Check out Kristen and Brett’s unique Casa Romantica wedding!  Not only were the details of this wedding gorgeous, but there was lots of special meaning behind them all.  Much of the text in this post is in Kristen’s words.  Hopefully her wedding will inspire other brides to infuse meaningful details into their own weddings…

A little background about this couple, in Kristen’s words:  We were both passionate about cultural preservation; I am a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, a Native American tribe from the southeastern region of the United States, and my passion is revitalizing Chickasaw jewelry traditions.   As an archaeologist, Brett has traveled the world and developed a deep appreciation and respect for ancient cultures and traditions.  After three years of adventures together, Brett proposed on a local beach.

About the cake (written by Kristen): Our stunning cake was inspired by our custom letterpress invitation suite.  Keep scrolling down to see the awesome wedding invitation.

 

The groom’s fabulous cuff links (along with the bridesmaids’ jewelry and bridal jewelry) were handmade by Kristen.  She’s an extremely talented jewelry designer.  Check out Kristen Dorsey Designs.

 

 

 

 

Kristen loved the seafoam green & gold envelope liner of her invitations so much, she had her shoes died to match it!

Kristen designed her beautiful chandelier earrings to match the pattern of her wedding invitation liner…They also coordinate with the designs on the wedding cake.  Too clever!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first look…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kristen trying to relax a bit before walking down the aisle…A fantastic shot by my husband, Chriss :)

Another shot taken a few moments before walking down the aisle…

About the ceremony (written by Kristen):  We also incorporated the Chickasaw tradition where the groom presents a gift to the bride and her family.  The gift was in the form of a beautiful shawl hand woven in our wedding colors by Chickasaw weaver, Margaret Roach Wheeler.  An unexpected gift was also given from the groom’s father in the form of a surprise fly over of five vintage WWII planes, the same type that my grandfather flew and often talked about.  My grandfather passed away two years ago so it was a moving tribute to his memory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the details (written by Kristen): As guests found their seats, they filled in quiz cards about us while enjoying arrangements of succulents, garden roses, parrot tulips, and delicate foliage spilling from my families’ collection of heirloom silver vessels, trays, and goblets.  As a nod to our mutual love of the ocean, our talented florist tucked an assortment of shells and barnacles sprayed with silver and tucked into lanterns, terrariums, and floral clusters.

 

About the escort cards (written by Kristen): I often accompanied Brett on his digs to far away locals such as Romania, Crete, and Italy, so to commemorate our many adventures together, he created a unique escort card for each guest inspired by vintage post cards.  Each card depicted an artifact on the front with the guest’s name handwritten in gold ink by myself and my helpful bridesmaids.  The back of the escort card featured a postage stamp with our seahorse logo and a fun fact about the archaeological site (and corresponding table) where the artifact was from.

 

Carly Daniel Photography offers an awesome wedding photo booth!  Well, technically it’s a large studio backdrop so you can fit lots of people in 1 photo.  Photos printed on the spot for your guests!

 

 

 

Planning/coordinating – Ryan Larson from Savoir Flair Wedding Design

Ceremony and Reception Venue – Casa Romantica – San Clemente

Hair and makeup artist – Emily Dawn Artistry

Florist – Fiore Designs

Bride’s Gown – Anais Collezioni

Bride & Bridesmaids’ Jewelry – Kristen Dorsey Designs

Groom’s Attire – Canali

Bridesmaids’ Dresses – Bella Bridesmaid (assorted designers)

Custom Paper Goods – Jill Cate Design

DJ – NYC DJ’s

Catering – Iva Lee’s

Cake – Christopher Garrens, Let Them Eat Cake