Altadena Town & Country Club Wedding

Venue and Catering: Altadena Town & Country Club Photographer: Sposto Photography Menswear Styles: Grey Suits with white ties

Write up from Brides.com

For their July, wedding, Melody and Kevin hosted a morning ceremony and lunchtime reception at the Altadena Town & Country Club in Altadena, California, which boasts awe-inspiring views of the San Gabriel Mountains. "We wanted the feeling of our wedding to be warm and celebratory, without anything overly formal," the bride explains. With those ideas in mind, planning their wedding and sticking to their vision was a breeze. Sposto Photography was there to photograph every beautiful moment — and then some! Melody and Kevin invited 125 friends and family to celebrate. Their invitation suite featured subtle floral details and hinted at the couple's color palette: Blush and peach, with touches of green and bronze. Melody fell for her tulle and English net wedding dress from Watters because of its soft, flowing silhouette. "I especially loved the bronze underlay which really made the lace stand out clearly," she says. It was a perfect match for the couple's color palette.

She carried a loose bouquet of roses in hues of pink and peach, accented with touches of eucalyptus. Taking notes from Melody's romantic-hued attire, Kevin donned a blushing bride protea boutonniere with his own gray suit.

Melody's 'maids got lucky: "I asked them to find short dresses in shades of peach or blush, and told them to think of summer dress vibes," she says. Their coordinating looks worked perfectly together, and each important lady now has a dress she loves. The groomsmen matched Kevin, each wearing a light gray suit and vest, brown shoes, and a silver tie. Melody and Kevin had planned an outdoor wedding ceremony, but Mother Nature had other ideas. "Due to the unexpected rain in Los Angeles on our wedding day, the ceremony was moved indoors at the last minute into the ballroom where the reception was going to take place," Melody says. But the couple didn't let the switch get them down. In fact, walking down that unplanned aisle with her father is one Melody's most treasured memories from the day. (Continued below...)

"My favorite moment of the wedding was walking into that cozy room to see all of our closest friends and family and Kevin waiting for me at the front," she says. "It was still overcast and dripping outside, but it felt so warm and glowing inside with our nearest and dearest gathered around." When it came to decorating their reception, the couple stayed true to their laid-back style. "We focused on creating an environment where love could be celebrated," Melody says, explaining that they achieved their look by steering away from anything that seemed too formal. For this couple, that meant nixing traditional centerpieces in favor of bronze lanterns and long, leafy garlands. Melody and Kevin dined at a sweetheart table topped with a floral garland made from pink and peach roses and eucalyptus. With their guests, they noshed on filet mignon, salmon and roasted chicken. "We also served doughnut holes during the time between the ceremony and reception," Melody adds, "which seemed fitting given that it was a morning ceremony." The couple's three-tier wedding cake, made from layers of chocolate, coffee, and mango, was iced with white whipped cream and decorated with roses and vines. And while the couple enjoyed slicing into their cake, the wedding toasts made dessert even sweeter. "My dad and Kevin's dad's speeches were so thoughtful. Their support in our lives and words of wisdom were very meaningful to us," the bride says. Because of the rain, Melody and Kevin returned to their venue for a post-wedding shoot to capture those gorgeous outdoor photos they'd been denied on their big day. "We went up into the mountains north of Los Angeles to get some outdoors photos that turned out so beautifully," says Melody. "It required us to get into our wedding gear again, but the pictures were so worth it." Looking back on their wedding, the couple is glad they stuck to their vision and created a party that reflected who they are as a couple. Because of that, Melody tells future brides: "Don't spend time or money on things that you feel like you would only be doing because other people expect it on a wedding day," she says. "It's your wedding day and you shouldn't have to feel as if you're going through the motions of what people expect at a wedding. Make sure to invest in the parts of the day that will really matter to you."

This wedding was also featured on Brides.com

Book an appointment to choose your wedding look with one of our stylists at your local Friar Tux Shop.