Jayme & Luis | Bella Vista Gardens Wedding

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR WEDDING DAY AND YOUR WEDDING DAY EXPERIENCE…
The only thing I can really say about our Wedding Day, aside from the fact that we had a blast, was that it was US!!! From the wardrobe, to the music, to the food, to the decorations–every detail was a reflection of both, who Luis & I are as individuals and who we are as a couple. Being a previous Event Coordinator, I made the decision to tackle most of the planning, decorating & coordinating myself. We spent over a year crafting, bargain hunting, building, DIYing & up-cycling as much as we could. Looking back, it was a lofty & time-consuming endeavor, but the hard work allowed us to customize a wedding that was a perfect reflection of us & our personalities–Fun, Quirky, Crafty & Colorful.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WEDDING?
Originally, we had planned to have a “Love Is…” themed-wedding; kind of pop-artsy, kitschy, and a little vintage (which is what I love). But as the planning progressed, things morphed into a little less cutesie and a little more classic. This was the best balance between mine & Luis’ styles. We ended up incorporating many rustic elements for Luis, paid homage to 1950’s style that I adore with my tea-length wedding dress, brooch bouquet, classic body-wave hairstyle & vintage luggage accents, and focused a great deal on the food & music. Luis & I are definitely “foodies” and wanted to take our guests a culinary tour of many of the foods we love. So, we melded cuisine from both our Filipino & Mexican backgrounds (Adobo, Lumpia, Pancit, Pollo Norteno, Horchata, Bean & Rice), hired a Taquero “Taco Man,” offered Nothing Bundt Cakes as our Wedding Cake & gave away Porto’s Cheese Rolls as Wedding Favors. Lastly, we had a Mariachi Band during Cocktail Hour &
our Grand Entrance which was a nod to Luis’ heritage.

WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE/FAVORITE PART ABOUT YOUR WEDDING DAY?
***JAYME: A very special moment for us was definitely our First Dance. As the DJ announced us, our wedding guests gathered along the edge of Bella Vista Grove’s beautiful, outdoor dance floor with huge glowing Sparklers in-hand as we made our way to center stage. Can you imagine dancing under a star-filled sky, with your new wife/husband in your arms, to Ed Sheeran’s “Talking Out Loud,” surrounded by a sea of glimmering lights? There was definitely love in the air that night & it was truly magical…
***LUIS: My favorite part of our big day was, without question, when Jayme walked out of the house and made her way to the alter. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen–she looked stunning! I felt like no one else was there but us… I fell in love again, a million times over, that day.

WHY WAS PHOTOGRAPHY IMPORTANT TO YOU AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SUN & SPARROW?
Once your big day has come & gone and the freshness of your memories begin to fade, all you’ll have left are the pictures/video footage from that special day… A picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s why it’s SO important to invest in professionals who will skillfully & stylishly capture all those feelings & experiences & moments for you. As we interviewed many published & notable wedding photographers, Sun & Sparrow climbed to the top of our list because, as a bride, not only did I want beautiful pictures, but I also wanted us to be able to spend our day with people we enjoyed, people we could laugh with, people that would reassure us & keep us smiling, people that we would make our day memorable. We chose correctly!

DID YOU DO ANY DIY PROJECTS? IF SO, WHAT?
With my past experiences in Event Planning, I knew how much couples invested (and ultimately OVER-invested) on their Weddings, so it was important for us to keep costs as low as possible. Luis & I spent many weekends at the Rose Bowl Flea Market, Ventura Swap Meet & a plethora of antique shops trying to find vintage frames, shutters, barrels, brooches, etc. We literally spent our evenings building & crafting everything we could ourselves: Boutonnieres, Crepe Paper Flowers, Chalkboard Signs, The Bar, All Decorations, Backdrop, Curtains, Photo Booth Props, Bridal Bouquet, Table Centerpieces, Luminaries, Bridal Party Gifts, etc, etc… The list goes on-&-on! We were exhausted, but the sense of pride we felt when it all came together and knowing that everything we made was from our hearts & carried a small piece of us was well worth it.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR BRIDES WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PLANNING PROCESS?
The biggest pieces of advice I can offer any couple is to make efforts to slow down & enjoy each moment as they come, because faster than you realize, it will all be over. Also, inevitably, something unplanned will happen, someone will be late, something won’t go according to plan, some part of your master plan will fall through–but that’s okay. Most times, something that seems like a “big deal” to you will go unnoticed by your guests (as they were not part of the planning process), and at the end of the day, you are marrying the person you love and that’s what counts! And lastly, don’t focus on pleasing others (mother-in-law, friends, family, etc) or make decisions that you’re not comfortable with; its your special day and should be yours & your fiances vision–no one else’s.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF BEING MARRIED NOW?
***JAYME: My favorite part of being married is knowing that I have someone, a forever “partner-in-crime,” who made a decision & promise to always stand beside me, support me, act silly with me, share in my adventures, love me, protect me, inspire me, and build a life & family with me. When I wake up in the morning next to my husband, it’s the best knowing that he adores me & thinks I’m beautiful even though my hair is messy and I have no make-up on. Love & Commitment are things many people spend their whole lifetime searching for, and I feel lucky & blessed to have found mine.
***LUIS: My favorite part of being married is feeling the bond we have get stronger and stronger with each new day. Being able to come home every night, knowing that my wife will always be there for the rest of our lives, is incredibly heart warming and a blessed feeling.

ALL THE AWESOME VENDORS & FASHION VENDORS OF THIS WEDDING…
Officiate: Warren Geisler
Venue: Bella Vista Groves | www.bellavistagroves.com
Dress: Dolly Couture | www.dollycouture.com
Hair: Kristen Thompson of Salon Rouge | www.salonrouge.net/home
Make-Up: Lindsay Dickenson of Kiss The Bride | www.kissthebridemakeup.blogspot.com
Women’s Jewelry: Tiffany & Co. | www.tiffany.com
Men’s Watches: Fossil | www.fossil.com
Acoustic Guitar: David Komski
Photography: Tiffani, Ellie & Claudia of Sun & Sparrow | www.sunandsparrow.com
Disc Jockey: Jerry Gutierrez of GTZ Entertainment | www.gtzentertainment.com
Catering: El Pollo Norteno Grill | www.elnortenogrill.com
Catering: Del’s Sweet Creations
Taco Man: K.O. Tacos | https://www.facebook.com/pages/KO-Tacos/228855383793584
Favors: Porto’s Bakery | www.portosbakery.com
Wedding Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes | www.nothingbundtcakes.com
Photo Booth: Caught Up In The Moment | www.caughtupphotobooths.com
Mariachi: Mariachi Estrellas de Jalisco | https://www.facebook.com/mariachiestrellas.dejalisco