Samantha & John's Wedding | Colorful Countryside Romance

Alexandria
2 days ago
5 min read

As I write this, we have just passed Samantha & John's 2nd wedding anniversary. Read on to see why I still can't stop thinking about this day...

Not only are Samantha and John two of the kindest people (beautiful- both inside and out!), but there were so many beautiful moments and details from their day. They incorporated so much of their personalities and their own touches into the day, and it turned out so gorgeous. I keep looking back on the photos and realized that I just have to do a blog post about their day because I can't imagine not sharing this beautiful result with everyone!

Photography by Fits and Stops Photography

The Venue

Samantha and John celebrated their wedding at Newcastle Gardens, a quaint, family-owned venue nestled in the rolling foothills of Northern California. Tucked away in the quiet countryside, the property offers a sense of warmth and intimacy that feels both serene and welcoming. The venue seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor spaces, featuring a whimsical garden setting for ceremonies and outdoor lawn and patio for cocktail hour alongside a spacious barn reception area that opens up to the cocktail hour patio. With its natural beauty, charming atmosphere, and peaceful surroundings, Newcastle Gardens creates the perfect backdrop for a romantic countryside celebration. They also offer in-house catering, florals, design, and a venue coordinator.

The Details

Although the venue can provide florals and rentals, Samantha and John added many of their details on their own. Here are some of my favorite parts about their day.

The Cake

The cutting cake was beautifully simple and modern. A 2-tiered all white cake with edible pearls dripping from the top, it was the perfect complement to all of the beautiful color incorporated into the day. And one thing that made this cake extra special, is that it was ordered from my mom's small business- Christy's Confections. Being able to work with my mom on this wedding and watching her pursue her own dreams too was such a cool moment.

The Art

Samantha and John had a friend paint their photo backdrop, so it was truly on-of-a-kind. They also had a friend paint their beautiful welcome sign that later got filled with some wildflowers. And they also had the most adorable setup for their newspapers at the ceremony site. They had a mailbox that was custom painted for them by a friend that they used to have the wedding newspapers spill out of. These touches added a lot of personality to their wedding and also invited some of the people closest to them to share in their wedding day joy in a more personal way.

The Newspaper

Wedding newspapers are a much trendier way of doing a wedding program, and theirs was so much fun to read. They really put thought into all of the pieces, and it provided a fun thing for guests to do while they waited for the ceremony or for dinner (and also made for a great keepsake).

The Picture Walk

There is a cute path at the venue that is fully lined and shaded by trees. This whimsical walkway lines the route from the ceremony to cocktail hour areas. Samantha and John lined the trees with photos of themselves throughout their relationship. It felt as if guests could take a walk through time and see how their relationship developed to the point where they got married. It made guests feel like an integral and interactive part of their story.

The Audio Guest Book

This was the first audio guest book I had seen at an actual wedding, and it was a brand new concept at the time. It's always so cool to have couples that are trendsetters and bring something new and exciting for their guests to rave about.

The Flowers

Rather than go with traditional flower arrangements that followed a color theme, Samantha and John covered their day in blooms of all colors. A friend of theirs did floral arrangements and they turned out so pretty. Bud vases and tapered candles lined the head table, and larger arrangements were placed throughout the area. The ceremony site was draped and adorned especially beautifully with these bright blooms, which added to the tone of playfulness and countryside romance throughout the day.

The Bride's Look

Samantha’s hair, makeup, and gown came together flawlessly, creating a look that felt effortlessly timeless and sophisticated. Her sleek bridal styling beautifully complemented the romantic atmosphere of the day, adding a polished softness that balanced the countryside setting and elevated the overall design beyond a traditionally rustic aesthetic.

The Officiant

For their wedding, Samantha chose to have her brother, Hunter, officiate. I always love when couples pick an officiant who is close to them, because it makes the ceremony that much more special and personal to the couple. Watching Hunter officiate his sister's wedding was such a sweet moment.

The Photos

The photos are one of my absolute favorite things about this whole day. Your wedding day only happens once, so you should absolutely invest in a really good photographer to capture and preserve the memories so that you can look back on your day for years to come (and remember it like it was just yesterday). The couple hired PJ from Fits and Stops Photography (who's on my preferred vendor list), which was 100% the right choice. The photos are a huge reason that I am still doting over this wedding, so I just know that Samantha and John are too- even 2 years later. The second photographer that PJ had contracted with for that day is a wedding pro friend of mine- Courtland from Courtland Photography LLC (who is also on my preferred vendor list). Not only is Courtland also super talented and great at getting amazing shots- but I just knew that him and PJ together were going to capture some really magical shots. The final result was nothing short of a work of art. I had to include some of these amazing shots in their own section just to show off the talent of these two.

This wedding was also a great showcase of the differences between a venue coordinator and a wedding coordinator. I worked closely with the venue's coordinator to ensure that Samantha and John were thoroughly taken care of on their day, and that there were no gaps in service. The venue coordinator primarily focused on all venue-related tasks (catering, venue staff, floorplan, etc.), while my primary focus got to be Samantha and John and their experience. Because Samantha & John opted for a wedding coordinator in addition to their venue coordinator, they were able to relax and fully enjoy their day.

What a beautifully personal wedding for a beautiful couple. Happy Anniversary, Samantha & John!