• Real Weddings

While Shawntel did not find her match on ABC's The Bachelor, Paolo came into her life at the perfect time. Their celebration of marriage was nothing short of beautiful, elegant and fun. The combination of classic and modern decor gave their outdoor wedding and reception at Leaning Tree Lodge a charming feel.
See all the glamorous photos TW Photography captured of this vintage outdoor wedding in the full gallery here. Read on to hear so much more from Shawntel about their special day, especially details about their wedding budget.

From Alpha Lee Events:Paolo and Shawntel could not wait to gather with all of their friends and family to celebrate. The celebration took place at the beautiful Leaning Tree Lodge located in Placerville, CA.

Shawntel and Paolo stood on either side of french doors to unveil their wedding looks to each other. Such an adorable idea for the Bride and Groom's first look!

With a beautiful pond, cabin style home, pool, pre installed chandeliers and acres of lush hills Leaning Tree Lodge served as the perfect back drop. Shawntel's style was all over the place with elegant vintage and rustic vintage, her eye was drawn to so much. So we nailed down her style with colors being grey, blush pink and ivory.

From the Bride:As far as doing something differently, I would have to say keeping my hair and makeup crew with me throughout the wedding. They were fabulous. If I could do it over, I would LOVE to keep some of the gals so they could touch me up through out the wedding.

Once you eat dinner, and you start your dancing, your hair and makeup starts to not look the same, and you are still getting your picture taken till the very end. If I could afford it, I would have paid for them to stay all night, till the limo picked us up :) They were so great, and my makeup/hair looked lovely all night, but touch ups would have been so nice!!

From Alpha Lee Events:We were fortunate to hire Forever Vintage Rentals who brought in unique and beautiful pieces that really brought the whole look together. The property was lined with farm house tables with beautiful silver, crystal and mercury glass pieces.

Shawntel and Paolo do not like cake but loved ice cream. So we teamed up with a local lumber yard to design a custom made ice cream stand.

Get a closer look at this vintage outdoor wedding by watching the wedding video from Fruitful Films below.

https://vimeo.com/69342399

For the budget...that was a struggle. Thankfully I had Kim Lantz as my wedding planner, and she helped me along the way. But we constantly had to go back to the budget and see where we could save. I knew I wanted a lot of flowers and decorations, so I was willing to save in other areas, so I could have my flowers and decor the way I imagined. My parents were so gracious and gave my husband and I a nice budget, and so we really tired to stay within that. I decided to buy my own wedding dress, and not include that in our budget, and there were a few other odds and ends that I personally paid for so I felt like I had more in the budget (hope that makes sense). Paolo's (my husband) parents also helped put some money into the original budget. Our guest list increased towards the end, so the cost of food, chairs and tables went up. So thankfully they were there to help. If there's anything you, as the bride can do yourself, do it! It made it fun too. I personally self addressed all my invitations and yes it took a lot of time, but I really enjoyed it, I would have a glass of wine, and turn on some music and just enjoy the process. I had a wonderful friend who offered to make my bridesmaids jewelry and she made my jewelry too. So to sum up the budget, as a bride, try and look at doing "little projects" as a fun process, you are putting your own personal touches into YOUR wedding. A lot of times friends/family offer to help...and you should allow them to help! :)

• Bar Services: Primo Bar
• Caterer: Simple Pleasures
• Cinematography: Fruitful Films
• Dessert: Leatherby's Ice Cream
• Dress Designer: The French Door
• Event Designer, Coordinator & Ice Cream Cart: Alpha Lee Events
• Flowers: Rodarte Floral Design
• Hair & Makeup: Minx Salon & Spa
• Jewelry: Splendid Blend
• Lighting, Entertainment & Photo Booth: Extreme Productions
• Officiant: Bayside Church
• Photographer: TW Photography
• Signs: Sweetly Spoken Signs
• Venue: Leaning Tree Lodge