Barn, Brews, & California Love

Venue: The Newland Barn, HB
Photography: Alina Marie Creative
Day-Of Coordination: LEILANI
Groom + GroomsmenStyle: Caramel Notch Lapel Suit + Tan Notch Lapel Suit
Bridesmaids Style: Gold Velvet Shawl Lapel Tuxedo + Ivory Paisley Shawl Lapel Tuxedo

Fun fact, this wedding…well, it’s my wedding! Hi, I am Chelsea Oler, I am the Social Media Manager here at Friar Tux and I have been writing this blog for about 8 years now and writing this one is a magical first for me. I am here to tell you about my own wedding, what inspired us, what we loved, and what we would advise for other couples planning their special day. So, let’s get into it!

The Inspiration

First, our inspiration was the venue itself. We wanted a space that we could truly make our own (and one that was within budget) and when we found the Newland Barn in Huntington Beach, we immediately fell in love with it. The venue was filled with grassy lawns, a historic white barn, and gorgeous trees – we wanted our color scheme to reflect that. So, we kept it simple with neutral tones: greens, taupes, champagnes, creams, etc.

My Pinterest board was filled with boho and modern touches, and I got a lot of inspiration from interior design that I was currently obsessed with. I basically turned my home décor elements into my wedding décor details.

The Non-Negotiables

There were some things when it came to the wedding décor that were a must. I wanted arches everywhere; I loved the vibe of them. So, Matt made our ceremony arch and seating chart, and I created our table numbers with help from my mom and her amazing Cricut machine.

Another non-negotiables are the outdoor furniture, I wanted to make the blank space our own with lots of organic and bohemian-style furniture like the green velvet couch, cool bar tables, lounge chairs, and rugs. We really wanted it to feel almost like an elevated backyard wedding with cozy and romantic vibes.

We also wanted fun food and drinks. Matt and I met at a brewery and spent many weekends and road trips discovering new ones to try and we wanted to incorporate that into our big day. We rented a beer tap wall with ‘his’ and ‘hers’ options for our guests to pour themselves. It was a fun touch that so many of our guests raved about. We also had a wood-fired pizza station as our food, which was a great way to make sure all our guests were able to eat well. We had several vegan and gluten-free guests who were thrilled at being able to have their own custom pizza.

The Style Section

When it came to the fashions of our wedding, I asked Matt what suit or tuxedo style from Friar Tux wanted to wear. Since it was his big day too I wanted to make sure he chose something we loved and would feel confident in. When he said the Caramel Notch Lapel Suit, I immediately knew the perfect combination would be to put the groomsmen in our Tan Notch Lapel Suit with caramel matte ties. That way it kept with the neutral tones of the day, while having Matt stand out as the handsome groom that he was. Another element I wanted for the bridal party was for the women who didn’t want to wear dresses to still feel confident and special. I did not want them to wear something boring or lack-luster, I wanted them to feel themselves and be excited about what they wear. So, one of my bridesmaids wore our Gold Velvet Shawl Lapel Tuxedo and the other wore our Ivory Paisley Shawl Lapel Tuxedo. And let me just tell you they freaking rocked it! And I loved the way they mixed in perfectly with the greens of the dresses and still complemented the other suits worn by the groomsmen.

Advice From One Couple To Another

Make the day your own. From our ceremony to our last song of the night our wedding screamed Matt and Chelsea. You do not have to incorporate anything you don’t want to!
Take it all in. We had small private moments to ourselves throughout the day/night where we could just breathe in the moment and take it all in. It helped us connect and not let it all go by so fast.
Get a wedding coordinator or planner! The best money we ever spent was getting our day-of coordinator with Leilani. Their staff helped us stay present and calm and handled everything.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Something will go wrong, something will break or not be perfect, just don’t sweat it. The day is about you and your partner committing to each other all the other things were just extras to make that happen.
Pay for the cleaning fee/cleaners the next day. The last thing you want to do is clean up at your wedding. So, if something must be ditched to stay in budget, do not cut this one out. I promise you it will be the second-best money you will spend (after a coordinator/planner).

I am so honored to be able to write this blog, and I hope you loved my wedding as much as I did, and a big thank you to all our vendors who helped make it happen! You can see our special day in the 2024 Stylist Magazine, and if you have any questions reach out to us on social media. I would be happy to answer any questions about inspiration or advice.

Cheers,
Chelsea

a groovy barn wedding with a neutral color palette and beer - bridesmaids a trendy black and white wedding with modern details – fEATURED2024