• Real Weddings

With a loosely based 1940s theme, fantastic food, stunning flowers and one dozy of a dress, Zach and Leila had their perfect relaxed California wedding. All held at the infamous San Diego wedding venue, Darlington House. A place that still echoes a lifestyle of gracious living, elegant dinner parties, and delightful musical concerts.
It is quite difficult not to have an impossibly lovely wedding here. You can see even more of their wedding in the full gallery here, all beautifully photographed by This Modern Romance.

One of the 1904s components were Leila's hair and makeup. Pins gently placed in her up-do and crimson red lipstick. Both done by  10.11 Makeup and Hair! This vintage-glam look paired perfectly with her Elizabeth Fillmore dress. We cannot forget to mention the lace Claire Pettibone lace back that added that extra bit of glitz to her already glam look. Do you love?

From the Bride...We got married at the Darlington House on May 25, 2013. We were really inspired by the Darlington House, which has a very elegant 1930's/40's look to it. We fell in love with its timeless beauty and its intimate atmosphere. We had a loose 1940's theme, which included my dress, the flower arrangements and the signature drinks.

We were also inspired by the relaxed California lifestyle and the Darlington House's proximity to the beach lent itself to this. We tried to make sure that our reception felt like an outdoor dinner party, with great food, drinks, and music. This meant cutting out a lot of the traditional reception events, but it was definitely worth it in the end!

From The Bride:Zach and I decided to mix our two cultures to come up with a ceremony that represented us as a couple. I'm Persian, so we had a Sofreh Aghd, which is a table with decorative and symbolic items on it that represent the couple's new life together. We also incorporated American traditions, including having a wedding party and reciting vows. We were married by one of our dear friends, and the ceremony was very heartfelt and sweet.

The mirror and candle sticks on the Sofreh Aghd were the same ones that my parents used at their wedding. My mom had them retouched with silver leaf to give them a fresh look. We spent months scouring antique markets to find the Fenton bowls on the Sofreh Aghd and the lavender vases on the dinner tables. Our florist, Nancy, was able to find lots of beautiful antique etched glass vessels for the centerpieces. Etsy was also a great go-to place for a lot of the decorative elements.

We DIY'd all the wedding day paper products. I have to give Zach a lot of credit, because he hand painted, then heat-embossed all of the programs by himself!

He also made the white wine sangria that we served during the cocktail hour. Everyone has been raving about it since then! My mom sewed all the fabric items for the ceremony, including the chair cover (tulle and all!) and my dad helped us construct the Sofreh table.

 The other thing that made the wedding really special was that we had family and friends from all over the world come to celebrate with us. It was an incredible feeling to look around and see all of the people we love in one place.

Zach and I are excited to have our wedding featured on Wedding Chicks! I have been thinking, and I honestly don't think we would have done anything differently at the wedding. The day went even better than we could have ever imagined, and that is in large part because of our amazing vendors. My one advice for other couples is to focus on the things that are most important to them - for us, it was photography and the things that would have a big impact on the guests (i.e. food, drinks, and decor).

• Cakes & Catering: Sweet Cheeks Bakery
• Cakes & Catering: Giuseppe Catering
• Coordinator: Twine Events
• DJ: DJ MD
• Fashion: Elizabeth Fillmore
• Flowers: Oak & the Owl
• Gowns & Veils: Claire Pettibone
• Jewelry: Kate Spade
• Makeup & Hair: 10.11 Makeup and Hair
• Photographer: This Modern Romance
• Rentals: Abbey Party Rentals
• Stationery: Paperwhite Press
• Venues: Darlington House