On a gorgeous Autumn day on the Central Coast, Scott and Victoria tied the knot at the charming Arroyo Grande wedding venue the Vintage Schoolhouse Estate. With personable embellishments to add to the property's beauty and foliage, the wedding day was nothing short of magical. I had the pleasure of interviewing the bride about the special day.
Keep scrolling to read about their love story and see the stunning photos captured by Santa Barbara photographer Sarah Vendramini Photography.
Their Love Story
"Scott and Victoria met the modern way: by swiping right on Hinge (swoon!) in 2019. Although Scott and Victoria grew up only an hour apart in California, they met in Northern Virginia. Their first date involved the outdoors and their dogs, the ideal date for the pair. A three mile hike around a local lake with their two favorite companions lead to several more dates, eventually moving in together, buying a house, getting a puppy, and now getting married. SCOTT AND VICTORIA'S proposal was picturesque to say the least. The pair was on their last day of vacation with Scott's family in the Northeast. The day was spent in Ogunquit, Maine and what a perfect day it was! The sea was calm and the skies clear and blue, a perfect way to end a perfect trip. But oh was there more to come! The town of Ogunquit has a beautiful trail that runs alongside the Atlantic Ocean and holds some of the most amazing views. While strolling along the trail, Scott suggested a quick detour off the path to the rocks along the shore line. Unbeknownst to Victoria or Scott's parents, who too were enjoying the stroll, Scott bent down on one knee and asked Victoria if she would be his bride right there on the rocks. With waves crashing all around, Victoria said yes to a forever with Scott. Luckily Scott's parents were present so they were able to capture the moment to be cherished for years to come."
The Inspiration
"The venue is a schoolhouse built in 1891 that was later restored and converted into a family home. The property has been owned and cared for by the Puhek family for over 20 years. The Puhek's are related to Scott and have so graciously granted us the honor of celebrating our wedding day on their grounds. The entire property has been crafted with love and passion, and that energy oozes out of every piece of it, making it the perfect place to celebrate our love with family and friends. With the venue in mind, the overall theme/vibe of the event was "romantic garden", using a dusty rose and a eucalyptus green color pallet. We wanted to continue the warm feeling by covering the tables in candles and stringing overhead lights throughout the tent and property. Other small details found on the day : fairy lights, in memoriam table with pictures of family members who have passed (including pets), 'generations of love' photo display showing the wedding pictures of all our family members (lots of longevity in love on both sides of our families that we wanted to highlight), a drink board made by the mother in law that shows our custom drinks named after our dogs who could not be in attendance, custom donuts with our name and wedding date on them, light up sticks, headbands, bunny ears, and glasses to enjoy during the dancing, gifts including a tie patch for each father with a picture of them and their child , hand-embroidered handkerchiefs given to the parents made by the bride, etc."
Color Palette
"Dusty rose and eucalyptus green"
The Details
"The florals- we wanted to tie the romantic theme of the wedding in by having lush ground arrangements filled with different pigments of pink, white and cream, and different shades of green. The florals were to feel romantic but with a wild flower feel, with mixed types of flowers, heights, colors. Etc. -the name cards for the reception - We wanted to have assigned seating but didnt want the typical place card. We wanted something that could work in two ways, be a place card and a favor of sorts. The place cards were made to be items that we beautiful and would not be left behind at the end of the night! They were handmade by the mother in law and some of her friends and they came out perfectly, and none were left behind!"
Memorable Moments
"The "bubble boy" - instead of a typical flower girl or ring bearer, we instead had the nephew of the bride be the "bubble boy". He was given a bubble gun to shoot bubbles out of as he went down the aisle. It need up being a hit during the reception as well. Nearly the whole night while everyone was dancing and enjoying the evening, the bubble boy came through with constant barrage of bubbles. The couple ended the night with one last dance together, while everyone watched. The moment became magial for everyone as they were covered in the multicolored bubbles (the colored strobe lights hitting the bubbles making them change colors and gave them an even more magical feel). The food- majority of our guests were traveling in from afar and most had never had real Mexican food. We both love Mexican food and decided to have fresh street tacos as our dinner. The food was incredible, and did not cost and arm and a leg. We loved the food and every single guest mentioned just how good and fresh the food was."
Knowing what you know now... what advice would you have for other brides planing their wedding?
"The planning process was a blast, for a few reasons. One, having a two year engagement was a must. There was plenty of time to research vendors, figure out the vision for the day, how to execute it accurately, etc. There was time to DIY things to save a few bucks and have some creative fun that with a shorter engagement may not have been able to be done. Two, figuring out your budget early and who/what is your most important vendor. For me, it was photography so I researched several photographers, figured out their rates and if I liked their photography style. I signed a contract with the phogrpher 1.5 years ahead and because I was early I got a discount with the years rate! It can save to be early! Lastly, we had a more intimate wedding of about 75. We invited people who meant so much to us personally and in our relationship. Because of this, we ended up crafting a loving vibe just from our g jest list. Every single guest has said since that it was one of the most beautiful, intimate, and fun weddings they had ever been to and have never been around so many kind people. Our friend and family became friends and family with each other on our big day! It really made the difference in how we felt about the day and how our guest felt about the day. Notice who you are inviting and what intention they potentially could bring to your day. Keep your bridal party small, and ask yourself, '' will I want this person in my wedding picture in 10 years?" We were intentional about who we had in our bridal parties because we didnt want drama and just wanted to enjoy each other, enjoy our friends, and have fun with as little stress as possible! The bride and groom had "uneven" sides, with a different amount of groomsmen and bridesmaids. Rather than even out the side they stayed true to who they wanted to stand behind them on the day and into the future despite what a typical wedding aesthetic might call for, and how smooth and drama free the day went they felt they made the right choice."
What was the most challenging part about planning your wedding?
"Living across the country- we were lucky that the groom's mom is retired and loves to craft/plan event so she became a vital help in doing and seeing things that realitiscaly we could not do being over 2,000 miles away! Destination wedding planning is not easy but with enough time and the right people in your corner it can be done, and can be done well!"
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