an old california wedding

Boy was it hard to narrow down this post. I didn't want to leave anything out because I know there are some of you planning weddings and would like to see all the little details. In fact I should probably break down different elements like the flowers, food, clothing, etc. into different posts. What do you think?  

This wedding is one for the books as it was planned in under 2 weeks and swelled from 40 guests to 100.  I will admit that it was not easy giving up control but when I saw it all coming together I got it and was on-board.  This really was more than just a vintage themed wedding.  We had Old California and Vintage Harley bikers going on too.  And not to mention that Alex and B do not buy anything new. Everything is vintage or antique, which is awesome but when planning a wedding, it can be challenging. I really didn't know what to expect with 100 bikers coming but let me tell you they were the nicest, most gracious group of people.  Omg, they were awesome.  The whole day was done on a small budget (I believe the whole thing was just shy of $2k, oops that should read closer to $3k) but the details were big.  So in no particular order...

Chairs were set up for family and then the guests just squeezed in

I spent a total of $75 on flowers from Trader Joes.  That includes the brides bouquet too.

B's sister made the cheese platters.  The main menu was bbq and assorted salads.  It was a lot of work but B's dad did an excellent job!

I made lunches that consisted of pbj's, chips, cookies and juice for the kids in attendance

Guests arriving

The guest book was placed on an antique drop-leaf desk.  I wrapped an ordinary pen in twine and stuck a pheasant feather in.

Everyone loved Alex's 49 pickup truck.

Candy apple action for the kiddos.

B's mom generously took care of all the rentals, champagne and cake!

I loved the antique rug runner.  A and B have been collecting them for 2 years.  Each one was at least 100 years old.

It was so strange to see this many people in my yoga garden

This dress.  1940's crochet chemise - stunning.

Her $11 bouquet

A big thank you to everyone who weighed in with what I should wear.  I went with Melissa from All Things Simplified suggestion of this dress and my boots.  Turns out it was perfect as I was so busy I never sat down and yet didn't have to wear an apron.  That Tory Burch dress I loved would have been ruined.  But Mary, I will never forget your offer.  I think RL would be ok with this.:)

This is probably my favorite photo of the whole event.  It was taken with an iphone!  It has such a romantic feel to it, and my carport has never looked this good. Those panels were cut from plain old burlap and staple gunned up. Total cost $120.

Would we have changed anything?  Probably.  Although we didn't go with a caterer, we should have hired a few guys to help bus tables and clean up.  I don't know what I was thinking?!  I wish I had taken more family photos but didn't think of it til the next day.  None of these are big deals and everything worked out.  Just some things to consider if you are planning an old California biker vintage wedding in 2 weeks. :)

PS - Would you be interested in seeing some of the LA fashion from this wedding?  Would you like more breakdown of anything particular?  Let me know.

*Most photos credited to BEN