses and gardenias. She chose white roses and gardenias because she felt they symbolized purity, and she also wanted to give off a soft, romantic feel.
The bride and groom had a garden theme and gravitated toward soft and natural shades like olive greens, browns, creams, and whites with some pops of yellow recommended by their florist.
Bouquet of White Roses With White Bouquet Wrap
The bridesmaids wore J. Crew dresses "Jalapeno," and were allowed to choose from six different styles to get the most flattering fit. The groomsmen wore tuxes from Jos. A. Bank. The groom chose brown tuxes to complement the olive green of the bridesmaids' dresses.
Bride and Groom First Look
Outdoor Reception with Floating Lanterns
White Lanterns At the Outdoor Reception
Centerpieces with Roses and Succulents
The bride and groom chose mostly white decor for their reception. In keeping with their garden them, they used rustic wooden flower boxes for centerpieces with chalkboard labels where they wrote table numbers.
Chicken Wontons with Sweet and Sour Sauce
The bride and groom served their guests a variety of appetizers like tropical fruit skewers with rum sauce, handmade ginger chicken wontons with sweet and sour sauce, and crispy rose potato skins with sliced beef tri-tip.
Tray of Assorted Wines
Assorted Wines At the Reception
Since the wedding was garden-themed, the bride and groom gave their guests potted mint and thyme herbs with clever sayings like, "Mint to be" and "A love for all thyme."
The bride and groom chose bouquets that were white and blush roses and peonies, with some slight pops of yellow in the boutonnieres as recommended by the florist.
Engraved Cake Servers
The bride and groom served a three tiered white cream cake with olallieberry filling from Linn's Bakery, their favorite bakery in Cambria, California. The cake was transported seven hours to make it to the reception in Carpenteria, California.