Erika + Manny: A Radiant Wedding at Spanish Hills Club

This is a night Erika & Manny will surely remember! Scroll through their wedding gallery to be inspired.

We loved the romantic, tearful video shot by Light Up Videos, and the captivating photos by Taylor Ashley Photography. The venue of course is fantastic; with their various photo locations & views, friendly staff, and accommodations that make choosing you venue here, easy. An incredible DJ (Bouquet Sound), who we know as Dominiq —who is not only great at mixing your ideal wedding playlist, but is also an charismatic MC. The florist company (Camarillo Flower Shop) is not only a local, friendly vendor but their flowers are delightful, especially when lit up by marquee lights by Alpha Lit Los Angeles. And we love the makeup by Beauty by Alicia Leming AND the local bridal boutique, Bella Bridal Couture, where our brides always find their perfect wedding gown.

Find these awesome vendors BELOW:

Venue @spanishhillsspecialevents
Planner @jamisonevents
Planning Associate @coordinationbycasnova
Photographer @taylerashleyphotography
Videography @lightupvideos
DJ @bouquetsound
Hair and Makeup @beautybyalicialeming
Florist @camarilloflowershop
Cake @camarillocupcake
Marquee @alphalitlosangeles
Dress @bellabridalcouture

Indoor vs Outdoor Weddings: Let’s Hear the PROS & CONS!

So, you’re trying to decide if you want to have an indoor or outdoor wedding or maybe you haven’t considered ALL the factors yet. How do you choose? This is actually one of the biggest decisions you have to make when deciding on a wedding venue.

For continued support on finding your wedding venue, here is Top 10 Things to Consider BEFORE booking your Wedding Venue.

Whether you see yourselves getting married in a lush backyard garden or exquisite ballroom, when it comes down to making hard decision like this…it’s time to pull out a good, old fashioned PROS + CONS list!

Indoor

Pro: Weather worries, no problem!

No matter what season your wedding is, indoor weddings will put your mind at ease about undesirable weather. From a little light breeze to a rainy forecast, indoor venues ensure your festivities will go on and your guests will be comfortable.

Con: Extra Costs

Indoor weddings tend to have a higher price tag than other outdoor locations. This is because there is more space to fill with décor and additional luxuries such as bridal & groom suites, restrooms, and lounge areas — these accommodable features will cost you some extra cash.

Pro: Design Opportunities

Your event design options are seemingly endless as long as you follow your venue's regulations. Indoor venues have lots of blank walls and ceilings tp create the perfect backdrops with cute decorations, and you’ll find some some already furnished! And you definitely don't need to worry about the wind knocking over your centerpieces or blowing our your reception candles.

Con: Photo/Video Lighting

If you choose an indoor wedding venue, then make sure your photographer AND videographer know how to capture an indoor event. Indoor photos generally aren’t bright & airy, like outdoor venues unless your venue has indoor + outdoor selections, so ensure your photographer/videographer has some specialty shooting indoors.

Pro: Intimate & Cozy

Indoor weddings gather all of your guests into one room for a more enclosed, cozy feel. There will be much less external distractions such as overhead airplanes, car horns, etc. to interrupt your ceremony & toasts.

Now that you’ve read our PROS & CONS list for indoor venues, for our more adventurous couples — take a look at the outdoor venue list!

Outdoor

Pro: Gorgeous views & scenery.

You want that bright & airy, open space look for your wedding? Choose an outdoor venue where there’s plenty of natural lighting for photos, cost effective natural beauty, and a pretty backdrop for all your events.

Con: Unpredictable Nature

Remember, an outdoor wedding has beautiful sights, but you can’t control nature. Bugs will inevitably crash your outdoor wedding and although you can’t fully prepare for undesirable weather or nature conditions, you can make preparations in advance! This includes purchasing a tent, heaters, using heavier materials (less paper), LED candles, and any backups you can think of.

Pro: No Space Constraints

More space can prove to be very family friendly to couples who want to invite a larger number of guests. You also have more space to design creatively and create an epic event.

Con: Rental Costs

Generally, outdoor wedding venues come as a clean slate. Yes, there is plenty of natural beauty, but because you want to PREPARE and protect against the natural elements, this can set you back thousands of dollars (tents generally being the costly item). And depending on your venue, you may need to spend extra cash on items such as portable restrooms, a dance floor, tables, chairs, and lighting.

Pro: Family Friendly Atmosphere

While some couples may not choose to invite children, an outdoor setting welcomes these little ones. Children will have plenty of space to run around, which will hopefully maintain their wild energy and keep tantrums to a minimum. And lawn games can be a fun purchase to keep the little ones (and adults!) occupied.

Still unsure?

Ultimately, your decision between an indoor vs. outdoor wedding venue will be control. Scroll back over the two lists. The type A bride who might be reading this will lean towards an indoor venue, because it allows you to hold the reigns on your big day with ease. However, if nature is your second home — an outdoor venue would serve your desires best.

And who knows — after doing a bit of venue searching you may find one you love that has a hybrid (indoor + outdoor spaces for use)!

Jina & Kevin: A Fairytale Wedding at Los Robles Greens

When the wedding is SO sweet, there's not a dry eye when the bride comes down the aisle. This fairytale wedding romance is one for the books!

If I had to say anything about J & K, they were such an adorable couple who focused the day around their family. Not only were they good people, but I absolutely loved the springtime blush and white tones for their color palette.

On their wedding day, both the bride and the groom had the best time getting ready with their bridesmaids and groomsmen. And when it came time for the first look, the groom (Kevin) got emotional seeing his bride for the first time. Not even I could hold back the flood of emotion this gave me! When it came time for the ceremony, each person walked gracefully down the aisle and the bride entered to the song “I Get To Love You” by Ruelle. The entire crowd, including vendors were teary eyed until they said “I do!”

We had the best vendors at this wedding, including Katie Jane Photography (who I got to work with TWICE in one week). The reception was equally beautiful with classic wedding vibes. Yamaguchi Flowers outdid themselves with stunning florals throughout the wedding, which the guests admired thoughtfully. And entertaining the night was Bouquet Sound (an incredible DJ & Emcee). The night was filled with sweet memories & fun as Subzero Ice Cream provided a late night snack of their specialty liquid nitrogen ice cream!

And overall, this wedding couldn’t have been more perfect & we will remember the sweetness of this wedding for a lifetime. A huge thank you to all of these vendors:

Venue @eventslrg
Planner @jamisonevents
Planning Associate @trombettatania
Photographer @katiejphoto
Video @matrimonyfilms
DJ @bouquetsound
Hair and Makeup @beautybykellytran
Florist @yamaguchisn
Cake @sugarlabbakes
Photobooth @sspsuperfunphotobooth
Ice Cream @subzero_simi_valley
Dress @bellaposawedding
Suite @suitsupply

Hosting a Wedding Weekend

Sometimes one day wedding isn't enough! If you have a lot of out-of-town guests OR just want to make your wedding a really fun memory, consider hosting a wedding weekend.

Now you may be wondering — what IS a wedding weekend & how much is this going to cost me? Everyone’s wedding budget looks a bit different, but for suggestions on all inclusive resorts/venues here in California, check out these package options:

• Twenty Mile House (one of our couples got married HERE!)

• Gardener Ranch

• Kennolyn Stone Creek Village

• Harvey House

• Sacred Mountain Julian

• Silverado Resort in Napa

Inviting Guests to Your Wedding Weekend

On the invitations, if not everyone is involved to a particular event, do not include it on your website or invitations. Offer personal invites to events that certain guests are invited to and make sure they know it’s not an open event. This will cut opportunities for any hurt feelings.

After handling all your invites— what does a wedding weekend timeline look like & what kind of events do you add? If you REALLY want to make your wedding weekend EPIC, pay attention to these tips:

Your Wedding Weekend Timeline

Photo: from BRIDES

1.Host a Welcome Party

This could be elaborate (catered with decor) or small (park and BBQ) but will kick off your weekend and welcome guests. A rule of thumb - the welcome party is typically separate from your rehearsal dinner/lunch, but it can be any time the day-before your wedding. Just don’t cram all these events together.

Another helpful tip: if the Welcome Party is the night before, don’t go TOO late! This ensures your guests are not too tired/hungover for the Wedding Day. 

Photo: by Pigeon Forge

2. Plan an activity or excursion

From hanging by the resort pool to axe throwing to river rafting — we have seen our Couples plan amazing activities that create memories!

Tip: Do this at least 2-3 days before your wedding to ensure everyone has recovered from the day for your wedding day. 

Photo: by Composing Reality Photography

3. Wedding Afterparty!

If you are at a resort or need to end before 10pm on your wedding day, you might consider an after- party. First, take a good look at your guest list to determine if this is something your crowd would be into. Secondly, choose a location that isn’t too far away from your venue (such as a nearby bar, house, etc.)

Photo: from Restaurant Clicks

4. Day-After Brunch

The day after your wedding, if you are wanting to spend extra time with your guests (especially those out of town people you don’t see very often), a day-after brunch is a great way to “thank” your guests for a great weekend. You’re going to want to plan brunch for after around 9:30am (no one wants to jump out of bed the day after a wedding).

Photo: from iStock

Tip: Plan to head off to your honeymoon/night away after your brunch.

Lastly, make sure to do all wedding activities prior to your wedding day and plan for one-on-one moments during & after your wedding day. This will make it feel like a genuine celebration. 

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.

Brittany and Ned's Wedding - Los Robles Greens

If you are wondering what an upbeat wedding full of surprises, beautiful colors, and dancing looks like, you’ve stumbled upon the most wonderful couple! Brittany and Ned chose Jamison Events to help plan their amazing wedding at Los Robles Greens.

This venue is such accommodable & flexible choice for your wedding, including: customized catering menus, a bridal suite, referrals on other vendors, and more! This venue can adapt to MANY different themes & styles, however one of my favorite aesthetics is the romantic, elegant garden vibe.

With a mix of blues, greens, and white we helped spin this wedding together which helped create a calm, yet fun environment for their guests! Here’s their wedding invites if you’re looking for an inspired, simple looking wedding invite with a FRESH feel.

The most fun part of Brittany and Ned’s wedding was their choreographed surprise dance to the Greatest Showman song. Although the pandemic brought challenges in getting everyone together (since most of their wedding party was out of state) to organize their dance, they were able to practice via Zoom and it turned out amazing! This dance was a complete surprise to their guests AND even went VIRAL on our reels page @JamisonEvents, which we loved seeing!!

Los Robles Greens wedding turned out great for this upbeat couple. Brittany and Ned were some of my favorites to work with and cheers to the amazing vendor team for Brittany & Ned’s Wedding!!

Photography- @maxtepperphoto
Venue- @eventslrg
Planning- @jamisonevents
Video- @luxurylifestylestudiosllc
DJ- @bouquetsound @djdominiq
Hair and Makeup- @janaandcomakeupandhairdesign
Dress- @forlovebridal
Desserts- @nothingbundtcakes

Have a Wonderful Day,

Jamison

Rachel and Preston’s Summer Sparkler Wedding

Imagine this⎯ a lush green backdrop covered in vines, a summer breeze blowing, and the soothing sound of rippling water from a fountain. You’re inside the Los Robles Greens Wedding venue where a wedding ceremony is taking place; everything seems calm & joyful. As you look around, you notice the flowers & decor decorate the ceremony with a modern, summer vibe, which is perfect for the terracotta ceremony accents. The bride looks stunning in her beaded wedding gown and long veil as she walks down the aisle towards her beaming groom.

Tauran Photography

This is the wedding of Rachel and Preston. 

This couple is extremely kind, with gentle spirits which makes sense considering Preston is a Pastor of a Church in Los Angeles. Their personalities reflected beautifully throughout their entire wedding which had a relaxed, fun vibe. 

After getting ready, the wedding began with a first look between the bride and groom, which meant they could take photos with the wedding party before the guests arrived. The wedding party was dressed in mismatched blues for the bridesmaids & grey suits for the groomsmen. 

Tauran Photography

There was a beautiful ceremony in The Gardens of Los Robles Greens Venue & since a good portion of their families were International, due to the pandemic, they couldn’t attend, so they incorporated a LIVE feed for their loved ones. Rachel & Preston also made their own vows & then they were officially married!

After the ceremony, followed a brief cocktail hour which served the guests coffee, and since coffee is important to the bride and groom, they hired a barista coffee vendor to offer custom coffees throughout the cocktail hour AND reception. After the bride and groom had their grand entrance after cocktail hour, they incorporated a conjoined father/daughter & mother/son dance. The entire reception was very sweet and included a family-created slideshow for their guests near the end of the night. 

Tauran Photography

Tauran Photography

And WAIT, because this was the most exciting part! To ensure they got perfect photos, 1 hour prior to the end of the night, Rachel & Preston had a sparkler “grand exit”. This sparkler exit was very important to the bride and groom, so we made sure to run them through twice to ensure photo & video got the perfect opportunities! 

Tauran Photography

And that’s a wrap on another amazing Los Robles Greens wedding, one of my favorite venues with amazing vendors & the most yummy food! 

Photography @tauranphoto
Venue @eventslrg
Planning @jamisonevents
Flowers @villageflorist
Love Streaming @bakersmaninc
Coffee @thankyou_coffee

Check out the behind-the-scenes reel of Rachel & Preston’s Wedding on our instagram below!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wedding Planner & Design (@jamisonevents)

Have a Wonderful Day,

Jamison Events

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

Jackie & Juan's Huntington Beach Wedding

Like all of our weddings in 2020, the situation with COVID caused several stumbling blocks to Jackie and Juan’s big day. BUT also like all of our weddings, the outcome was so amazing and worth it.

Only a few weeks from their wedding Jackie and Juan had to find an alternative location for their big day. Moving from a venue in Los Angeles County to Huntington Beach, the restrictions were less rigid in Orange County. The Waterfront Hotel in Huntington Beach proved to be an amazing space to host their wedding. Right on the beach, the sunset view during their Ceremony was incredible. Jackie and Juan are truly good people, with amazing full hearts. It felt so good to get them married and fufill their dream wedding!!

Each of their vendors ensured and incredible experience for the couple and their guests. All outdoors and properly socially distanced, the day could not have offered better weather and the served buffet dinner was truly yummy. I’m so thrilled with these beautiful light and airy photos!

Involved Vendors

Venue-https://www.waterfrontresort.com/

Photography- Claudia Hurtarte https://claudiahurtarte.com/

https://www.xoandfetti.com/

Planning- Jamison Events

(joint planning with To Be Loved Events) - https://www.tobelovedevents.com/

DJ- DJ Reflection

Flowers- https://www.instagram.com/yessi_events/