Northern California Wedding Planner | Spring Wedding at Almendra Winery & Distillery

We are so thrilled to be back into the swing of event season and we had to share one of our first weddings back on the scene for 2021. Stephanie & Ari’s wedding at Almendra Winery & Distillery in Durham was the perfect start to our season! Photos by Ashley Carlascio Photography

As always a huge thank you to all of the vendor pro friends who make events like this possible! It takes a solid team to be able to execute the room “flip” needed in order for us to transition from ceremony to reception in the barrel room at Almendra. This means that during cocktail hour we shifted the draping to create a cocktail area while our team along with the rental company removed ceremony chairs and brought in all of the reception tables, centerpieces and moved the arch to frame the sweetheart table. It makes our hearts so happy when our couples get to see their vision come to life!

Venue: Almendra Winery & Distillery, Durham CA // Photography Ashley Carlascio Photography // Music The Wedding DJ // Catering Roots Catering // Rentals WeDo Designs // Dessert Lovely Layers

Northern California Wedding Planner | Planning ahead

Just the other day, a good vendor friend of ours mentioned that she had no idea that planners handled so many of the details - to which we thought maybe we should share a bit more about the behind the scenes work that goes into a wedding. If we only share what fits into a small Instagram caption, how can clients and vendors alike learn about what planners do? So here is trip down the planning lane.

Photo by TreCreative

First, we will preface by saying that every wedding is very very different from the next and no two events are the same because of the variables from location, season, budget, vendor team, style, guest count etc. Second, no matter which “package” a couple books - our role is to help you plan ahead for each phase of planning and to help present solutions along the way.

Photo by Gretchen Granka

From a full planning & design stand point we jump into planning details with a master planning session where we will get into many details from style inspirations, likes/dislikes, must-haves, preferences on food & beverage to the textures and palette that you envision and go into vendor recommendations so that we can curate a vendor team who will work seamlessly together on your event. Throughout the project we are going to walk you through the various phases and transitions of your event so everything from rehearsal, getting ready, set-up, decor, food & beverage service elements, reception formalities, open dancing, send off down to the strike (breakdown) of the event. The draft master timeline is our living document of your wedding so it will start with the foundation of sunset and hours of photography coverage then we work our way backwards to determine when you and your wedding party will need to be camera ready.

Photo by Sarah Tamagni Photography

Planning comes in waves, so while some of our check-in calls may be spent on decor or invitations we may have a whole meeting on site logistics like restrooms rentals, power, heating/cooling, parking, lighting, garbage, neighborhood sound ordinances etc. Those logistics are so important when hosting events in a private space that doesn’t already have the built-in infrastructure that a typical venue would include. As we near your event, you will have less on your planning plate so you can instead focus on how you will spend time with your friends and family while they are here for your big day! We use a checklist so that our couples can see where they are in their planning process at any time.

Aside from your timeline, we put a lot of focus into your layout because this will be where all of the vendors working on your event will be able to ensure they have what they need factored into your space. If we know that for your live band they need 4 dedicated outlets or a minimum of 15 ft clearance for their stage set-up we can build around those details.

Your day is about the personal details, so our team will work with you on your ceremony processional order, song selections, vows, reception formalities, dances, toasts and more so that your whole day flows in fluidly and organically. The timeline should be created with not only your preferences but timing that works for your whole team so that everyone is set up for success and they can do their absolute best for you. Meaning we get feedback on the timeline as we build it but we are also able to improvise on the day-of as needed. If you are still bustling your dress - we have an announcement ready for the DJ to remind guests to refill their drink at the bar before they take their seat and we give the caterer a heads up not to pull lids yet; it’s all about communication!

Photo by Matthew Lim Photography

Well friends that was a snapshot of the behind the scenes world of wedding planning but we could go on forever about all of our favorite planning milestones. In 2020 much of our work was focused on finding alternative dates or locations for couples, researching best practices for modifications and adjusting plans to the micro-wedding scale and we were glad that we were able to ease some of the stress for our couples. With 2021 being right around the corner we have a lot of excitement to bring in the new year and to get back to planning pretty gatherings again!

~ Happy Planning~
The 530 Bride

Northern California Wedding Planner | White Ranch Wedding, Chico ~ Emily & Matt

We may be deep into the pumpkin spiced latte season but we can’t forget how crisp and beautiful spring weddings really are in Chico. When you combine an incredible couple on a spring day with the beautiful setting of White Ranch in Chico, it is next level! A little storm action couldn’t hit pause on this outdoor wedding captured by Morgan Chantelle Photography.

Creative Team
Photography Morgan Chantelle // Venue White Ranch Events // Florals Cambray Rose // Wedding Management The 530 Bride // Cake Upper Crust // Pies Sweet Cottage // Catering La Familia // Rentals Red Rock Lake Events // Music Darma Band

Northern California Wedding Planner | We Dig Week-day Weddings

In the wedding industry Saturdays are as much of a prime commodity as a beach front property is to the MLS. We know there are only so many of them, and dates book up fast. If you are engaged and starting to feel some of the pressure of choosing your date and booking your venue/vendors, this might be another option for you.

Why look at a weekday wedding date in the first place? Well for some, it might be a connection to a certain date { Fun fact - I got married on 10.10.10 myself which happened to be on a Sunday} or it could be their desired venue didn’t have a Saturday available close to their ideal date so they chose another day as close as possible. So aside from having more date options, what are the benefits of a weekday wedding?

Sometimes it just takes a bit of creative thinking and the right team, your magical day can happen on any day of the week. Whether you are planning an intimate elopement or a large gathering of over 200 guests it will be memorable, so just know that you can explore the options available before deciding on your date.

What we have also loved about a Friday wedding is that you can have the main ceremony & reception events on Friday and then utilize Saturday and Sunday to maximize your time that you can spend with your guests while they are in town for your wedding. It probably doesn’t seem like it, but trust us when we say how fast the week leading up to your day will fly by, and then on the actual wedding day it will feel like a blink of an eye! So really give yourself as much time as you can to mingle with your friends and family, spend time with them and make even more memories together.

~ Happy Planning! ~

Northern California Wedding Planner | Patrick Ranch Wedding - Cambria & Tyler

Cambria & Tyler's winter wedding had us feeling all the warm and fuzzies! Not only was it a beautiful wedding day, but it was always so fun to meet with Cambria and Tyler and we loved all of our planning sessions with them along the way.  

It was really special to see the depth that Cambria and Tyler have in their relationship and with their pastors. It makes perfect sense for their first look to take place at Bidwell Presbyterian Church beneath the beautiful stained glass windows among the church pews.  The ceremony was light and happy, focusing on the true dedication and unconditional love that marriage is built upon, Tyler and Cambria's pastors had watched them grow into young adults and were proud to see them through such a big milestone in their lives.

For the reception at Patrick Ranch Museum, the tables were lined with wine bottle table numbers, mixed glassware, loose eucalyptus and linen runners with sprigs of greenery.  It was just the right elements to create the simple elegance that Cambria had described since the first time we spoke about what she envisioned for wedding decor.

We were so excited to work with Morgan Chantelle Photography, she has an effortless eye for the perfect shot and such an easy going energy.  Thank you so much Morgan for sharing these images with us, hope everyone enjoys!

We could go on and on with our favorite moments from this day and from our planning journey with Tyler and Cambria, it means the world to us to be able to work with such sweet couples who allow us to share in such a special time in their lives!

A huge thank you to all of the event partners who contributed to their day:

Photographer:  Morgan Chantelle Photography // Ceremony: Bidwell Presbyterian Church // Reception: Patrick Ranch // Wedding Gown: Maggie Sottero // Catering: Roots // Rentals: Chico Party Rentals // Band: Pat Hull // DJ: Norcal Productions // Bartending: Chico Drinks Bartending // Planning:  The 530 Bride // Transportation: WTC 

Northern California Wedding Planner | Lauren & Jordon - Bella Rosa

Have you ever felt like there was magic in the air? Lauren and Jordon's wedding was an evening full of laughter and two families really coming together in support of these two wonderful people.  Both bride and groom's families shared beautiful toasts that brought happy tears and really showcased how proud they were of this new chapter for Lauren and Jordon.  

If ever there was a chill couple who seemed to just float through wedding planning without showing much stress or jitters, it is these two.  It could be because they both work in the medical field and can stay cool in high stress situations, or it could just be that they weren't sweating the small stuff! In either case, they chose a beautiful wedding venue and a solid list of event partners to ensure that everything ran smoothly. 

A special thanks to Lauren and Jordon's photographer a long-time friend of theirs, Emma who was a blast to work with.  We hope you enjoy these photos! 

Photographer: EMK Photography // Venue: Bella Rosa Farms // Coordination and production: The 530 Bride // Catering: Special Times Catering // DJ: Northern California Productions 
// Cake: Upper Crust // Florals: Little Red Hen Floral & More // Transportation: Northstate Limo