1. Real Weddings

Naomi & Larry: An Outdoor Wedding in Ventura, CA

It's true: First impressions matter! When Naomi first saw Larry at a mutual friend’s wedding she wasn't impressed. Someone had too much to drink—and i

It's true: First impressions matter! When Naomi first saw Larry at a mutual friend’s wedding she wasn't impressed. Someone had too much to drink—and it wasn't me, says Naomi. I distinctly remember a really loud, outgoing guy at the wedding. My friends and I cleverly coined him 'the drunk guy from the wedding.' The Bride Naomi Takahashi, 31, event planner The Groom Larry Lien, 37, validation engineer The Date May 24 Although they weren't introduced that night, Larry left an impression. On a group trip to Asia, Naomi realized that the drunk guy was a really nice guy. By the end of the trip, the two were friends, and they started hanging out more often, after that. On a group trip to New York for New Year's Eve, the romance blossomed—the two just happened to be next to each other when the clock struck midnight.

Mason jars of mint mojitos, mango margaritas, lychee martinis and pomegranate martinis rested on wooden crates. Naomi and Larry couldn't settle on one signature drink, so they actually picked four: mint mojitos, mango margaritas, lychee martinis and pomegranate martinis.
Guests picked up their favors, green apples and fresh jams, from the country store, a four-tiered wooden display.
There were plenty of personal touches on hand too: A rustic hand-painted wooden sign made by the couple's friend directed guests to the party area.
Metal buckets filled with colorful blooms decorated the outdoor areas and added a cool country feel to the open-air cocktail hour.
Naomi and Larry shared a waltz to the Shrek theme song, It's You (I Have Loved), by Becky Taylor, which the couple chose because it was one of the best waltz songs they found. Their friend's parents choreographed the dance.
Orange, red and pink blooms in vases hung from Shepherd’s hooks along the ceremony aisle.
An open field overlooking an enclosed garden served as the ceremony site.
These invitations really made scents. Guests received boxes filled with beds of grass and fragrant eucalyptus oil contained chocolate brown envelopes with white cards with a green bird-and-leaf motif.
Naomi and Larry served their parents tea during a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, an emotional moment that led to tears for the bride, the groom and the guests.
Hand-tied bouquets of bright orange and pink dahlias, ranunculus, spider mums, green berries, wheat grass and other fresh-from-the-garden blooms were rustically chic.
A faux cake decorated with the couple's birds and leaves graphic in pink, green and orange was the centerpiece to a dessert display complete with fresh fruit, dipping sauces, cookies and other goodies.
Green Kermit mums mixed with fresh leaves and berries coordinated with the groomsmen's lime and sage striped ties.