Romance And Fun Can Happen In One Wedding Day
You want that big and beautiful wedding day but you also want to have the biggest bash of the century too. Oh what to do what to do? Why not do both! Jon and Tamara's fabulous Italian terrace style garden wedding shows you that romance and fun CAN happen in one wedding day! A heartfelt ceremony filled with elegant bohemian style was followed by a lavish formal dinner that broke down into a silent disco at the end of the night! Perfect harmony of pretty and party.
Keep scrolling to find out just how this cute couple met and to see their big day in living color with their wedding film below! Oh and don't miss a single pin worthy photographed detail thanks to the talents of Benjamin Garrett Photography and our full photo gallery here.
A Love Made for The Silver Screen
“Coffee Meets Bagel," a little dating site, was where we matched in April of 2013. But it wasn't until 6 months later that we had our first date! On October 6, 2013, we met at Terranea resort in Palos Verdes. We had lunch, walked along the cliffs, stopped in a cave and talked for hours. Neither of us wanted the afternoon to end. So we agreed to meet again and again: dinner in Malibu, nights dancing on the town, even a private jet to Santa Barbara for dinner. Every day we fell more and more in love with each other. In January, Jon moved to Austin, TX for a new job, and we held tight to the belief that if it was meant to be, God would keep us together. Click here to see how they made this separation work!
For six months, weekend trips kept our love alive. In August, we were reconnected when I moved from my Venice Beach home to begin an amazing adventure in Austin, Texas. New friends, memories and even a new house awaited! Life was beautiful, and it got even better on December 23, 2015. Amidst the crazy atmosphere of a family photo shoot, Jon pulled me aside to a special garden my father built for my mom shortly after my mom’s diagnosis with Parkinson Disease. The heart shaped garden has a stone at its center with two doves. Carved into the heart there is a quote that reads “Love is Forever”. It was here that Jon bent to one knee, offered a ring, and asked me to be his bride forever. Of course I said YES! This is our story, a beautiful story, and a wonderful start to a life committed to compassion, faith and a tight embrace to each other's love forever.
Planting Our Love, and Putting Down Roots
From the Bride: One special element to our wedding was our garden theme and the location of our wedding. The theme of our wedding was inspired by my parent's amazing garden at their home in Palos Verdes. It is a magical place, where you feel like you have been transported to a beautiful Italian villa in the hills of Tuscany. We incorporated the garden theme with our herb table names and by foraging plants and fruits from my parents’ garden to use in our centerpieces and in various floral arrangements.
Two reasons we chose to do a garden themed wedding are because Jon and I love to garden together and also the idea of planting and maintaining a garden symbolizes love and relationships, for you must constantly tend to and nourish your garden just as you would your marriage. We incorporated this symbolism during our ceremony when we did a unity tree planting as opposed to a unity candle to symbolize the joining together of our lives. Following the wedding we planted the tree in my parents' garden to symbolize putting down of roots, longevity, and strength in our marriage.
Let's Chill For A Moment
One of our favorite memories from our wedding day was right after the ceremony when Jon and I escaped to a private balcony looking down on all of our guests. It was so magical to have a peaceful moment alone and to be able to see all of the family and friends who had gathered together to celebrate our love. Together on the balcony, we shared a cocktail and a small plate of appetizers and danced to the live music playing below. It was a perfect moment that we will never forget.
Quiet Little Dance Party
Another favorite moment was our late night silent disco party. The silent disco was something we were at first hesitant to do, unsure how people would respond, but it ended up being a HIT! By 12:30am we still had a full group of people dancing the night away, not wanting to leave! It was the perfect end to an amazing wedding!
To get a closer look at this romantic and fun wedding day check out the wedding film McDuff Productions created below! Keep an eye out for this super fun moment at the reception:
My sisters' maid of honor speech, where my two sisters "initiated" Jon into "la famiglia" (family in italian). We had no idea they were going to do this, but they put on a "Godfather" skit where Jon was required to kiss the ring, repeat an oath while he laid his hand on the Italian flag, and receive a new italian name: "Giovanni Lugliani Bassetto." They did all of this while speaking in an Italian accent.
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- Bar: THE WHALING CLUB
- Bridesmaid Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu
- Bride’s Heels: Stuart Weitzman
- Cakes & Catering: sweet and saucy
- Calligraphy: It’s Holly Made
- Catering: Lisa's Bon Appetit
- Dress & Apparel: BHLDN
- Event Planning & Design: GATHER Events, Laura Allin
- Fashion: Cole Hahn
- Flowers: Plenty of Petals
- Groom & His Men: Bonobos
- Hair & Makeup: The Blushed Company
- Lighting & Entertainment: Organic String Quartet
- Lighting & Entertainment: Rembrandt Band
- Officiants: Dean Merrill
- Paper good designer: INKK Print
- Photo Booth: GC Photo Booth
- Photographers: Benjamin Garrett
- Printing paper goods: Czar Press
- Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
- silent disco: Silent Storm
- Transportation: ABC Valet
- Transportation: GTS Charter
- Wedding Dresses: Sarah Seven
- Wedding Films: McDuff Productions