I know it’s winter time and SUPER cold everywhere right now, but here in Sunny SoCal it’s been in the 70’s and 80’s for weeks (sorry to the rest of America for rubbing it in!) and I am excited to share a very summer-y wedding! This adorable couple and their beachy DIY details are sure to warm you up…at least a little. Thanks to the amaaaazing Studio 28 Photography for the beautiful pictures!

Virginia and James got married at the Balboa Yacht Club and I joked during planning that their theme was “Balboa Yacht Club” because it was just so perfect. Nautical, vintage, classy…but boy oh boy did these people know how to party!

Virginia made all the signage and paper goods herself- I am talking about hand calligraphy, bow-tying, custom stamps and letterpress, hours and hours of painstaking detail. Such a great example of knowing yourself and what you can handle. Even the thought of what Virginia did leaves me with a headache and yearning for wine- but she knew she could do it, she enjoyed it and even included it in her “lessons learned” below as one of the best decisions she made!

Ok, that’s some good wedding porn but let’s back up…gorgeous ceremony at a Catholic church in Newport Beach. Many times, churches will provide their own coordinator- especially if there are specific traditions they want you to uphold. Pop the Champagne is very familiar with this and knows how to step aside when necessary. This particular church coordinator was, well, how would you say…scary. Even the big, burly groomsmen were a little intimidated by this by-the-book little, old lady. The ceremony ran perfectly except the very nervous ring bearer….he really didn’t like his dress shoes. My favorite moment was when the formal church lady took off his shoes and sent him down the aisle barefoot!

This just shows that no matter how prepared you are- SOMETHING will pop up and surprise you…like a barefoot ring bearer in a tiny tux :)

At the reception, all the red, white and blue details were complimented by fresh, light flowers…the lanterns are from Ikea and ended up being less expensive than even renting them! Always look into buying- big stores like Ikea, Target and Home Goods are great resources for decor.

All the detail setup really paid off and made a big impact (balancing 200 starfish on rolled napkins is a time consuming task!) and the tables looked beautiful. If you read this blog you know that I don’t value looks and decor as the most important thing at a wedding- but I can appreciate “pretty” as much as the next girl and this wedding was BEAUTIFUL.

This pretty bride has some advice to share…here are Virginia’s lesson’s learned:

Thank you Virginia and James!