"Wet Wedding"
This is a story of a bride and a groom who are very much and love and dreamed of having the perfect "fairytale" wedding.
It has a fairytale beggining in fact. The couple met while working together as event planners in the tradeshow industry and fell deeply in love almost the moment they met. They soon became engaged and trusted themselves as event planners to come up with the most beautiful wedding they could ever wish for.
They quickly chose a venue, date and hotel for out of town guests. The all outdoor venue was nestled in the rustic woods of Topanga Canyon, CA and set for July 18th, 2015, one of the driest months of the year. All was going according to plan, even with just the short 8 months they had to plan it!! Months passed as they basked in the joy of catering and cake tastings, engagement celebrations, and DIY decorations. They even created handcrafted miniature "scrolls" placed in real moss as wedding invitations for their special guests.
The day before the wedding, event coordinator, friends and family came in and all lent helping hands to set up their beautifully thought out decorations and to rehearse for the big day. It was a festive and warm, sunny summer day. All went back to the hotel to get acquainted with new family members and friends and rest up for the BIG DAY.
July 18th, 2015: The wedding morning started off without a hitch! All parties were on their way to getting "glammed" up and enjoying mimosas and snacks. The bride and groom were already so eager to be reunited and nerves were beginning to set in. 9 am: a notification that a storm is going to roll through and it is much bigger than expected. The bride and groom have their day of wedding coordinator call her party rental vendor to bring in as many umbrellas as possible. Groomsmen run to the store to buy tents and umbrellas for guests. By 1 pm, the storm had begun and had NO intention of letting up. The bride had no time to think about what was happening to her beautiful handmade decorations that were sitting outside or the vintage plates and glassware being delivered for the reception. She and the groom had to trust that all would work out and they prayed and prayed for the rain to stop before the wedding was set to begin at 5 pm.
By 3 pm, the bride was sitting in her hair and makeup chair, looking outside the window as the sky turned to black, and the rain pounded the window as the lighting and thunder struck. As she took another sip of champagne, she knew this was it. The wedding that she and her future husband had worked so hard for was going to be ruined. Or was it? She feared for her guests knowing that they were driving through the canyon in heavy rain and mudslides, and worried that her groom may be so upset-would he get cold feet? Could they get through this? As she wiped her heavy tears and was amazed that her makeup did not smear (Yay for awesome makeup artists!), her Matron of Honor came to her, looked her in the eyes and said, "You ARE getting married today". She knew it would be ok. The entire wedding party and guests began planning a new venue for the reception. The ceremony would remain outside, in the rain, in the mud, umbrellas galore, watching the entire wedding reception wash away.
Amazingly, as the bride arrived VERY LATE to the venue, she could see her guests in the distance having a wonderful time drinking and being merry in the rain, and they all cheered as they saw her step out of the car. IT WAS TIME. The groom was waiting at the alter as the most perfect Prince Charming she had ever seen. As she met him at the alter, her father reluctantly handed her over to him and she gave her father a kiss. The bride and groom had never been so happy to see each other and to know that they were still having their perfect fairytale wedding. Guests cheered and blew bubbles as rain continued to fall throughout the ceremony.
Guests towed, pushed and pulled their cars out of the mud, all to meet back at the new INDOOR venue, where food, wine, music, and woodland themed desserts awaited them. They all danced the night away with the most love and happiness one could ever see.
The bride and groom awoke the next day as husband and wife with the most contentment they had ever felt. This is a story of the "unconventional" fairytale wedding.
Wedding planning is so fun, and sometimes throws unexpected curves. It is important to know your vendors well, have a "Plan B", and a great wedding planner on your side. Stay calm, know that your partner and your family and friends are their for you, and enjoy every moment of your wedding day. It will be the BEST day of your life. Happy Wedding Planning!!
Photos by Juan Pinnel/Pinnel Film & Photography