4th of July, America Themed Wedding

While I hope you all enjoyed your Fourth of July celebrations yesterday, this holiday inspired us to create a wedding theme out of it! We were thinking of all of the patriotic, USA loving folk who want a wedding so UNIQUE, without being too “trendy” or “cheesy.”

And you don’t just have to have your wedding on 4th of July to use this idea, we feel this Independence Day theme could compliment ANY wedding in July, so we hope you get a kick out of this:

Follow our Instagram @jamisonevents to see weekly wedding inspiration from our REAL weddings + fun reels + moodboard themes! And sign up for our newsletter to get notified of our NEW blogs.

Taking a Tour of Hummingbird Nest Ranch!

With FOUR incredible main venues on the Hummingbird Nest Ranch property, the Jamison Events team couldn’t pass up the chance to tour this wedding venue site! With Ariel, from Magnolia West Photography, able to capture the incredible tour moments — here’s what we discovered, so you don’t have to.

Hummingbird Nest Ranch is one of Simi Valley’s best kept secrets AND a spectacular site for special events including weddings, private parties, movie/tv and photo shoots…

This extraordinary property has “an exquisite main villa with regal Spanish architecture and décor, a gorgeous array of outdoor spaces perfect for ceremonies, receptions and private events, giving guests a feeling of unsurpassed warmth and luxury.”

We had a full touring day ahead of us, so we took a golf cart around the venue with the welcoming representatives from Hummingbird Nest Ranch. As we visited each of the 4 wedding venue locations, the sales rep was able to show us incredible inspiration photos of how to use each space. Scroll down below to see each of the four sites!

1. The Villas

This venue site is located in front of the main house, with a gorgeous courtyard and rippling fountain in the center. Lush plants fill the empty space and bring life to this location. If you love this location, you can find inspiration photos HERE. This wedding spot is also right by where the couple and guests can book villas for the entire weekend!

2. The Sitting Bull

From the Villas, we took a golf cart to this beautiful Italian courtyard space with olive trees and brick walls. This space reminded me of an Italian piazza, which can perfectly fit a luxurious cocktail hour. You will find lush green bushes and trees as well, with a lovely blue pool for admiring OR a post-wedding dip! Find wedding inspiration photos for the Sitting Bull HERE.

3. The Main Barn

The main barn is a breathtaking, high ceiling space that is perfect for a romantic or country style. We were so impressed by how large the indoor space was; 300 horses could have fit! You can fill this space with a laid-back vibe or elevate the space with drapery and and pops of greenery. While the indoor space is lovely, you can also host a wedding on the outdoor space on the lake & lawn area. Find wedding inspiration photos HERE.

4. Q Vineyards by Hummingbird

Q Vineyards is the all inclusive venue, in conjunction with Command Performance catering. This location has a helicopter pad, and a barn with twinkle lights inside. Keep an eye out in August for a styled shoot COMING SOON, with all wedding inspiration on how to use this event space!

After touring each STUNNING location, here are few things to know if you book the Hummingbird Nest Ranch for your wedding:

Wedding Planning Tips & Things to Know

1. There are some wonderful accommodations such as: 24-hour rental of the event space, bridal party dressing suite, dumpsters on site for vendor trash disposal, restrooms & restroom attendants.

2. You will find the most beautiful onsite villas to rent for guests and/or the bride & groom! You can rent them for the entire weekend, plus, they are affordable! (Q Vineyard does not include overnight stay)

3. Hummingbird Nest offers a list of exclusive catering companies from which events are required to select their catering vendor. They offer many diverse caterers, with many ethnic and Kosher options.

4. If you need wedding transportation, their vendor Performance Limo LA by Scott Rouge (transportation is required at Q Vineyards).

5. This venue requires security and valet (which is always a great addition to your wedding), through exclusive companies, to be contracted separately at an additional cost.

6. Lastly, the cost of this venue is determined specific to each wedding. Everyone has different budgets, but expect to spend a minimum of $70,000 for most Villa or Sitting Bull weddings. For Q Vineyard weddings, expect to spend a minimum of $40,000.

Check out the Hummingbird Nest Ranch website for more info! And follow on insta: @hummingbirdnestevents

Ariel Nuñez

AND This entire blog wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Ariel, at Magnolia West Photography’s stunning photos of the Hummingbird Nest Ranch! She will be joining Jamison Events on quite a few more venue tours adventures this year so look out for that too! You can find her socials, website, and more HERE to learn more about her.

Sarah and Kevin's Cozy Wedding in Simi Valley

What does a rustic, private estate wedding look like you might ask? Sarah and Kevin’s wedding was full of desserts, cute wooden barrels, and lots of florals! If you’re thinking of having a wedding in your backyard or a family member’s home, we hope you are inspired by this wedding because no matter what, you can always have a dream wedding.

I love getting to tell how I meet each of my couples. but it’s so much more special when you’re planning a wedding for people who feel like family. Sarah is the SIL of a friend and actually an event planner herself, so this bride was organized and on top of the planning through the entire process.

Their venue was at a family member’s private estate in Simi Valley, an area super native to where my company is based so we worked with many vendors from our area.

It just so happened that my personal friend and Photographer, Jessica Woodard was the photographer on their day and I was so excited. While we had done a styled shoot together, it was the first Wedding we were able to work together on and I loved every minute working with her!

The day-of team from Gold Star staffing was also amazing to work with and made the entire day easy. The decor was classic with a rustic vibe which was a mix of pinks, burgundy and white. And for the reception, there were string lights wrapped all the way up the trees behind the sweetheart table. The overall wedding was classic with a comfortable, cosy home feel.

Sarah and Kevin hit all of the amazing things on their timeline such as; bride and groom pictures during golden hour, a fun grand entrance, speeches, first dances, bouquet toss, garter toss, cake cutting with the YUMMIEST dessert, and last but not least a magical sparkler grand exit. 

And when you’re a wedding planner, some of the fun benefits (at least for me) include being able to snag a piece of cake from one of my favorite bakers: Skiffs, based out of Simi Valley.

Overall, Sarah was a dream to work with and I loved getting to know her family too. I always love a beautiful Wedding that’s local to me and feel blessed to be able to plan incredible events!!

Vendors:

Photography @jessicawoodardphoto

Coordination @jamisonevents

Entertainment @bouquetsound

Staffing @goldstarstaffing

Dress @pebblesbridal

Cake @skiffscakes

Catering @muddys_bbq

Videographer @lightupvideos

Rentals @partypleasers

Florals @uniquefloraldesigns

Suit @menswearhouse

Limo @limo805

Have a Wonderful Day,

Jamison

Whimsical Boho Wedding at Twenty Mile House, Tahoe: Sarah + Sam

Are you thinking of planning a dreamy, forest wedding soon? Imagine yourself waking up, and as you open your front door, a pinkish orange sunrise paints across the sky and reflects in ripples across a lake nearby. Pine trees and mountains fill the horizon that in just a few short hours, you’ll be married under. Anticipation and excitement fills the air because today is your wedding day!

This is exactly what it felt like waking up in Graeagle, Tahoe for Sarah & Sam’s wedding at the Twenty Mile House. Still pondering if you want that perfect, dreamy forest wedding? Come along for Sarah and Sam’s Tahoe wedding adventure, where they went from lazy river rafting, to a Mexican dinner rehearsal, to their wedding with all the fall boho feels! 

~Scroll to the end for Sarah & Sam’s Wedding Video

So how did I meet this amazing couple? Sarah and Sam live in the same hometown as me & we got connected because I happened to unexpectedly be friends with the groom and some of the groomsmen. Sarah and Sam are extremely kind humans with a love for music and really good drinks. Like many of the couples I plan weddings for, Sarah and Sam were the perfect match; it felt like planning a wedding for family!

When we met, they were looking for a destination venue that had a dreamy, forest feel. The Twenty Mile House, which is an all-inclusive venue about an hour up from North Tahoe, was the perfect spot. The venue used to be a trading post in 1854, eventually becoming a general store, a railroad stop, a private residence and now an incredible wedding venue with onsite cabins to stay in for the weekend.

Together we came up with a whimsical boho wedding aesthetic and the bride, Sarah knew & planned exactly what decor she wanted. Her main want was LOTS of pampas grass, because you can’t go boho without pampas grass in the floral arrangements!  A fun, unique thing Sarah and Sam did was send their personalized wedding invites to their favorite music artists including Taylor Swift and the Abbot Brothers. So, if they happen to be reading this, hello! 

One of the best things Sarah and Sam got to plan & experience was lazy river rafting the day before their wedding; and I mean who ACTUALLY gets to have fun + not stress before their wedding! (the benefits of having a wedding planner comes in handy. I also helped plan a full weekend of events, including a Mexican themed rehearsal dinner with a relaxing, easygoing vibe. Guests also enjoyed a full BBQ dinner for the wedding and a special brunch the morning after! 

Overall, the guest experience was THE BEST! Besides being treated with all of the amazing food, when arriving at their cabins for the weekend, guests received custom Welcome Packages and Hangover Kits. At the ceremony, guests were also complimented with many guest favors including; custom hand sanitizer, shawls, fans, and bird seed to throw once the couple were married. The guests were also greeted with their choice of signature cocktail before the ceremony & delicious, handcrafted drinks during cocktail hour by Petite Street Bar, an awesome mobile bar vendor. 

And the guest experience doesn’t stop there, because during the reception there was a beautiful lounge space by Tahoe Rustic Rentals, a unique photo experience from The Vintage Photobooth van from Orange County, and a custom CD with Sarah and Sam’s favorite songs on them! 

The vendors for Sarah & Sam’s wedding were incredible, and I was especially thankful to work with the Twenty Mile House Staff and venue director, Rachel. The florist, Sonia Greys, even went out of her way to hide dream catchers in the wedding ceremony arch to surprise the bride with small, personal touches! Gia Boyd Designs also handmade beautiful custom signs, stationary, programs, and favors. Each reception table setting included a handmade coaster, menu, and dream catcher.

One of the most stunning pieces for Sarah & Sam’s wedding was the ceremony arch, which we moved behind the sweetheart table for the reception and added a neon sign saying, “You’re My Golden Hour” a line from their first dance song “Golden Hour,” by Kasey Musgraves. A new popular, but once uncommon trend they loved was being able to include their dog, Zeppelin, who happily found a favorite spot curled up on Sarah’s dress train. 

A huge thank you to Lisa (my best friend), who was my assistant for the weekend and went on coffee walks with me in the beautiful town of Graeagle, prior to the wedding.

Here are all of the amazing vendors you can check out on Instagram!

Venue- @twentymilehouse

Planning- @jamisonevents

Photography- @composingreality

Florals- @sonia.grays

Videography- @32degreesmedia

Catering- @pangea_catering

Rentals- @tahoerusticrentals

DJ Entertainment 530

Desserts @placejanes

Bar- @petite.street

Photo booth Bus- @californiaboothbus

Stationary & Signs- @giaboyd_design

Hair- @hairbywhitneywhiting

Makeup- @makeupbyerikalua

Officiant- @matrimonial_mindy

Production Assistant- @_lisalorenephotography_

Bride- @sarahstone90

Groom- @sanchocash

The California Wildfire that Nearly Crashed Ashely & Nick’s Rustic Wedding

 After planning Ashley & Nick’s dream wedding for over 2 years, due to the pandemic and postponements, we never expected a wildfire to show up the day of the wedding!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, I need to start at the beginning of this crazy story... 

I met the bride and groom through a childhood friend of mine who works with the bride, Ashley, at Cedar Sinai. Although we’ve been planning their wedding for gosh, over 2 years, we were finally able to celebrate their special day. The bride and groom were truly the most kind, and patient human beings to work with. Through every step, they kept saying to me, “we just want to have the best day together, with our closest friends and family.” 

Ashley & Nick’s wedding was held at The 1909, a hidden gem built into the Topanga mountains that you’d never know was there right off the main street. The aesthetic of their wedding was Rustic Boho with traditional aspects, which I thought fit the venue perfectly.

Their wedding had the most beautiful details and decor, even personalized vases from the Groom’s aunt, who was a potter! She made these gorgeous centerpiece vases for guests to take home with Ashely & Nick’s names engraved in them.

From the start of the ceremony, I had seen wildfire smoke in the distance, which is all too common for California. Summer is unfortunately the SEASON of wildfires for California. This wildfire turned out to be a pretty large fire…

Remaining as calm as possible, we continued to carry on with the wedding and make sure Ashley and Nick enjoyed themselves, but that everyone was safe too. During dinner, the DC-10 and helicopters were working hard to keep the fire away. Right out front of the venue was a Command Center for the LACo Sheriff's department who I became good friends with to ensure they knew we were having a wedding and to inform us of any issues.

More towards the end of the night, as a surprise for the couple, a bridesmaid ordered 40 pizzas to be delivered as a late night snack. But, due to the main road being shut down, the pizza man COULDN’T DELIVER THE PIZZA! So, I (with the Bridesmaid) went out and convinced the Sheriff’s Department to offer the pizza guy an escort, up the shut down road, to deliver the pizzas. I swear I’ve never heard a bigger cheer from the guests when the pizzas FINALLY arrived.

Knowing that we might have to get evacuated soon, I pushed the important traditions up to ensure they got all of their photos and memories in, with time to dance. Then 1 hour before the end of the event, we were informed that we needed to evacuate. Everyone, including the Couple were extremely understanding. 

Amazingly, we all had a great time and were safely evacuated. Even driving home, I had the Wedding Party & the Couple calling to tell me it was an amazing day! 

And and huge thank you to all of the Vendors for Ashley & Nick’s wedding celebration!

• Venue: The 1909

• Planner: Jamison Events

• Production Assistant: To Be Loved Events

• Photographer: Kate Van Amringe

• DJ: CheckOne2 Enterprises

• Hair and Makeup: Blushing Beauty

• Florist: Petite Bouquet

• Cake: Christina Cakes It

• Bartending: Steel Hammer Bar