David & Joanna Part One.

In honor of our one year wedding anniversary (August 7th), I want to share my photos, memories and stories of our special day, and the days leading up to it. So, let’s jump right in:

My bridesmaids and I got ready at the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe, which is just a quick gondola ride from the Northstar (where the reception was held). Oh, wait, maybe I should back up a bit. Location. David and I selected Lake Tahoe, CA for a couple of reasons. The first being that we wanted a true destination wedding. A place where our guests could come for a vacation and have lots to do and see. We really felt strongly about having a big party, not so much a wedding reception. Half of my roots are in California so that seemed like a natural fit (my original vote was for actually for Healdsburg, CA where my grandparents lived, but that just didn’t work out). Lake Tahoe is very close to where David’s parents live and grew up (he has deep roots in CA, too) so Tahoe made the most sense. Plus, we love it! Okay, now, back to the wedding day.

My dress is Anne Barge and I’m obsessed with it. I would wear it to work. In fact, I might go put it on while I finish this post. I wanted something simple and classic. No beading. No lace. Nothing bridal. I wasn’t going to wear a veil at first, so I picked the headband. My mom guilted me into a veil eventually. I didn’t have a hair trial (one way to cut costs) but if I could do it all over again I would. That experience was way too stressful. The shoes are J.Crew but in an effort to make then a tad more special, I had B.Poetic make custom floral shoe clips for me. Kaitlin, the talent behind B.Poetic, was sweet enough to name the bloom after me and they are now available for purchase on her Etsy shop.

Lily. Everyone should have an adorable red-headed flower girl in their wedding. It takes the spot light off you! In a good way, of course. Her tutu is my favorite. B.Poetic also made Lily’s adorable headband (shown above). B.Poetic made the headband for my niece Vivienne who was a month old at the time, but she is in zero pictures. All of the groomsmen wore navy blue Chucks so Lily got a pair of her own. The color of her shoes was listed as “Raspberry” but they were pretty much hot pink. I wanted something with a little more purple in it. Oh well. She was still a huge hit. Everyone wins.

My David.

David had very few demands during the planning process of the wedding. He was responsible for the chucks, the light blue accent color that runs throughout the wedding (seen in his pocket square) and the DJ. The suits are L.L. Bean Signature. We went to L.L. Bean with the idea of buying khaki suits but the navy just looked too smooth to pass up. David’s best “man” was his sister, Christy. Instead of putting Christy in a suit, she is wearing a dress to match the bridesmaids (J.Crew dresses in Spiced Wine). David’s one regret is that Christy didn’t wear Chucks.

The processional begins. That’s Lily with my sweet nephew Kevin.

My dad. And the veil…

My bridesmaids. The girls were all given G.S. Lillan cuffs (all different) as their gift. You can see the cuff on Maria’s arm to the right. They also wore stud earrings from Monica DiCreddo that I bought when David and I visited Brazil earlier in the year.

The boys. Aren’t they handsome?

Love this picture.

Husband and wife! Off to the reception! Which I will post about tomorrow.

For the record: The flowers are the absolute best things in the entire world. I love the flowers. My florist nailed it. She just got me. I’ll talk more about that dynamic duo in later this week.

Photo credits: Ciprian Photography. Ciprian is incredibly talented. We took one look at his stuff and signed the contract immediately. He’s handsome too, ladies.