The rewarding thing about asking a bride how she felt in her wedding dress, is how often those three words are a perfect depiction of her entire day.  And for Sunny + Patrick, their summer Santa Barbara wedding was just as the bride had described: elegant, classic and beautiful. So let us count the ways today’s Real Wedding was adorned with the most exquisite details…a rose petal and lemonade sipping ceremony, saying “I do” under a lace canopy complete with a hanging chandelier, lush floral arrangements and a sprig of lavender on each place setting…and Sunny’s subtle and flowing veil that perfectly compliments her Amsale gown. JUST PERFECT!

Sunny + Patrick | July 22, 2011 | Bacara Resort, Santa Barbara, California



The Ceremony
Our ceremony took place on the lawn at Bacara Resort in Santa Monica overlooking the ocean. People sipped on lemonade and enjoyed the view.  The aisle was done in a rose petal arrangement and the arch
 was full of pink and white flowers. It was breathtaking.



The Reception
We ate dinner outside and then moved inside to the Bacara ballroom for dancing. We had a huge band that played all night long, a photo booth, a gorgeous cake and an outdoor lounge. We danced all night long (and the dress never weighed me down!)

Sunny’s Dress Search
I knew from the start that I wanted something that was classic yet comfortable. I wanted to be myself, but I also wanted to see what was out there. I went to so many stores and tried on simple, poufy, strapless, sleeves, etc. As soon as I found this dress I knew it was the one. It was simple but regal, didn’t weigh me down, and had the perfect belt to make my waist look tiny. When I walked out, everyone was like “that’s it, that’s the one!!”

How Sunny Felt in Her Wedding Dress
Elegant, Classic and Beautiful.



Why Sunny Decided to Sell Her Wedding Dress
Both my sister and my mom saved their wedding dresses because they thought that someone down the line would wear it…but no one ever did. I thought it would be great for someone else to be able to feel how I felt on my wedding day!

Wedding Dress: Amsale | Photography: Yitzhak Dalal Photography | Ceremony Venue: Bacara Resort | Reception Venue: Bacara Resort | Event Planning: Kelly Clark Leonard at Event of the Season | Floral Design: Joni at Hearts Bloom | Cake: Bacara

Romance meets high style in this charming wedding Down Under. Krista and Rob surprised guests by whisking them away by ferry to a private island for their “I Do’s.” Then guests celebrated at a lakeside reception where laugher, dancing and warm toasts to the bride and groom made it a night to remember. What are the little details I love most from this wedding? How about the coordinated style of bridesmaids and groomsmen, with just the right pop of color found in red bow ties and dress sashes. Or the fun confetti decorated cake and test tubes of candy as party favors.  A sweet celebration indeed!

Krista + Robyn | January 6, 2012 | Springbank Island, Australia

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Bold colors, do-it-yourself design and an amazingly beautiful Cathedral set this wedding apart from the rest.  I love, love, love the bridesmaids dresses – varying styles all in a stunning bright blue hue. How cool is it that Natasha envisioned her dream wedding gown long before she and Paul were engaged? And when she discovered the Winnie Couture Voletta dress, she knew it was meant to be hers…an inspired look for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration!

Natasha + Paul  | Sept 10, 2011 | Kansas City, Missouri  & Kansas

The ceremony

We celebrated our ceremony in the gorgeous Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  The setting was intimate yet breathtaking and the music touched every soul present. 

The reception

We wanted a modern twist on a Tuscan themed reception using the wedding colors of royal blue and sunshine yellow, our own hand made personal touches, and simple yet elegant decor.  We chose Meadowbrook Country Club because of the beautiful view outside the ballroom’s floor to ceiling windows and the entire building was a blank canvas that Paul and I saw transformed in our minds into our dream wedding reception. We had the cocktail hour in the Club bar area with the ballroom doors draped and closed until the wedding party announced it was open.  Guests were able to enjoy the wonderful view not only from the ballroom windows where we danced the night away, but also outside on the wrap around balcony where we were able to watch the sunset.  As avid nature lovers we truly wanted to bring the outside in and bring everyone inside out!

How Natasha found her dream wedding dress

By the time I graduated high school, I had cut and paste images of wedding dresses to create the dress of my dreams…the hardest part was finding it!  I knew I wanted a strapless, sweetheart neckline on a fitted dress and a flamenco style skirt with ruffles.  I never thought I would want a lace dress, but the moment I saw the Voletta dress,  I lost my breath and almost cried.  I hadn’t even tried it on yet! It was everything I wanted plus more: the gorgeous beading around the waist, the sexy buttons down the back, and it was so comfortable! I love the fact that this dress is the only one of its kind in the world-completely unique. 

How Natasha felt in her wedding dress

WOW, Breathtaking, Radiant

Why she decided to sell her wedding dress

I know how hard it is to have a vision in mind of your PERFECT dress and try to find it-well here it is!  The immense joy this dress brought me was priceless, and I hope another bride is able to have that feeling for a fraction of the cost.  To know that someone else is enjoying this great treasure is treasure in itself.

Natasha’s wedding dress: Winnie Couture, Voletta

Photography: Van Deusen Photography