Archive for the ‘Sacramento Weddings’ Category

The Couple:  Amanda Nicole Kaiser and Neil Taylor McMahon Johnston

Wedding Date:  June 9, 2012

Photography by Shoop’s Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Neil and I met 4 years ago. We started dating November 14, 2008. After dating for a mere 3 months, we took a leap of faith and moved to San Jose together for a job opportunity Neil received. When we moved neither of us knew anyone in San Jose and we were both in new jobs. This was when we got really close as a couple.

On November 14, 2010, Neil proposed to me after taking me to a rooftop dinner in downtown San Jose. We always knew we wanted a summer wedding, but the upcoming summer was too soon to plan a wedding and we both had a lot going on at the end of the year. So we set the date as the following June. Planning the venue was one of the first obstacles we had as it had a lot to do with the remaining wedding budget. When my father offered his house as an option we were very excited. Its such a beautiful old home and the grounds are perfect for hosting large parties. Once we had that solidified everything else just fell into place.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  One super cool part of the day was when Neil and I were trying to light the unity candles and the gusts of wind were not cooperating at all. Our friends and family in the wedding party could sense our frustration. They gathered around us in a huge circle and guarded us against the wind. It was barely enough of a barrier but we were able to have all three candles lit for a moment. That was all that mattered to us and it was so awesome for everyone to jump in and help out like that.

Ceremony Site & Reception Venue:  Private Residence

Photographer:  Shoop’s Photography

Caterer:  Aroma Catering

Cake:  The Cake Lady

Flowers:  The florals were all done by my step-mom she ordered some fresh online and had them delivered the day of including bouquet flowers and cake flowers. She also saved us a lot of money by using some nice silk flowers that were mixed in.

Favors:  We did little candle and match sets for everyone. Sand candles and glass jars were from the dollar tree along with the multi colored ribbon on the outside. The monogrammed match sets were ordered from Exclusively Weddings we used them for some of the bridal party gifts as well. Loved that site good prices and cute gift ideas.

Wedding Dress:  Dana’s Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Alfred Angelo

Hair & Makeup:  Ashlyn Taylor from Madame Me Makeup & Hair 

Invitations:  Wedding Paper Divas

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  DJ Drew Corrales

Honeymoon location:  Las Vegas. We stayed at the Venetian. It was so much fun Neil had never been and we wanted something fun and simple. We wanted to save money for the home we hope to soon purchase rather then having an extravagant honeymoon.

First Dance Song:  “Back at one” by Brian McKnight

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Plan sooner then later. Nothing can be planned “too far in advance” try to remain calm when dealing with your spouse. It’s stressful for both parties and families involved. Most of all keep in mind the end result of the day is all that matters don’t sweat the small things it will ruin your special day.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  Nothing!

Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Social Media Maven, Aimee Carroll.

Photos courtesy of and copyright Shoop’s Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

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The Couple:  Jennifer Getz and Eric Olmstead

Wedding Date:  October 14, 2011

Photography by White Daisy Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  We are an eHarmony success story! On our first date, we both knew we would be together forever. From that day we were inseparable.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  The amazing ceremony by Pastor Jeff Bigelow.

Ceremony Site & Reception Venue & Caterer:  Serrano Country Club

Photographer:  White Daisy Photography

Cake:  Jayne Marie Mehan

Flowers:  Natural Flair Custom Floral Designs

Wedding Dress & Invitations:  Renfro’s Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Bridal Gallery

Hair:  Amanda Lane

Makeup:  Cynthia Urganda

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Music & More Entertainment

Honeymoon location:  Maui

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  I have to say that they were all incredible and reliable. Would especially like to call out Aimee Fredy at White Daisy Photography and Jayne Marie Mehan.

First Dance Song:  “We Danced” by Brad Paisley

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Don’t stress! My job is stressful enough, so it was important for me to keep things simple and relatively stress free. The key was choosing great vendors, which I did based on recommendations of friends as well as Jennifer at Serrano Country Club.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  Probably hire a videographer OR have live music at the ceremony. Like many couples, we were already over budget so we had to make some hard decisions.

Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Social Media Maven, Aimee Carroll.

Photos courtesy of and copyright White Daisy Photography.

The Couple:  Sofia and Blake E. Lim

Wedding Date:  May 27, 2012

Photography by The Studio

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Blake and I started dating about six years ago. At the time we started dating, I had decided to go back to school to get my degree. I went back full time while maintaining my full-time job as well. For five years he picked me up at school and had dinner ready for me every night. He proposed the day of my graduation in front of my family. He is the most caring and nicest man I know.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  Walking down the aisle to my husband.

What else would you like to share about your big day?  It was the perfect weather. I’m from Peru and I only have two siblings here. I had many uncles and aunts that came from all over the world — Canada, Peru, Colombia, New York, Washington, Hawaii, etc. — to celebrate our happy day. Also, my wonderful grandma was able to come from Canada and my mom was here from Peru for the first time ever. Also, my in-laws gifted us with the wedding of our dreams. My husband’s grandpa who had been ill for a while made it to the wedding. He passed a couple of months after but we were so happy he made it to our wedding.

Ceremony Site, Reception Venue & Caterer:  Croatian American Cultural Center

Photographer:  The Studio

Cake:  Ettore’s European Bakery and Restaurant

Flowers:  Fresh Floral

Favors:  We did a candy bar.

Wedding Dress & Bridesmaid Dresses:  House of Fashion

Hair & Makeup:  I Make Beautiful/Makeup by Jenifer Haupt

Invitations:  Family Custom

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Fretty’s Disc Jockey & Limousine Service. He was awesome!

Drummer:  Justin Barnes. This was a great way to make the wedding different.

String Quartet:  Camellia String Quartet

Photo Booth:  Perfect Pixel

Honeymoon location:  Costa Rica

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  Rev. Bob Oshita from Sacramento Buddhist Church. My husband and I are not very religious, and Rev. Bob was perfect for us. He met with us four times prior to the wedding. He asked us to write letters to each other with specific indications. The day of the wedding he read excerpts from our letters — it was beautiful.

First Dance Song:  “Lucky” by Jason Mraz

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Relax and enjoy the day. All that matters are the good memories you create surrounded by your love ones.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  I wish I would have asked my photographer to go around the table and take pictures with the guests.

I would like to mention that I was very lucky. All of my vendors were excellent. My DJ was so funny and kept the dance floor full the whole time. The Studio was very patient and nice and took beautiful pictures. Everybody still talks about how talented my drummer was. I can’t believe he did not have the music list prior to the wedding but he was able to play to the beat of the music. I Make Beautiful/Makeup by Jenifer Haupt was great! She even let my bridesmaid use her products. The venue was spectacular. It was ready to go at 11:00 a.m. and my wedding wasn’t until 5 p.m. Everyone said that my photo booth people were very friendly and nice. My cake was delicious. The Camellia String Quartet was beautiful. Everyone was excellent! It was the most fun wedding I’ve ever been to!

Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Social Media Maven, Aimee Carroll.

Photos courtesy of and copyright The Studio.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

The Couple:  Kelly Twibell and Mike Sanchez

Wedding Date:  August 24, 2012

Photography by Teresa K Photography

How did you meet your fiancé?  Mike and I met online. On our first date we found out that we lived only three blocks away from each other. It’s funny how the Internet brings people — even neighbors — together.

How was the question popped?  Mike asked me to marry him on Valentine’s Day. He was a trooper and went out with me to get a pedicure. When we got home, he brought out a big wrapped box. Ever the curious person, I shook the box before I opened it. It was heavy, and I said, jokingly, “Oh, boy! Another something for our kitchen (an inside joke)!”

I opened the box and found inside several wrapped packages. The first was a large, red wooden letter ‘K.’ The next was the letter ‘M.’ The final letter was ‘S.’ I looked up at Mike in disbelief, and paused before saying, “Is this for our last name (Sanchez)?” “If you want it to be,” he said with a smile. I looked down in the box one more time and saw a little box. Mike then grabbed the box from me and got down on one knee. The rest is what brings us here today.

As a side note, I had given Mike a hard time the night before, assuming he didn’t have anything exciting planned for the holiday. Let’s just say I felt pretty taken aback, and slightly foolish. I feel very lucky to have such a kind, and loving fiancé.

What type of wedding are you planning? Dish all the details!  We felt it was important to plan a wedding that reflected us as a couple. This meant taking some time to really figure out the who, what, where and how. We love Sacramento; it’s where we met and plan to stay. We knew we wanted something that reflected the city and its history.

We decided on holding the ceremony and reception at Courtyard D’Oro in Old Sacramento. Mike and I fell in love with the brick courtyard and surrounding buildings. For the ceremony we decided to emphasize family and friends through different roles. Instead of a formal bridal party, we have our nieces serving as bridal attendants. One of my best friends will officiate the ceremony and several other close friends will play music, sing songs and read selected poems.

The reception is a bit untraditional; instead of a Champagne toast we are having margarita shooters and instead of cake we are having a variety of cupcakes from Busy Bees Cupcakery and scoops of ice cream from Gunther’s Ice Cream. Our family and friends love to dance! We cannot wait to get down under the outdoor lights to DJ Raymond’s tunes, from Perfect Sounds. And, because I love a little playing with fire, I insisted on sparklers to close the night.

Mike and I are also looking forward to our family brunch the next day. We love, love, love Mexican food, so we decided to book Chando’s Tacos. I also wanted to highlight another Sacramento favorite—Marie’s Donuts! We will have a large selection of tasty donuts to help round out the day after feast.

If money were no object, what would be your one splurge at your wedding?  I already decided to “splurge” on an amazing photographer and make-up artist. I wanted someone to capture the memorable moments, and since I am generally the one who does make-up for my friends’ special events, I wanted someone to take care of me so I could sit back and relax and savor the day.

Both Teresa, from Teresa K Photography, and Christi, of Christi Reynolds Professional Make-up, have been amazing! I trust their expertise and value their attentive approach.

Are there any questions you would like to ask other engaged couples, newlyweds or wedding vendors? Ask them here and readers will leave comments for you below!  I am pretty decisive person, so I feel pretty great about the choices Mike and I have made for our wedding. But I am undecided about a photo booth. Any thoughts?

Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Social Media Maven, Aimee Carroll.

Photos courtesy of and copyright Teresa K Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

The Couple:  Christina and David Cooney

Wedding Date:  September 24, 2011

Photography by Capture Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  David and I met in high school, yes we are high school sweethearts. We complement each other perfectly. He is an idealistic dreamer, and I am a practical realist. He taught me how to to dream, and I bring him back to reality when he’s gone too far.

We had been together for five years when he asked me to be his wife one lovely day on the beach, and almost two years after that is when we got married. We have so much fun together. We go on crazy adventures and love trying new things. We want to travel the world together, exploring new worlds and cultures. We’re both completely in love with each other, I guess that’s all that really matters.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  Our first dance. We choreographed it ourselves, which was a huge feat because we both lack rhythm. We must have listened to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly me to The Moon” hundreds of times and spent countless hours dancing around our living room bumping into shelves and walls. It was exhausting and we were both beginning to want to just give up on our dance, but when our big moment came it was perfect! All of our hard work paid off, we nailed each move and had so much fun. I just remember looking into David’s eyes with pure joy and exhilaration. When it was over, everyone was cheering and amazed. It was perfect.

What else would you like to share about your big day?  Our wedding would not have been possible without the amazing help from our loved ones. They encouraged us, helped with every detail from small to large, invested their time and efforts, and made our day truly amazing. We are forever grateful.

Ceremony Site & Reception Venue:  Empire Mine State Historic Park

Photographer:  Capture Photography

Videographer:  Arty Flores

Caterer:  A family friend

Cake:  A family friend

Flowers:  Budding Events for my bouquet, hair piece and David’s boutonniere. Flowers for the tables were ordered from Fifty Flowers and made by the bridal party.

Favors:  Caramel Apple lollipops, decorated by the bridal party

Wedding Dress:  David’s Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses:  The Jersey Maid on Etsy

Hair & Makeup:  Ambre Rose from It’s All About You Salon

Invitations:  Purchased at Michael’s and decorated (stamped) by the bride

Honeymoon location:  Grand Bahama Island

First Dance Song:  “Fly me to The Moon” by Frank Sinatra

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Enjoy it, seriously. Everyone says that your wedding day goes by so fast, and they’re completely right. Soak up every second and enjoy every detail. Don’t freak out if something goes wrong. This day is about expressing your love of one another, don’t forget that.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  Honestly, I would have hired a different DJ. There were a few slight, but significant in a bride’s mind — slip ups that I would have like to avoided if given the chance. But, overall, the day went perfect and smooth. We couldn’t be happier.

Photos courtesy of Capture Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!