Rustic Romance Wedding At The Dana Powers House
Evelyn and Steven love just a little bit of everything adorable, anything rustic, vintage, or a teensy bit country is right up their alley. They turned a rustic vision into a stunning aesthetic and it is definitely evident in their wedding! The color palette ranged between lavender, peach, and sage hues. Judi Powers made their dream come true with beautiful decor all around at the Dana Powers House. Tons of DIY projects and lots of love went into making this wedding the sensation that it was.
Don't miss any of the darling details of this rustic romance wedding! View the full gallery here, wonderfully captured by Ken Kienow.
From the Bride:I had never thought much about what my wedding would look or feel like, so we started by thinking about the story we wanted to tell on our day and how we could represent our personalities. Steven and I met in Los Angeles, where we both have lived for a long time, but we also both grew up in the South (him: Arkansas, me: Georgia) and wanted to capture the best of Southern hospitality alongside the natural beauty of California for our families and guests to enjoy. The desire for a rustic barn reception led us to the Dana Powers House and the amazing Central Coast area.
One of our favorite moments from the wedding day was the first look. It was such an emotional and intimate moment with my best friend. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, and the photographs of our reactions help solidify those irreplaceable memories. The pastor who officiated our ceremony was also able to join us and pray a blessing over our marriage. We also wrote our own vows, which was a task that got pushed back until the very last minute, but I loved that they held so much meaning for us as a couple. A lot of our vows came from writings we collected during an engaged couples’ retreat through our church, so they were a thread woven through our whole engagement.
Before the ceremony have a drink station set out with a few cookies or a little treat for your guests. Keep them happy, refreshed with a little treat, makes the party so much more enjoyable.
All of our vendors were incredible and I couldn’t offer enough praise for the amazing work they do. I have to single out Judi Powers at the Dana Powers House for being just the absolute best at what she does, which is make rustic/vintage/barn wedding dreams come true, and she has an dreamy collection of vintage rentals to boot. She is so kind, too, and like all our vendors was a real joy to be around, even when I was peppering her relentlessly with bride-type questions that she probably answers 1,000 times each year.
Signature Cocktail Idea-Our signature cocktails, which we served individually in 8 oz. mason jars garnished with small apples, were from a recipe created by D. Max Maxey, a colleague of Steven’s. Midnight Moon Apple Pie moonshine was the cocktail base. We spent about a full year going to flea markets and used books stores to collect old books and vintage lavender bottles for our centerpieces, which Lori Boe integrated so beautifully. We also found the reclaimed mantel that we got married in front of at an architectural salvage shop near downtown Los Angeles. Steven and his best man transported it from the L.A. area up to the wedding site, and now it has a special place in the Embellish Vintage Rentals collection for other weddings and events.
The menu was a big deal to us, and Trumpet Vine Catering really did a stellar job of taking our crazy idea to have Southern-style breakfast supper and elevating it to the next level. They did an awesome welcome table with beverages and lavender-lemon shortbread cookies for guests arriving to the ceremony. At the cocktail hour, there were passed trays of fried-green tomatoes, pickled beets, and deviled eggs. The big food surprises for our guests at the reception were the fried chicken ‘n’ waffles station with condiment bar, the pie bar for dessert (no cake), and the s’mores pit outside the barn at night.
Looking back, it was a truly magical day we spent surrounded by our nearest and dearest. Everything was even more wonderful than I had anticipated, and we were both blown away by the whole experience. We tried to just slow time down and drink it all in at different points throughout the day. I’m so glad we decided to go with many of our offbeat ideas, and eschew some of the more traditional wedding practices, so that we could have time to simply celebrate with everyone.
- Bridesmaid Dresses: ASOS
- Cakes & Catering: Trumpet Vine Catering
- Coordinator & Event Designer: Judi Powers
- DJ: Paul Thompson
- Dress Designer: The Ivory Suite
- Flowers: Lori Boe Floral Design
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: The Queens Bees
- Officiant: Make it Yours Weddings
- Photographers: Ken Kienow
- Rentals: All About events
- Shoes: Badgley Mischka
- Specialty Rentals: Embellish Vintage Rentals
- Venues & Officiants: Dana Powers House