Hello everyone!  I’m back with another installment of [hour-by-hour weddings], where I highlight the flow of a real wedding day and share some of the fun behind-the-scenes action of the Love & Splendor team.  This past weekend we returned to our beloved Saddlerock Ranch at another one of their venues: Chateau Le Dome.  It is the perfect space for an intimate event of up to 100 guests, with a dramatic vineyard view from the ceremony point, a lovely al fresco dining lawn, and the cutest octagonal house (lovingly dubbed by me as the “hobbit house”) for getting ready.  Le Dome was a gorgeous setting for Hannah and Matt’s vow renewal & we loved being a part of this special day.  Here’s a glimpse of the day, hour-by-hour:

10:00a — driving up to the site.  You can spot the four-post structure (existing permanently at Saddlerock) in the distance.

10:15a — this is how Michelle rolls up to work!

10:30a — ready to tackle the day, I walk Michelle around the property and go over layout and set-up notes.  Of course we stop here and there to take some silly pics for the blog, like this one.

11:00a — wrapping our site tour to pose in our brand new team aprons from Hedley & Bennett (polka dot denim and custom coral straps).  We are in LOVE with them!!

11:15a — Anna arrives and we are sorting through the wedding day inventory.  We go through all of the items, separate it by area (ceremony, cocktail and reception) and prep things like unboxing napkins and pens, organizing escort cards, etc.  Meanwhile, rentals are being delivered and set-up outside.

12:30-1:30p — Lunch break at Urbane Cafe.  All three of us ordered this incredible seasonal sandwich featuring sriracha ranch sauce, BBQ chicken, bacon, coleslaw and cilantro.  YUM.  Fueled and energized, we head back to the site.

1:30p — Another L&S event, another {found} rentals team!  We love {found} vintage rentals!

2:30p — ceremony site taking shape.  We were alphabetizing escort cards and adding twine to place cards.

3:15p — setting out key items like the guest book (in this case, vintage postcards), a thumbprint sign-in, and a card box.

3:30p — DJ WesLee from RedShoeLA and Dom arrive on-site to get things prepped.

4:25p — Ceremony site, ready for florals!  On a hot summer day like Saturday, we wait until the last minute to dress the ceremony structure to keep flowers out of the sun.

4:48p — the bride made these adorable paper planes for escort cards!

5:10p — yummy basil lemonade + iced tea + water would be prepped here for pre-ceremony.

5:30p — aisle florals included dusty miller, feverfew and peach stock.

6:10p — sending my sweet ‘bride’ (remember, this was a vow renewal) down the aisle right on time!

6:45p — while guests enjoyed cocktail hour, we put finishing touches on the dining tables.  Can you spot Michy in the background?

7:30p — I had to congratulate the darling flowergirl on her excellent job.  Isn’t she a doll??

Look at that beautiful light!!

7:35p — Love & Splendor girls ready to welcome guests into the reception area, still showing off our Hedley & Bennett aprons!

7:45p — grand entrance time!

7:50p — Hannah & Matt did their grand entrance to “Black and Yellow.”  Everyone was roaring!!

7:52p — first dance & a welcome speech

8:10p — dinner is served!  (This menu pic was snapped earlier, as you can tell by the lighting!)

9:10p — father/daughter dance to “Gangnam Style”!

10:00p — cake cutting!  (Again, this photo was from earlier in the day!)  The beautiful cake was from Vanilla Bake Shop, with pies from Marie Callender’s (groom’s favorite) and macarons from ‘lette.

—insert lots of dancing here!!  I (Angel) headed home and Michy & Anna started the prep for strike—

Last dance was at 10:55p, and then strike began!

11:30p — the sweet florist (SEED Floral) arrives to strike

1:11a — Michelle arrives home after a full day!

We had lots of fun on Saturday with this beautiful couple and their amazing group of family and friends.  What a blessing to work with such lovely people!!  <3

I hope you all enjoyed this little recap of our latest event.  I promise they won’t all be at Saddlerock, although we do work there quite a bit.  😉

Come back tomorrow for a HUGE announcement — you won’t want to miss it!  Enjoy your Wednesday!