A Citrus- and Porcelain-Inspired Spring Wedding in California with an Epic Mountain Backdrop

bride and groom by palm trees
Joel Serrato

The day after Sienna Shattuck moved to San Francisco, she met Kyle Andrew Nelson, the man she would eventually marry. "My maid of honor introduced us," she explains. "We went on our first date two weeks later at Sodini's Restaurant in North Beach." Three years later, on The Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, Kyle proposed. "We both love Disneyland and fall and Halloween, so it was only fitting that we got engaged there."

They channeled their love for the season into their original 300-guest wedding, which was set for October 10, 2020, at the bride's family estate. "Around June 2020, we decided that October wasn't going to work with that many people, so we postponed to June 19, 2021. We had to redesign the whole wedding from a fall wonderland to a spring celebration," explains Sienna. As their new date approached, that uneasy feeling set in once again. "We decided that we still didn't think June 2021 would be doable—and didn't want to wait any longer to get married—so we finally landed on March 20, 2021."

Reserving the new vision and color scheme intended for their warm-weather celebration, they scaled down the design for their reduced party of just 22 guests; their micro event unfolded at their intended venue—Sienna's parents' California residence. Brooke Keegan of Brooke Keegan Special Events, was their every step of the way and made each stressful moment feel "seamless," says Sienna. "Brooke made the process fun and easy. We gave her ideas of what we loved, and she made our dream come to life. The only hiccup was COVID-19."

Together, they executed an event with plenty of Palm Springs flair, complete with a layered color palette; the scheme was predicated on porcelain tones (blue and white) and rounded out with plenty of pastel floral and citrus tones in shades of pink, orange, and coral. Their favorite memory from their intimate celebration? Their ceremony, which was officiated by a close friend. "It was very special to be surrounded by our friends and family. We felt very loved!" says the bride.

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Mountain Views

wedding venue pool set with candles and mountain landscape
Joel Serrato

Sienna and Kyle tied the knot in the backyard of the bride's family home. "We picked this spot because it's one of our happy places," she says, citing the views of the golf course and the mountain backdrop as highlights. "We love going to the desert and always have such a wonderful time there."

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Colorful Suite

wedding invitation suite with navy and warm accents
Joel Serrato

The invitation suite, featuring a blue-and-white floral design with cursive lettering, was created by Jen Simpson Design and nodded to the overarching color palette; a silk ribbon held the set together.

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Bride in Lace

bride in a-line wedding dress with lace floral overlay
Joel Serrato

Complete long sleeves, a lace overlay, and a subtle blush tint, Sienna's Monique Lhuillier wedding dress was her original choice. "I saw it online and fell in love," she says. "I flew out to New York City with my mom, sister, grandma, and maid of honor to go dress shopping. We went to Monique Lhuillier and I just knew this was the dress for me."

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Lily of the Valley Bunch

Bride holding bouquet with white flowers
Joel Serrato

"My bouquet was one of biggest lily of the valley bunches I had ever seen! It was so gorgeous," she says of the arrangement put together by Leproux Co. A veil, also by Monique Lhuillier, her grandmother's pearl-and-diamond earrings, and a three-stone sapphire ring—a wedding gift from her father and her "something blue"—completed her look.

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Colorful 'Maids and Mom

bride with five bridesmaids in mismatched colorful dresses
Joel Serrato

Sienna's bridesmaids wore dresses of their own choosing, resulting in a fun mix of floral-printed ensembles. The bride's mother wore an opaque pink tea-length number for contrast.

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Dapper Groom

groom in dark blue suit wearing floral boutonniere
Joel Serrato

Kyle donned a custom navy J. Hilburn suit for the occasion, which he accented with a black bow tie and white button-down shirt. "Our initials were embroidered on the inside of his collar," says the bride.

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Floral Welcome

welcome sign on metal easel with flowers
Joel Serrato

A simple calligraphed sign, placed on a gold-toned stand, greeted guests upon their arrival; the accenting florals, in shades of orange and magenta, previewed yet another part of the event's palette.

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A First Look

bride and groom first look by pool
Joel Serrato

In the backyard, in a grove of palm trees, the duo shared their first look. "We were both antsy before because we had waited so long for this moment," says Sienna. "Once we finally saw each other, we felt so much more relaxed. It was so special to have that moment to ourselves before taking photos and walking down the aisle."

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Vibrant Arch

pink and orange floral arch
Joel Serrato

A lush arch—filled with a myriad of greenery varieties, roses, garden roses, ranunculus, peonies, tulips, bougainvillea, pieris japonica, and more—defined the altar with pastel, peach, and coral tones.

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Flowers Everywhere

ceremony chairs with flowers in the grass
Joel Serrato

Vines and potted floral arrangements lined the aisle and the back row of bistro chairs.

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Bowls of Petals

wooden bowl filled with magenta colored petals
Joel Serrato

"We also had wooden bowls of bougainvillea for guests to shower us with as we recessed back up the aisle!" says the bride.

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Lifting the Veil

bride being unveiled by father
Joel Serrato

The bride's father, Mac, lifted his daughter's veil after escorting her towards the altar; during their processional, a string quartet's rendition of "Ice Dance" by Danny Elfman from Edward Scissorhands resounded in the background. "Danny Elfman music and Tim Burton movies are my favorite. It felt magical to walk down the aisle to that song," says Sienna.

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The Proceedings

Bride and groom exchanging vows in floral arch
Joel Serrato

During the couple's non-religious service, the couple exchanged traditional vows.

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Finally Married

bride and groom kiss in the aisle
Joel Serrato

After they were pronounced husband and wife—and showered with petals—Sienna and Kyle shared a joyful kiss at the top of the aisle.

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Clementine Escort Cards

escort cards pinned to clementines
Joel Serrato

Clementines, pinned with guests' names and seating assignments, were placed on a table accentuated with plenty of blue-and-white porcelain and bold-hued blooms.

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Light Bites

cocktail hour appetizers on platter
Joel Serrato

Servers from 24 Carrots passed around tuna tartare on wonton spoons during the cocktail hour; other passed apps included truffle arancini balls, stuffed brie and apricot puffed pastry balls, and mini shrimp corndogs.

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Cute Cocktails

blue spotted cocktail glasses filled with specialty cocktails
Joel Serrato

"We had his, hers, and ours drinks," explains Sienna. Kyel's cocktail was dubbed the "Ranch Water," made with Topo Chico, lime juice, tequila blanco, and lime. Sienna's sip, the "Fresh Greyhound," featured grapefruit juice and vodka. Their joint drink was titled the "Strawberry Fields," a berry-based cocktail pulled off the menu of the bar where they first met.

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Seat at the Table

long reception table with hanging lanterns and flowers
Joel Serrato

The reception, which took place on the other side of the property, beside the pool, was lit via the rattan lanterns strung overhead.

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Special Chairs

bride and groom reception chairs with floral arrangement
Joel Serrato

The couple's chairs were marked with floral garlands studded with roses.

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Textural Tabletop

table arrangement with seating card and candles
Joel Serrato

"With the blue-and-white linen as a base, we added vibrant florals in varying shades of pinks, magenta, peaches, and oranges," says Sienna. "Every centerpiece was accented with fresh citrus—oranges, grapefruits, and blood oranges." A double stack of French china, bone flatware, and marine-hued water glasses completed each setting.

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First Spin

bride and groom first dance
Joel Serrato

The duo danced to "I Wanna Grow Old with You" by Adam Sandler. "It is the song he sings to Drew Barrymore on the airplane in the movie The Wedding Singer," says Sienna. "We love that film, along with a lot of Adam Sandler's other movies. Most importantly, we loved the lyrics. It was very special to us."

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Citrus Cake

two-tier cake with citrus slices and greenery
Joel Serrato

Their two-tier cake, baked by Exquisite Desserts, was comprised of two flavors; the bottom layer was red velvet with cream cheese frosting, while the top was vanilla with banana cream filling. A coat of smooth buttercream and plenty of citrus fruits and florals were added on top.

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Golf Cart Exit

bride and groom exiting reception on golf cart
Joel Serrato

As a nod to the golf course in the distance, the newlyweds exited the event in a golf cart, strung with a "just married" sign. "Go with the flow!" says Sienna, to couples currently planning their own nuptials. "That is the best advice I could give—we were thrown all sorts of curve balls. Being flexible makes the process less stressful."

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Sources

bride and groom walking on with palm trees
Joel Serrato

Photography, Joel Serrato
Wedding Planning and Event Design, Brooke Keegan Special Events
Flowers, Leproux Co.
Stationery and Day-of Paper Goods, Jen Simpson Design
Bride's Gown and Veil, Monique Lhuillier
Bride's Aid, Maradee Wahl
Shoes, Loeffler Randall
Hair and Makeup, 10.11 Makeup
Groom's Attire, J. Hilburn
Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands, Patrick Balzen
Officiant, Andrew Kubat
Catering, 24 Carrots
Cake, Exquisite Desserts
Music, Angelica Strings (ceremony and cocktail hour); Unite Entertainment (reception)
Rentals, Signature Party Rentals, The Ark
Linens, La Tavola Linen
Lighting, Lighten Up, Inc

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