Melanie + Gavin's Featured Wedding! {The Knot}

I am really excited to have Melanie and Gavin’s wedding featured in the Fall/Winter issue of The Knot Magazine. Pick up a copy and head to page 48 and check it out! Or check it out in the Real Wedding Section online.


Here is a list of vendors featured in the piece:
Reception Site: Holland Ranch
Consultants: Events Redefined
Invitations: Melanie Usas Design (the bride herself!)
Hair and Makeup: Sunnie Brook Jones
Flowers: Adornments Flowers
Reception Music: San Luis Jazz Band

The San Luis Jazz Band {The Wedding Standard}

I’ve had the pleasure of working with The San Luis Jazz Band at a few weddings over the years and they always bring the house down with their broad-spectrum of musical talent and entertaining personalities. After listening to just a couple of songs from these guys it becomes quickly clear that they are a wonderful hybrid of classic jazz and straight up rock n’ roll! They bring an energy to each reception that magnetically draws people of all ages to the dance floor. Every wedding I’ve worked with these guys on they’ve kept the guests dancing into the wee hours of the morning and are often met with excited mobs chanting ‘One more song! One more song!’ at the night’s end. If you are contemplating having LIVE musicians at your reception, you have to check out The San Luis Jazz Band. I asked Mitch a few questions about this talented 6 piece group to give you all the inside scoop. Check out my latest interview with him on The Wedding Standard!

Gavin + Melanie {Shell Beach / San Luis Obispo}

Are you kidding me?! Gavin and Melanie are just about the most handsome couple ever! They just go together like… like chocolate and peanut butter! They got married on a beautiful cliff overlooking the Shell Beach coastline. And if that wasn’t pretty enough, they had their reception at none other than Holland Ranch. The sky was perfectly overcast for the wedding with a little hint of sunlight peaking out over the ocean miles into the horizon. As soon as we finished up the bridal party portraits we buzzed over to the ranch and walked right down into the heavenly glory of dripping sunlight and chocolate hillside for icing-on-the-cake couple portraits.

The groomsmen made my day (no, week!) with their 80’s glasses. I just wanted to take a million different pictures with those guys sporting their mad times square style. They also wore name tags corresponding to their title or responsibility. There was The Doc, Best Man, The Amateur, Bone Man, and lastly the groom; Crabbman (his last name being Crabb). Oh, and watch out when you park in Pismo Beach because I got a $40 parking ticket! (Whenever in history did they start charging to park in Pismo?! *chanting; We don’t live in L.A. We don’t live in L.A.)

Adornments arranged the most beautiful flowers for the whole event! It is amazing how flowers can tie an oceanside park and a country ranch together. Events Redefined did an amazing job coordinating the whole day. They were so organized and calm, they made me even relax!

Their reception was too legit to quit with the swinging tunes of the San Luis Jazz Band, the best food ever by Phoenix Fine Catering, a tower of multi-flavored cupcakes, and the most amazing A&W truck complete with freezers of vanilla ice-cream and root beer on tap.

If you want the inside scoop into how Melanie planned her amazing wedding, check out her blog; Crabb Cakes. She is such a great graphic designer!

















Check out their engagement pictures if you want some more Crabb love!