I have had the pleasure of driving through Mount Shasta several times, and it is just as beautiful as You Look Nice Photography has captured. Kate and Martin’s wedding is lovely and elegant, filled with simple details with significance to the couple (check out their own crossword puzzle!). They were married at an old family friend’s ranch and the results are simply divine!

The story behind the wedding:

Martin and I met during law school, but didn’t begin dating until six months after graduation when we discovered our shared love of scrabble, chocolate, and travel (among other things). At the start we spent several long stretches apart. Martin is an elite hammer thrower and would spend much of his time in British Columbia training with his coach or in Europe during the summer competitive season. Eventually he decided to take a part-time job in Europe that would better fit with his training schedule. I followed him there and we have since settled into life as a working Swiss couple. Living abroad played a large role in our wedding. In addition to the ceremony itself, it was also a homecoming for us and therefore it was very important to us that our wedding weekend be fairly relaxed and allow us plenty of time with our family and friends. We were married in my hometown of Mount Shasta, California, at Spring Creek Ranch, the home of long-time friends of my family. We wanted to enjoy the natural beauty of the setting and have a relaxed, elegant wedding with vintage and DIY details.

What were your DIY projects?

Thankfully, as we planned much of the wedding while abroad, we have many wonderful friends family members who contributed their talents and time to help make our wedding day perfect. With the help of my sister and best friends, I dip-dyed and screen-printed the invitations and program covers. An architect friend also drew a pen, ink, and watercolor rendering of Spring Creek Ranch which was used on the program and as an envelope liner. For the tables, Martin and I collected glass yogurt jars for months before the wedding for votives, and my aunt made several hundred cotton napkins that we dip-dyed in shades of blue, lavender, and peach. We used simple white linens, kraft paper runners, and a mix of milk bottles and mason jars for hydrangeas and garden roses, all assembled by friends before the wedding. We also hung paper lanterns in the trees around the reception site. For favors we made luggage tags from vintage Swiss travel postcards (as we live in Zurich and Martin’s family is Swiss), and we also shared our favorite evening snack–chocolate and tea–carefully packaged in glassine envelopes by Martin’s mom. As much of the photography was taken between the ceremony and the reception, we also designed a crossword puzzle that entertained our guests until dinner was served. Thanks to our wonderful caterers, dinner was amazing, and everyone loved the miniature lemon and spun sugar angel food cakes baked by another friend. 

Did your wedding location hold a specific significance to you?

Spring Creek Ranch is owned by long-time friends, and former neighbors, of my (the bride’s) family. I often spent summer afternoons visiting our friends and swimming in the pool with my mom and sister. My sister and I always dreamed about getting married on the lawn by the creek. 

What was the most meaningful part of your day? 

Sharing our vows. With every other part of the ceremony so carefully considered and planned together, it was a wonderful surprise to first hear and share our vows with each other during the ceremony. 

All in all, our wedding was really everything we wanted it to be. The whole event was meaningful and beautiful, and really allowed us to celebrate our love for each other with all our friends and family.

Vendors:

Photographer: Ryan Wilcox, You Look Nice Today Photography
Venue: Spring Creek Ranch, Mount Shasta, California
Dress: Melissa Sweet, sash by Marisa
Shoes: Kate Spade
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Banana Republic
Groom’s Attire: Armani Collezioni
Catering: 2 Good Cooking Chicks
Ceremony Flowers + Bouquets: Jamie of Petals, Mount Shasta
Musicians: Ashland Wedding Music
Invitations: DIY by bride. Calligraphy by Neither Snow.