1. Real Weddings

Caren & Jesse: An Outdoor Wedding in Montecito, CA

When Caren and Jesse were introduced by mutual friends eight years ago, it wasn’t quite love at first sight. “We did not get along at all when we firs

When Caren and Jesse were introduced by mutual friends eight years ago, it wasn’t quite love at first sight. “We did not get along at all when we first met,” Caren says, “but eventually became friendlier.” The two became more than just friends when Caren moved to San Francisco and Jesse offered to show her around town. The Bride Caren Brezovec, 29, academic coach The Groom Jesse Redmond, 32, portfolio manager The Date September 9 After Jesse proposed during a walk on the beach, the pair began planning a wedding in Santa Barbara, which they now call home. Since most of their guests came from out of town, Caren and Jesse used their wedding not only to celebrate their union but also to show their friends and family the city where they live.

Fans placed on each seat doubled as programs during the ceremony. Caren found the fans in LA’s Chinatown -- each included a graphic on one side and the program printed on the other, with a Swarovski crystal accent.
Dessert was a four-tiered, square, aqua blue cake with bamboo fondant trim and green orchids cascading down the sides. Their chocolate cake was filled with either white chocolate and raspberries or milk chocolate and sweet Heath Bar crunch.
The Zen-inspired centerpieces were composed of dark wood boxes filled with sand and green cymbidium orchids. Glass cylinders in each arrangement were filled with water and a floating candle.
The wedding favors (which also acted as escort cards) were chocolate-dipped fortune cookies with heart sprinkles. The packages included each guest’s name and table number and were tied with a sage green ribbon.
To lighten the reception space, Caren and Jesse hung Chinese, rice paper lanterns from the room’s chandeliers. They incorporated their color palette by decorating the tables with sky blue linens and napkins surrounded by bamboo chairs.
Caren carried a bouquet of white mini calla lilies, lisianthuses, white hydrangeas, and dendrobium orchids for a green accent.
Caren’s five bridesmaids wore strapless, sage-colored, floor-length dresses by Vera Wang. Each Empire-waist dress had ruching at the bust and a ribbon that tied in the back.
Caren and Jesse exchanged vows at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. “We were adamant about having the ceremony and reception at two different venues because we wanted the guests to be able to see more of Santa Barbara,” Caren says. The ceremony took place on the lawn in front of a sculpture made of sticks called “Toad Hall.”
The Couple