Wild and whimsical floral wedding at Villa & Vine

Weddings

Feb 10

Fountain at Villa & Vine covered in a beautiful floral display and light pink candles.

When it comes to Santa Barbara wedding venues, one of the most quintessential and beautiful locations is by far Villa & Vine on State Street. This luxury venue is perfect for intimate celebrations and conveniently located within walking distance to the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. It’s clean, simple layout and Spanish Colonial architecture creates a blank canvas for every couple to come in and create a space that truly represents them, their love, and their day. From timeless white florals to wild colorful designs, I’ve seen the space transformed into some of the most magical, romantic receptions!

A very floral wedding

When Anya and Jason first reached out to me, they were originally planning to have an intimate elopement in Santa Barbara with just their closest friends and family. The bride works in the event industry as a florist and wanted to keep their day simple and focused on their love. But as plans continued to progress, it soon became clear that in order to celebrate and honor their loved ones, they’d need to make some adjustments to their original vision. So they pivoted! The groom, having grown up in the area, suggested they have their ceremony at a nearby historical landmark, The Stow House, and for their reception, they loved the naturally beautiful space Villa & Vine offered. In fact, both locations in Santa Barbara are stunning and naturally incorporate a lot of greenery into their layouts and design - including romantic olive trees at Stow House and wild hanging vines at Villa & Vine.

The bride trusted her friend and fellow florist at Hollyflora to transform both locations into whimsical spaces that would beautifully frame their day. So, Holly used moss, grasses, multi-colored hydrangeas, golden hops, and dill to create a grounded arch for the ceremony, beautifully framing the couple as they exchanged their vows. The arch looked wild, natural, abundant, and whimsical and complimented the natural beauty of Stow House and its sprawling grounds. There were also two floral installations that framed the end of the aisle, visually connecting the ceremony space with the seats for their guests. The bride’s bouquet was also a little untraditional, containing delicate flowers and vines that cascaded down. And for the reception space, she transformed Villa & Vine using similar florals to the ceremony, but emphasizing pinks, creams, purples, reds, and yellows to warm the space. While fresh fruits and berries were also creatively integrated into the design. The entire courtyard felt whimsical, lush, and decadent — almost like a fairy garden party.

And, of course, the whimsical floral theme carried into other aspects and details of their wedding day. There was a three-tiered cake that was decorated in colorful edible flowers, their signage included woodland creatures and vines, and their memorial gallery display had overflowing bud vases.

All in all, it was one of the most beautiful, well-curated, and whimsical garden weddings I’ve had the honor of capturing!

Timeless, romantic portraits at the Arlington Theatre

Another perk to getting married at Villa & Vine is its proximity to the Arlington Theatre marquee. Couples who get married at the luxury wedding venue can easily rent the marquee across the street and have their names and wedding date up for all of their guests to see and take photos with! And for couples who want golden hour portraits on their wedding day, but don’t want to have to be gone from their party too long, it also creates the perfect backdrop for timeless, romantic portraits of just them. Plus, if your timeline allows, it can also be fun to slip away during the dance party to take some flash photos in front of the marquee with all of the lights on. These have a gorgeous high-fashion, urban vibe and are completely Pinterest worthy!

For Anya and Jason’s wedding day, we made sure to carve out about 15 minutes in their timeline to pop across the street for some beautiful portraits of just the two of them. They had rented the marquee and opted for their first names and wedding date as the text. We practiced their first dance, frolicked, and had a few quiet minutes away from the party for them to take a deep breath and truly appreciate the moment - all while take gorgeous photos, of course!

Whether you’re getting married at Villa & Vine or just eloping at the Santa Barbara Courthouse, adding the marquee with your names on it can be a sweet, unique little detail added to your day. And even if you don’t rent it, the beautiful architecture of the Arlington Theatre can also make for a romantic backdrop for your wedding day portraits.