We have to say St. Patrick’s Day 2018 may be one of our most memorable yet, thanks to our lovely couple Vanessa & Rick. We can’t help but swoon over Vanessa & Rick’s take on a St. Patrick’s Day wedding. The couple could not have chosen a better venue than Grand Tradition Estate in Fallbrook for their big day. Grand Tradition boasts the lushest greenery we’ve seen making it a perfect fit for this festive St. Paddy’s Day wedding. Vanessa & Rick made sure to incorporate the St. Patrick’s Day theme in every last detail, from the bridesmaid’s dresses to the guys plaid ties this day was one of pure holiday spirit.

The day started with Ryan arriving to photograph Vanessa and Rick getting ready with their bridal party in Grand Tradition’s bridal and grooms suites. The laughter, excitement and love exuding from everyone was so contagious. Nothing had us smiling more than Vanessa & Rick’s “first look-no look”. The first look, no-look is a great alternative to the traditional first look. It allows couples to hold hands, share some words and laughs before the ceremony. Grand Tradition’s bridal and groom suites are next door to one another which facilitates for the first look, no-look perfectly. We loved seeing the couple hold hands on either side of the door and seeing Rick make Vanessa laugh before the walk down the aisle.

The couple chose to get married at Arbor Terrace, which is arguably our favorite ceremony space at Grand Tradition (Yes, they have a few, who doesn’t love options?). Not only did Ryan and I tie the knot at Arbor Terrace in 2015 but the ceremony site is breath taking. It has three cascading waterfalls that collect together into a pond. I like to think of the three waterfalls as symbolic of past, present and future and I believe that the past, present and future collide to bring you to that moment and that person. If that wasn’t enough, the ceremony site is surrounded by lush tropical foliage sprinkled with color. The ceremony was beautiful, and despite this wet California weather there wasn’t a drop of rain in sight. We loved how Vanessa & Rick chose to style the ceremony space. They had two beautiful flower arrangements on either side of them, framing out the waterfalls. The arrangements had these beautiful twisting twigs coming out of them and I loved how the lines of the twigs complimented the falling water.

Post ceremony we whisked Vanessa & Rick away for some photos around the grounds which we had all to ourselves. We were able to capture so many diverse photos. From tropical vibes featuring waterfalls to garden vibes featuring a heart-shaped lake Grand Tradition has you covered!

We loved the reception space, the couple definitely didn’t shy away from the St. Patrick’s Day wedding theme with the decor which was so fun. The centerpieces were green with white, purple and pink accents created by the very talented Joyce, of Nobutama Wedding Studio who actually was the florist for our wedding as well! Their cake by Cakes To Celebrate tied in the centerpieces perfectly with fresh florals between each tier, it was a really beautiful display. The sweets table couldn’t be any more festive! It had golden coins, beaded necklaces and green shamrock hats among beautiful photos of the couple throughout their journey together. They added a little whimsy and brought the St. Patrick’s Day theme to life with shamrock hand slappers and headbands scattered on the table for guests to get into the holiday spirit and of course cheer the newlyweds on for their grand entrance.

Jeremy Ricci of DJ Pros had everyone on their feet for the couples grand entrance and the shamrock slappers were going crazy as the newlyweds were welcomed to the party. Vanessa & Rick shared a tender first dance. The rest of the evening was filled with eating, drinking, dancing and good company in true St. Patrick’s Day fashion. Our favorite highlights of the reception were Vanessa’s song for Rick and DJ Pros letting Vanessa get behind the turn table for some scratching as her guests cheered her on. The night ended with a glow-stick grand exit.

So I started off by saying this may go down as the best St. Patrick’s Day Ryan & I have had, and now hopefully you can see why. Vanessa & Rick were so sweet and so fun. We loved being a part of this wedding and we are wishing them both all of the love in the world!