Taking place at the Fullerton Arboretum, this rustic garden wedding was the perfect taste of home for New Jersey natives Holly and Rol. A vibrant color palette of purples, oranges, and greens infused a bit of the garden state in with eclectic, nature-inspired details, and Candice Benjamin Photography captured it all beautifully! The lovely bride Holly is here with us today to share more about her planning experience and insight…
What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?
For the planning process The Knot & Pinterest were the biggest help. The Knot was really helpful in listing out every possible thing we needed to do/think about and pinterest was great for inspiration. It was fun sharing my wedding board with my bridesmaids and getting ideas together.
My friend and bridesmaid Stacy helped me a TON. It just so happens that she works for a party rental co. so she really carried us through the planning process. She would give me my weekly to-do list, went venue shopping with us, went to the rental company warehouse with us to choose dance floor/linens/tables/lights/table settings, etc., we had mock table set-ups at her apartment, she wrote out our entire day of timeline. She was simply amazing. Also she hired us a day of coordinator which was a HUGE help. She set up all the decor I had, the tables, the seating chart, etc.
What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?
The most important thing to us was price since we didn’t have a huge budget and everything is 10x more expensive in Southern California. A close second would be quality. There were some things we splurged on like photography/video because the quality of our vendors was just so amazing. Lastly, we chose vendors who we really seemed to mesh well with. They were all very personable and easy to work with which meant a lot to us.
What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?
The inspiration for our wedding was my hometown in New Jersey. Rol and I decided it would be next to impossible to plan a wedding in New Jersey (my home state) from all the way in California, so we decided to stay put in Socal for our “big” ceremony and then have a back-yard bash in New Jersey with those who couldn’t make it. I grew up in South Jersey where “the garden state” actually applies and I was raised at my parents family run farmers market. For me, I’ve always loved nature and the outdoors due to where I grew up. We really wanted an outdoor wedding so we could dance and dine under the stars, but the question was… where?! I really wanted something that felt a bit like home and when we found the Fullerton Arboretum, we fell in love. From the community gardens, to the windmill, the cottage-style house, all of the beautiful trees, to the wisteria covered arbor, we knew it was the place we would say “I do.” We wanted to to have a whimsical/nature/rustic kind of feel.
What was your favorite thing about your wedding?
My favorite thing about our wedding was our ceremony. Our pastor did such an awesome job. Having known him for several years, he knows very well the back story to our love. He compared our love for dance with our spiritual “dance” with Jesus. It was so beautiful and so fitting. Aside from that, dancing beneath the stars really made the night feel magical.
What is your best piece of advice for other brides?
I would advise brides to not take everything so seriously. In the end it’s about you as a couple uniting and sharing that day with friends and family and no one will notice if every little thing came together perfectly! Enjoy the moments!
See more of Rolando and Holly’s wedding day in this film by Midnight Hour Studios…
Holly + Rolando: The Featurette from Midnight Hour Studios on Vimeo.
Isn’t this location absolutely stunning? So perfect for a garden wedding!
Are any of going to be having an outdoor wedding like this one? I would love to hear about the location you have chosen for your own wedding!
Vendors who made it all happen…
Photographer: Candice Benjamin Photography / Flowers & Decor: Dizzy Daisy Flowers / Reception Venue: Fullerton Arboretum / Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Kensington Ryan / Catering: Jason's Catered Events / Cinema & Video: Midnight Hour Studios / Cake Baker: Sweet Cakes by Mel / Makeup Artist: Designed Elegance
Photographer: Candice Benjamin Photography / Flowers & Decor: Dizzy Daisy Flowers / Reception Venue: Fullerton Arboretum / Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Kensington Ryan / Catering: Jason's Catered Events / Cinema & Video: Midnight Hour Studios / Cake Baker: Sweet Cakes by Mel / Makeup Artist: Designed Elegance