Katie and Bear had the perfect Central Coast wedding. Located in the beautiful rolling hills just outside Morro Bay, CA, the private residence that this couple got married at was breathtaking. The mixture of cowboys and football was the ideal theme combination for this couple. Cameron Ingalls of Cameron Ingalls Photography was there to wonderfully capture all the details of this special day. Enjoy!

Girl Meets Boy...

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-->Bear and I were introduced through a mutual friend about four and a half years ago. Bear had just finished college at Fresno State, and I was about to start working on my Master's degree at Cal Poly. We saw each other in group settings for a few weekends and then Bear asked me out on a date. Right after that he was drafted to the 49ers. He was cut after training camp and was picked up by the Giants. Our relationship became long-distance way too quickly! We both knew that our relationship was one worth fighting for, so we made it work for almost two years. On my birthday in 2012 Bear took me to a fabulous restaurant in NYC and proposed!

Wedding Planning Inspiration...

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-->As we both come from ranching/rodeo families, Bear and I knew that our wedding would incorporate many western/rustic elements. My family's ranch in Morro Bay provided the perfect setting. While we wanted our wedding to feel very relaxed and comfortable, we also wanted it to be unlike anything our guests had ever been to. Our florist, Corinne, did a great job of helping us to create an elegant feel while still allowing the beauty and simplicity of the setting to stand out.

Details...

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-->One of the reasons Bear and I get along so well is that we both love to laugh. We really wanted our wedding ceremony to reflect the love we have for one another, but when the reception started, we wanted it to be all about having fun. We wanted people to laugh, dance, and feel totally comfortable having the best time ever. We planned a flash mob with about 45 people and performed it during the reception. I think that some people must have learned about it prior to the big reveal, but I think we were able to take most people by surprise. We had a lot of fun practicing, and I think we did a pretty good job keeping it a secret!

Another element of our wedding that we were super excited about was the kids' tent. We had a very close friend design and set up a separate tent just for the kids, complete with babysitters so that their parents could enjoy the wedding without worrying about the little ones. We had a bounce house, arts and crafts, a nap area that included a TV showing movies, and a football-themed bean bag toss. We got so many compliments on that tent, but we can't take credit for any of it! Our friend, Leslie, did such a great job!!

Color Palet...

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-->From the time we started planning our wedding I was dreading the "color" decision. I'm definitely not known for my sense of style, and Bear and I were having a hard time choosing. That's when my sister showed me the bridesmaid dress she loved - a dress by Butter by Nadia that could be worn one of over a hundred ways. We started looking at the website and found a satin olive green dress with a hint of a gold sheen. That's when we kind of started talking about keeping the color palette very simple and having it reflect what our guests would be seeing on the ranch: golden fields, green trees, etc. - very earthy and natural. Our florist suggested the white flowers to make the colors stand out a bit more, and it turned out beautifully.

Memorable Moments...

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-->We loved that our wedding was full of things that were a bit unexpected. I think one of the most memorable things (or something that we will talk about for a long time) was the grand entrance of our wedding party. Bear and I had been planning our entrance for months, so we told our wedding party (10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsman) that their entrances should be just as awesome. We had a groomsmen come in wearing handcuffs, one of our bridesmaids did a "hat dance" around a groomsmen's hat, one of our groomsmen threw a bridesmaid very high up in the air, one pair did the wheelbarrow, and then Bear and I brought up the rear with him wearing his Giants helmet and me on his back running through our bridesmaid/groomsmen tunnel. So much fun.

Another thing about our wedding that is incredibly memorable (not necessarily one moment, but the entire day) is that we were married on my grandparents' 56th anniversary. To be able to share an anniversary with such an incredible couple is something that we will cherish forever.

RADDEST Wedding Vendors...

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-->We were so blessed with wonderful vendors!

Our photographer, Cameron Ingalls, could not have been better. We loved working with him during our engagement shoot, and we knew we would get along beautifully on our wedding day. Cameron is so laid back and easy to work with. Any time I was feeling a bit rushed it was Cameron who was always there telling me, "don't worry, calm down, we have plenty of time." Additionally, his pictures are beyond amazing!

We used Got You Cover'd as our rental company. Tom did so much more than provide us our rentals. He was instrumental in helping us design the interior of our tent, as well as give excellent advice whenever we needed it! He was great to work with, and is just a super nice guy!

Jack Hutchinson, our videographer. We seriously forgot he was there! Imagine our surprise when we started receiving such glorious videos!! Seriously, though, Jack was very nice and easy to get along with. We made a couple of specific requests for our videos, and he gladly obliged, and we couldn't be happier with the end result!

Bonnie Marie's Catering. Bonnie and Claude are friends of ours, so we knew what we could expect when they agreed to cater our wedding. The food was incredible, and the service impeccable!

Sorry, I know this is a long list, but I HAVE to include Sean at AMS entertainment. First of all, he was super happy to accommodate our "flash mob" needs! Secondly, I have to say I was a little nervous about having a DJ as we've all been to weddings where the DJ stands out for NOT doing a good job. Sean was the best DJ I've ever encountered. So easy to work with, and played awesome music. The dance floor remained full until at leastmidnight, which was when Bear and I left!

A Heart's Desires Bridal, SLO - I almost forgot what a disaster my wedding dress situation was, thanks to the awesomeness of Hear's Desires. I bought a beautiful dress in New York, and due to some very unfortunate events involving their seamstress, was without a dress one week before our wedding! The people at A Heart's Desires bent over backward to help me find another perfect dress and have it ready to go four days later!!

Advice for Other "Newbie Brides"...

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-->I realize that this is going to sound very cliche, but this whole process definitely goes by very quickly. You have to take time to appreciate the journey you're on. Bear and I tried to celebrate each decision (hiring a vendor, picking out groomsmen attire, etc.) with a glass of champagne. That kept the process special, and prevented it from turning into a chore. Remember that you're only going to do this once.

Also, I didn't really listen when other people gave me this advice at first, but trust me: don't stress about the details! I know they mean so much to you, but no one will notice (nor will they care) whether the chairs are the lighter color or the darker color, or whether or not your centerpieces include the perfect candles - I PROMISE. Trust me, I bought my dress Tuesday before the wedding, and I had our cake designed to match the dress I'd bought in NYC over a year before - no one knew (well, I guess they might now :) )!

Wedding Artists | Photography: Cameron Ingalls | Videographer: Jack Hutchinson | Wedding Planner: Brenda Boorman, A Heart To Heart Event Planners | Florist: Panacea Event Floral Design | Catering: Bonnie Marie's Catering | Rentals: Tom Friedman, Got You Cover'd | Dress: A Heart's Desires Bridal | Cake: Jenny Pirello, Cake Cathedral

Private Estate Wedding {Central Coast} by Cameron Ingalls

Private Estate Wedding {Central Coast} by Cameron Ingalls

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