Albee + Nick went round and round deciding where to have their wedding. They live in San Francisco, but Albee is originally from the Seattle area and Nick is from Ventura, near Santa Barbara, California. They considered everywhere from Sonoma, to Marin and San Francisco, to Orcas Island, Seattle and even Ojai.  Their final decision came down to weather conditions in May, since they wanted to get married outdoors. After seeing a wedding online at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, they were entranced! And after a visit, they knew it was the perfect place – Albee even described it as magical!

We’d been a couple for seven years and wanted to focus on our favorite parts of weddings – the dancing and cocktails! We ended up skipping some traditions – for example, instead of cake we had mini churros and chocolate mousse. We splurged on renting the “Cantina Bar” and had margaritas, mojitos, sangria and the “El Guacho” cocktail pre-made so that the bar didn’t get too backed up. We were thrilled to see everyone from our grandparents, who are in their 80s and 90s, to aunts, uncles, cousins and friends hit the dance floor.

Such a fun + festive wedding! Thanks so much to the lovely Joielala ladies for sharing this one with us today.

We roped lots of friends and family members into the whole production – my mom and her friends did the flowers, my uncle played guitar during the ceremony, and friends sewed the vibrant pillows, designed our “El Gaucho” cocktail, and created signage and programs.

Our main priority was a fun, festive event where guests could really let their hair down. We always used to laugh at the dress codes for events when we lived in New York, so we thought it would be fun to tell people to dress “fiesta chic,” which we defined as something bright that one could have fun in. Everyone took it seriously and when put together, it was amazing!

Congrats to Albee + Nick on throwing such a fun + festive wedding!

photography: Joielala // catering: Seasons Catering // event planner: Soigne Productions // floral designer: Barbara (MOB) // reception venue: Santa Barbara Historical Museum // dress designer: Pronovias // band: Mexi Mariachi // dj: DJ Jas // lighting: Bella Vista Designs // linens + coverings: LaTavola Linens // equipment rentals: Classic Party Rentals // makeup artist: TEAM Hair and Makeup // shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Shoes // grooms attire: J. Crew // bridesmaid flower poms: ban.do // ties: custom by This Humble Abode // socks: Argoz // jewelry: ring belonged to my mom’s close friend who passed away from cancer in 2008, bracelet was my something borrowed from my aunt, and earrings Nadri from Nordstrom // napkins + stir sticks: For Your Party // vases + candle holders: Luna Bazaar // wooden sign: made by my dad // papel picados: Casa Bonampak // invites: Le Papel