1. Real Weddings

A Blue and Green Relaxed Wedding at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California

What better place to have a relaxation-inspired wedding than at a resort and spa? “Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, is stunning and

What better place to have a relaxation-inspired wedding than at a resort and spa? “Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, is stunning and close to our home. We love to visit spas, and this one is one of our favorites,” Julie Herman (32 and a quilt designer and author) says of her marriage to Lawrence Kaplan (28 and an engineer). “We knew many of our guests would be traveling to join us for the wedding, and we wanted them to have the most comfortable and enjoyable experience while they were visiting.” The couple were married outside under their one-of-a-kind quilted chuppah, made up of 222 unique triangle quilt blocks from around the world with a Star of David in the center. The quilt was the focal point of the wedding-day decor, which inspired the palette of over 20 shades of blues and greens, captured by Donna Von Bruening. Julie carried a bouquet made of fabric and wood flowers in blue, green and ivory shades with beaded centers. At the reception, dining tables were lit by candles and had centerpieces of sand and sea glass that added a touch of beach-themed decor to the relaxed vibe, thanks to the assistance of Bliss Events and Splendid Rags. The chuppah was moved from the ceremony to the reception and hung on the venue’s wall, with a spotlight shining on it, not letting it’s beauty escape from anyone’s attention—including ours. “Determine the elements that mean the most to you and communicate your expectations when family or friends give their opinions on those elements,” Julie says. “Practice talking about those details with your partner and friends so you’re prepared when the people who challenge you the most bring up those topics. After all, it's your day and it should feel special to you.”

Elegant Gold Wedding Rings
Their custom-made white stationery had text and anchor designs printed in blue and green. The stationery followed the relaxed color palette, which was inspired by the chuppah at the wedding. The invitations were sealed inside blue envelopes and sent to guests.
Julie wore an ivory strapless wedding dress made of chiffon and silk, which had a wrapped pattern on the chest of the bodice accented with a thin crystal belt. Her bridesmaids wore similar dresses, which were all designed and purchased from J.Crew.
Julie held a round bouquet filled with blue and ivory flowers made of wood and fabric, accented with beads in the center. "I carried a bouquet of fabric and balsa wood flowers that was embellished with pearls, handmade by TheSunnyBee on Etsy."
"The centerpiece of our decor was our chuppah: a one-of-a-kind quilt that I designed to include the full range of our color palette," Julie says. "The call was put out to quilters around the world for 222 unique triangle quilt blocks, and the response was impressive. Our chuppah is a hexagon-shaped quilt with a Star of David in the center, and the star is surrounded by a ring of 54 blocks, each made by us, our families and close friends. The outer ring of 168 blocks is a collection of blocks contributed by quilters near and far who lovingly wished to support us on our wedding day."
Lawrence had a single ivory fabric flower boutonniere accented with netting, which was pinned to the lapel of his charcoal gray three-piece suit. A pop of color was added through the blue-striped tie that had a matching pocket square.
Vans Casual Black Sneakers
Julie wore a netted birdcage veil with a vintage twist, which was accented with a crystal design on top. The look of the veil went nicely with her wedding dress, which was strapless and accented with a thin crystal belt.
Wooden Wedding Story Sign
Guest-Book Album With Wooden Sign
Wooden Last Name Sign
Guests found their seats through their circular blue and green escort cards, which had numbers depicted in green and an anchor design at the top. The circular escort cards hung from glass jars that each guest received and had M&M's sprinkled in front.