1. Real Weddings

Jill and Shane: An Beach Wedding in Half Moon Bay, CA

Jill McKinney and Shane Sentz's romance blossomed at 5,000 feet above ground when Jill took flying lessons from instructor Shane. The BrideJill McKi

Jill McKinney and Shane Sentz's romance blossomed at 5,000 feet above ground when Jill took flying lessons from instructor Shane. The BrideJill McKinney, 34 The GroomShane Sentz, 30 The DateJuly 17 It was a no-brainer that their wedding would have a bit of an airplane theme, and that it would take place at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay in California -- an oceanside golf resort that the couple frequently flew over together throughout Jill's aerial education. The hotel is more of a cocktails-by-the-fire sort of place than a beach resort, Jill says. So they chose a warm, coppery color scheme with soft blue and celery green accents to reflect the ocean.

The Reception Decor
These incorporated the antique biplane design, which was first seen on celery and sage green letterpress invitations.
The couple liked the clean, modern look of grouping single types of flowers (like white roses, green button mums, and blue belladonna) in individual vases for the centerpieces -- understated yet lush.
Shane had the idea to use the aviation alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie...) as table names, instead of traditional numbers.
The Boutonniere
After hours searching online, the couple found the perfect thematic favors -- copper-finish pencil sharpeners in the form of vintage biplanes. They were attached with ribbons to the escort cards, and arranged on the table to look as if they had just landed.
The Reception Decor
The Ceremony Decor
The Bridesmaid Bouquets
Made entirely of pale green cymbidium orchids, the modern arrangement was wrapped with a chocolate ribbon with button detailing. I didn't want the flowers to detract from the beauty of the setting, Jill says.
The Cake
The Reception Decor