Real Wedding: Robyn & John
I hope everyone had a nice long weekend! You might recognize this adorable couple from Sunday Edition a few weeks ago, and I’ll tell you what – the rest of their wedding just as charming. From the delightful invitation by Rifle Paper Co. to the awesome pics from One Love Photo, you’re going to love it!


After their temple ceremony, Robyn and John took some photos on the Balboa Island Ferry. Robyn’s favorite part of the day? “We got chocolate covered strawberries from a farmers stand right before we were about to board the ferry. Neither of us could eat that morning because our nerves got the better of us, but right before we were about to board the ferry, we got chocolate covered strawberries from a farmers stand. John got chocolate all over my face feeding me one of the strawberries. It was such a sweet moment of bliss and chocolate!”
After their photos, 150 friends and family members joined the couple at the home of the bride’s family for a ring ceremony and reception – I love that Robyn and John walked down the aisle together!
Guests enjoyed a simple (and affordable!) meal of panini, kettle chips, pasta salad, strawberries, and retro sodas. For sweets, Robyn wanted a dressed-up bake sale feel. “Plus,” she says, “I’m obsessed with dessert – I interned with a pastry chef in college!” Dessert included wedding cake, carrot cake, orange cake, angel food cake with fresh cream and berries, toasted coconut German chocolate cake, pillowy white coconut cake, mini fruit tarts, mini banana cakes, chocolate chip cookies and heart-shaped sugar cookies.
Robyn very kindly answered some questions about the day…
Tell us about your darling dress… I ordered a designer dress months and months before the wedding, and found out two weeks before my wedding that the order had been lost! I had no dress! Time for (a last minute entirely unplanned) Plan B. My dress was made two weeks before the wedding, using a 1956 Vogue pattern, with gold threaded fabric that looked vintage. It was all a happy accident, and the whole thing cost just $250!
Do you have any budget tips for other brides? Decide what’s important to you. Having a DJ wasn’t a big deal to us, so we saved a lot of money by plugging in our iPod for dancing. We also saved by skipping on china rentals – dinner was served buffet style with sturdy plastic plates and silverware instead. Granted there’s no stunning shot of a head table all decked out in fancy tableware, and our tables might have looked a little bare without china on them, but the whole affair felt very handmade and full of love, and I don’t think anyone minded it at all. Also, we saved money by making a website with all the information our guests needed, instead of having a million various print-outs stuffed into the envelope with our invitation.
What advice do you have for other brides? I’m gonna be honest – sometimes I wanted to rip my hair out from the stress of planning this thing. There were days I wanted to ditch it all and just elope. But the best advice I got, and the words that kept me going were: Remember the day is about your love for each other. That kept me in check and reminded me not to get caught up in all the expensive details. When I walked into the reception, it was so beautiful, but I got distracted. With so much planning, I wanted everything to be perfect, and I started straightening up the party favor bags on the table because the wind had blown them out of place. Then I realized what I was doing, and laughed out loud and left the bags the way they were. So my advice to future brides? Learn to love the imperfections of your day – it’s what makes it all better than a magazine picture, because it’s real! And it’s all yours! Like the chocolate all over my face, muddy heels, or falling favor bags.
Vendors
Photography: One Love Photo / Ceremony venue: Newport Beach Temple / Ring ceremony and reception venue: private home in Tustin, California / Invitations: Rifle Paper Co. / Bride’s shoes: Kate Spade / Vintage hair pin: Ban.do / Bridesmaid dresses: Shabby Apple / Flowers: Dandelion Ranch / Ring pillow, felt boutonnieres: Llubav / Cake: Michele Coulon Dessertier / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals and Found Vintage Rentals
Congratulations Robyn and John! Oh, and check out Robyn’s sweet blog right here! And see tons more awesomeness from this wedding over on the One Love Photo blog.
i love how they took the elements from their invite and carried through the design for the big day – it was all so cohesive and pretty!!
holy photography! this wedding is so rad. i love the photos, the invites, the dress, gah.
How charming is that wall display of frames, and those lacy-edged brown favor bags (did they DIY those with a paper punch?)!
I’m completely smitten with every picture! What a gorgeous bride, love her style!!!
love her short sleeved gown! cute details as well! and who doesn’t love one love photo?!
Love the picture display and gift bags! Very beautiful.
That is some bouquet! What a beautiful couple!
I love seeing all the sweet photos of Robyn and John’s wedding. Robyn is gorgeous and a dream to work with! :)
What a gorgeous, fun wedding. Thanks for sharing! I love the bride’s dress and pictures at Balboa! Amazing!!
Oh, Bliss! Robyn’s dress is from the exact same vintage Vogue pattern I will be using for my wedding dress. I’ve been having second thoughts about the pattern, but these photos, and that dress, are so darling. This is true inspiration. <3
YAY! Robyn & John’s wedding are on here!! LOVE. These pictures are just as amazing and beautiful as the actual wedding and reception. It was a magical day.
That might be the cutest invitation I have ever seen! And the photos?! Award-worthy! Just gorgeous!
It is simply perfect! And the bride is the cutest thing ever. Love love love this wedding.
This is my favorite wedding that I have ever seen in the history of weddings, not a joke. Feeling SO inspired right now! Thank you so much for this post!
i’m so flattered by everyone’s sweet comments! you lovlies made my year!
@lissa – we did make those favor bags with a martha stewart edge hole punch. i found mine at paper source, but i think you can find it at the craft store micheals? :)
Love the ornaments outside! Love the table with cakes! Love everything! :-)