1. Real Weddings

Tara & Mitch: A Ranch Wedding in San Luis Obispo, CA

Tara first met Mitch while on vacation in Pismo Beach, California. They kept in touch (especially because two of their friends also hit it off that sa

Tara first met Mitch while on vacation in Pismo Beach, California. They kept in touch (especially because two of their friends also hit it off that same night and ended up getting married!) and dated casually before becoming an official couple just as Tara was finishing culinary school. The Bride Tara Jones, 29, chef The Groom Mitchell Stumph, 30, firefighter The Date May 30 Tara and Mitch had decided to celebrate both of their birthdays on a trip to Belize. One night during their vacation, Mitch asked Tara if she’d like to open her gift (which she thought would be a pair of sunglasses). She said yes, and was shocked when Mitch got down on one knee with a ring and proposed.

Neither Tara nor Mitch is really into cake, so they decided to serve root beer floats, chocolate stout floats, and four different kinds of tarts and pies!
Remember the couple who had met the same night as Tara and Mitch? Their kids were Tara and Mitch’s ring bearer and flower girl. The ring bearer wore a vest made by Tara’s friend’s mother, and the flower girl wore an adorable navy tutu.
Tara and Mitch had potting soil added to the yellow bougainvilleas that lined the aisle to create a just-planted look.
Simple arrangements of yellow ranunculus accented with peacock feathers popped against the navy tablecloths. Tara and Mitch made the vases out of wine bottles that they had collected in the months before the wedding. They used a glass cutter to create the vases in different sizes and colors.
The florist made this sign reminding guests not to smoke, since the fields are dry during the summer.
Tara and Mitch were married in front of a falling oak tree on which they hung two chandeliers. The ranch and barn are set on 700 acres between two vineyards.
Tara and Mitch hung different-sized paper lanterns from the rafters, and Mitch’s mom made all of the soy-based candles that decorated the dinner tables.
Instead of dresses, the bridesmaids partnered skirts with solid navy tops from J.Crew. To accessorize, Tara bought each girl a yellow wooden ring, engraved with either a peace sign or a heart.
Tara’s bridesmaids carried petite, earthy bouquets of yellow ranunculus and white garden roses accented with ferns.
Tara and Mitch incorporated their wedding colors, navy and marigold, as well as peacock feathers (which became another recurring wedding detail), into their invitations.
The couple’s florist, who had actually married at the same location, made this sign to show guests the way up to the ceremony.
Tara carried a bouquet of white garden roses accented with navy verbena buds, which looked a lot like blueberries!
Tara found her wedding dress at David’s Bridal and added a blue sash to cover up the beading on the waist. She accessorized with gladiator-style navy sandals and her mom’s necklace.
As guests took their turn in the photo booth, they were directed to take one strip of photos home and put the copy into a guest book, also filled with handwritten notes.