* Rachel, Public Interest Lawyer & Jeff, Creative Director * Photographer: Rad + In Love * Soundtrack for reading: “The Letter” Al Green *
One sentence sum up of the wedding vibe: An intimate ceremony followed by a rockin’ party, in a breathtaking setting with our favorite people. AKA, the most wonderful day ever.
The Info—Photography: Rad + In Love / Venue: The Condor’s Nest Ranch, Pala, CA / Rachel’s Dress: Brides by Liza / Jeff’s Suit: Paul Smith
Other cool stuff we should know about: Our wedding was at a gorgeous ranch in the middle of nowhere. It had adorable farm animals, super quirky decor and stunning views. We got to stay there for a few days before the wedding with our siblings and friends, which was awesome.
We made a lot of stuff for the wedding ourselves, which allowed us to spend more money on the things that mattered to us. Jeff designed the invitations and the chuppah. We grew succulents in our backyard for a year before the wedding, and I used them to make all the centerpieces (in thrifted ceramic planters) as well as the bouquet and boutonnieres. Our guests took centerpieces home as favors, and we replanted the bouquet after the wedding. My sister and I baked the cakes (15 of them in 3 different flavors!) two days before the wedding.
We met when one of my best friends, Rebecca, was dating Jeff’s best friend, Tom. They’re married now and they officiated together.
Favorite thing about the wedding: We couldn’t pick between our two favorite things. First, Jewish tradition requires the bride and groom to go into seclusion after the ceremony and before joining the merriment. We spent ten minutes alone together following the ceremony, reading each other love letters we’d written in the days before the wedding. Second, my cousin Ben and his lady Diane kicked off our reception by singing a gorgeous version of “Be My Baby” (by The Ronettes) that they’d arranged for our wedding. Of all the ways our friends and family contributed their energy and creativity to make our wedding rad, that song was the best! So loving and joyful.
