17 Sep RUSTIC CHIC MEETS VINTAGE GLAM
Shelly and Khalid are one of those couples that when you meet them you can see that they are the perfect match, their personalities complement each other impeccably and their love is infectious! They wanted an intimate wedding, where everyone felt included, seating themselves and their bridal party in the middle of their guests allowed for this intimacy to create a feeling that carried throughout the entire wedding. With Tricia Ng-A-Mann, of Events by Tricia on board for day- of- coordination, the day ran seamlessly. The bride’s vision was brought to life by Pristine Weddings and Events Service – Janelle Carimbocas- David and photographed beautifully by Nadil Khan Photography!
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
The most memorable part of the wedding would have to be when Khalid made his speech. He truly touched me when he welcomed me into his long standing little two person family that made up him and his daughter Asia. His words were truly heart felt and I will always remember his promise to love me as his wife and as a second mother to his only child.
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
From the bride…By nature, both Khalid and I have always been a very simple couple. Our style is more on the rustic and earthy side yet still classical and vintage in many ways. Our vision for the wedding was influenced very much by these characteristics and we wanted to incorporate as much of our blended styles as possible into as many aspects of the wedding. I’ve always known that my wedding ceremony and reception would be outdoors and most definitely not tucked away in a hall somewhere. We love the outdoors and have always been infatuated with that quaint garden feel. So when a friend mentioned having her wedding in a similar location in Santa Cruz, we jumped at the chance to book our summer wedding at Drew Manor.
Upon visiting the location, I immediately knew what I wanted for the décor. I envisioned flat natural earthy tones and rustic textures like burlap, lace, fresh moss and raw wood. I’ve always been more of a “do it yourself” kind of girl and since my father owns a wood working factory in Tobago crafting hard wood floors, crown molding, etc., he was the perfect person to handcraft all of the signs, table numbers and chalkboard frames that became a nice artsy touch to the wedding décor.
I knew that there had to be some form of color to balance the earthiness of the atmosphere so I chose various tones of plum, lavender and lilac. I’d always been fascinated with the lavender fields in Provence France and so hues of purple and lavender were my first choice, so much so that I didn’t want to have color anywhere else except imbedded in the florals. I chose old wooden lanterns for my centerpieces coupled with small floral arrangements and lace covered votive candles as accent pieces. I believe these to be timeless and they more than created the warm, cozy backyard atmosphere that we were hoping to accomplish.
Instead of a traditional wedding guest book we thought that having a wishing tree where guests could sign their well wishes on tags and hang them unto the tree branches would be a nice and playful little touch that turned out beautifully once the tags were all hung.
My dress was an ivory mermaid style from the Enzoani 2015 Collection, made entirely of vintage lace with reams of tulle at the base. Every single detail about the dress embodied both my style and personality. It encapsulated that old fashioned feel with a modern sexy twist that I had been searching for quite some time. Wedding dress shopping without the help of my mother was difficult in many ways but after a six month search, one look and I was sold. It was everything that I had wanted and more and the look on the handsome face of my groom was worth it on so many levels.
Outside of décor, we wanted our families to truly share in our blended cultures. I being of Christian faith and Khalid coming from a Muslim background, it was very important for us to have both a pastor and an Imam present to bless our union as we became husband and wife, an activity we later found out was truly appreciated by both sides of our families.
We also wanted our reception to be truly memorable for our friends and family. We wanted all of our guests to truly feel included in the celebrations and so instead of separating ourselves on a platform at the head table, something that is customary in most weddings we positioned ourselves so that we were more intertwined with the rest of our guests. Khalid and I love a great party, so once the lights went out we wanted to create an ultimate party experience by showering our guests with novelties like glow necklaces, sunglasses, flip flops, etc. That aside, we truly witnessed the union of two special families. I saw my mother really dance for the first time in a very long time and it is something I will not forget.
Overall, after all the planning and back and forth with vendors over the last year, the experience was truly memorable. One we won’t easily forget as we continue to grow as a married couple. Some of my family members are asking for a wedding part 2….AS IF.
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
Advice from the bride…Even equipped with a wedding coordinator, I found that planning my wedding was very stressful, particularly since I did almost all of the planning from New York. A lot of times Khalid recognized I was about to literally lose my mind and he intercepted in a lot of ways. Whether it be getting me a spa treatment, random date nights or just relieving me with some of my “to do” items, his interventions were a live saver.
My advice to every bride is to find that person that can take some of the burden off. It can be the groom, a parent, wedding planner/coordinator or just a close friend. As a matter of fact, I strongly recommend building a robust team of close friends and family that can help with various aspects of the planning. Don’t even bother trying to do it alone. It can wear you down pretty quickly. Take the time to realize that it’s hardly about the little things that can drive us all stark mad and more about you and your man. In the end, besides God, it’s really only about you and him.
Photo by Nadil Khan Photography
A wedding would be impossible without trusted vendors who can execute the bride and grooms vision.
Dress – Enzoani
Shoes – Betsy Johnson
Caterers – Berments
Bar Service – Berments
Makeup – Arlene Villarule
Hair – Vanessa Lashley
Photography – Nadil Khan Photography
Photobooth – Flashbox
Décor – Pristine Weddings and Event Services – Janelle Carimbocas –David
Wedding Coordinator – Tricia Ng-A-Mann
DJ – Jabari Lewis
Cake – Morsels
Bridal Bouquet & Bridesmaid Bouquets – The Flower Bar at Drew Manor
Venue- Drew Manor
Real Drew Manor Wedding- July 25th, 2015
#thedrewmanorexperience