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From the Bride:

Most memorable part of your wedding day? It was when the whole wedding party did our dance to Bette Midler’s “Boogie Woogie Boy.” Everyone didn’t even know how to react but what came out of it was hilarious and fun! It ended with Matt being picked up and spun around like a doll by one of his groomsmen.

photos by: Wildflower Photography

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Photographer: Brea Photography | Gown: Larissa (Continuing Collection) | Originally featured on WeddingChicks

John and I met at Berkeley during our freshman year and became best friends instantly. We began dating during our second year in school and had a very special connection that just could not be explained, especially at such a young age. After dating for two years, under circumstances beyond our control…we had to part ways and move on to finish school in different states. Our hearts were broken. It wasn’t until eight years later that we were able to reconnect… we were just in the right place and it was the right time…we decided to give ‘us’ a try again—and this time it would be forever!

I knew I wanted to have an outdoor wedding. When we started searching for a venue, we came across the Temecula Creek Inn. Temecula is about an hour and a half southeast of Los Angeles. It wouldn’t be a true destination wedding, but just a bit of a drive. It was so worth it though! Temecula is truly a beautiful place. The Temecula Creek Inn had a beautiful open area on its property with a historic ‘Stonehouse’ that used to be a sleeping quarters for miners in the 1800’s. The building had been restored for events such as weddings. It was going to be the perfect backdrop–rustic and beautiful.

Like many brides-to-be, I began searching for a wedding dress by looking in magazines. My mom and I flipped through dozens of them together. On one of the days we were perusing magazines, she called me over to look at a dress. It was just amazing—I had never seen anything like it. The dress was the Lucien gown by Claire Pettibone. It had the perfect amount of vintage, romantic, and lace. I called the salon in Beverly Hills to inquire about the dress. They unfortunately informed me that they were not making that particular dress anymore. The dress in the magazine was made for an editorial photo shoot. There was only one sample dress and it was in a size 2 or 4 for a runway model that was 5 foot 10 inches. Well, I definitely could not wear that dress; I’m 5 foot 3 inches!

I pleaded with Cynthia at the boutique about possibly having one made for me. She said that she would ask Claire and get back to me! I was on pins and needles waiting to hear back from her for a little over two weeks. I continued searching for other dress options online and in magazines. I never went to a bridal salon or any other boutique to try on any dresses. I finally heard back from Cynthia and she said that there was just enough fabric and lace to make one more dress! Oh, joy—I couldn’t believe it—one more just for me. As long as it was a size 8 or less, it could be done! I was a size 6! It was definitely meant to be.

I went into the Claire Pettibone salon to be measured and then paid for my beautiful dress that I had never seen in person. I was a little nervous that I was never able to try on a sample of my dress or any other dress for that matter. I just knew there was only the one gown for me. Ten months after placing my order, I finally picked it up. It really was everything I hoped for. Everyone said that my dress was absolutely beautiful and that they had never seen a wedding dress like it. Thank you for making the dress of my dreams Claire Pettibone!

Thank you Betty for sharing your dreamy and whimsical wedding with us! We are so happy that the Lucien gown worked out perfectly for you – it truly was meant to be! Congratulations again and all the best to you and John!

Photographer: Jenny Grise of Grise Photography // Dress: Fontenelle (discontinued) // Salon: Kleinfeld

It is often said that many brides know exactly what they want for their wedding day, but I honestly didn’t.  All I hoped for was the opportunity to wear one of your gowns on a private island in a tropical paradise.  As luck would have it, that came true:  I was married on Castaway Island, Fiji in the ‘ever so lovely’ Fontenelle gown on May 15, 2010.

After I got engaged, I was certain: if I could afford it, I would be wearing Juliet on my wedding day.  As I walked into Kleinfeld Bridal in NYC and told them to bring me every gown possible by Claire Pettibone, I wasn’t disappointed when my sister and girlfriends told me that Juliet wasn’t the one.  The tears in their eyes, as I tried on the Fontenelle gown convinced me that there was no other dress for me.  I have never felt more beautiful in my life.  I have received so many emails stating: in all their lives, they’ve never seen such a beautiful gown.

In adding something new to my wedding attire: I found a vintage ribbon from Italy that complimented the fabrics so perfectly, it was almost as if the ribbon was from your own collection.  I wanted the pictures to show the gown swaying in the wind by the beach, but didn’t want to have a train or veil.  I got the idea to hang the ribbon from the flower on the back of gown from your Larissa gown.  It worked beautifully!

The wedding just fell into place after picking our location and finding the perfect gown.  We wanted paradise all around us and we wanted our guests to take an adventure that they would remember forever.  A 13 hour plane ride from LAX and a 2 hour boat ride later, we had a total of 28 people (including my two photographers and my 82 year old grandmother).  At one moment on the night of the rehearsal dinner, my fiance and I looked down the long black table-clothed table, filled with sparkling candles, and then we looked back at each other in amazement, as we simply couldn’t believe all these people had traveled this far to share our special day with us.  It was surreal.

On the day of our wedding, everything happened so fast.  I had meticulously planned every single event, detail, decoration, flower, color (green, pink, whites), etc. over the past year; I even shipped glass vases to the island.  I centered everything around the dress, as I’d hoped for the dress to be the absolute center of attention.  I didn’t want any of the colors to overpower the dress.  It was very difficult planning a wedding without seeing anything. Although my ideas seemed great, I had no idea if they would look great, altogether.  I wish there was a picture of my face, as I walked into our cocktail event and reception area.  It was a complete fairy tale.  Our guests were so amazed and impressed with the final presentation.  The staff at Castaway Island said that the only thing missing were the magical fairies themselves.

Elizabeth mentioned that it was a difficult decision to do the shoot, but felt rewarded after seeing the photos. She gladly assured us after taking the dress to a cleaner it is still in great shape!

Thank you Elizabeth for sharing your gorgeous Trash the Dress photos, and congrats to you & and your hubby!