Please excuse the cheesy post title.   Nothing else would suit. There are few people in this world who make me more happy than my best friend Lisa.

You know those people you meet and instantaneously can’t imagine your life without?  The ones who you have graduation parties with, who cry with you over that jerk ex-boyfriend, bring you chocolate ice cream by the gallon, and do cartwheels with you on the beach?

That’s Lisa.  And I’ll tell you what: the only thing that could make me happier than marrying her myself, living in a beach cottage with 8 cats and eating chocolate until we’re fat, was for her to marry her now-husband, Eric. They had the most gorgeous, down-to-earth, fun, and meaningful wedding I’ve ever had the pleasure to be a part of. They pinky swore their vows and skipped down the aisle to that great song from Juno. Oh, and they had the Dinosaur reading. Have you heard it yet? Read ithere.

I was also lucky enough for Lisa and Eric to be SO laid back that I had full creative control over the flowers…and boy was it a blast! We hit the San Francisco Flower Mart for all of these…and what a bargain. All of the flowers (bouquets, corsages, bouts, centerpieces…the works…) were less than $400.

Naturally, with a whole flower mart to choose from, my co-bridesmaid (Kyle! Rockstar!) and I grabbed some delightful varietals and got hopping. The wedding was held in the backyard of a family member in Walnut Creek, California, backing up to a vineyard.  Seriously people, if you have access to a yard like this, get married in it. Now.

Lisa kept it vineyard rustic with burlap tables, mason jar candles, and centerpieces in the groom’s mom’s heirloom sterling silver.

Lisa and Eric chose olive branches to be the continuing theme of their wedding, as a symbol of peace.  Peace describes their souls, their lives, and their love for one another: a peaceful, content, poetic love.

In this spirit, they decorated the altar with garlands of olive branches, made by Lisa’s mom.  The altar was made out of reclaimed wood and recycled windows (how creative are these people?).  Lisa was all about a sustainable wedding, and bought a bunch of used linens (which were then washed and ironed), and came up with the idea to wrap them in raffia accented with an olive branch.

We lined the aisle with lavender plants, wrapped in burlap.  There were little hints of herbs all over this wedding: in the bouquets, the boutonnieres, even in the cocktails…we snuck around the neighborhood before the wedding gathering rosemary for our rosemary lemon martinis.  I wish I had a picture; whew, they were good!  They also trusted me enough to make the wedding cake.  It turned out less than perfect (despite the architectural help from her expert baker brother-in-law), but yummy nonetheless…the chocolate peanut butter cake from Smitten Kitchen.  Beautiful? No.  Delicious? Check.

This little guy held the rings and was passed around from guest to guest to “warm”…

Oh, and I definitely teared up as she walked down the aisle.  Partly because she looked so gorgeous, partly because she was marrying a wonderful man…but 100% because I love her.

Congratulations to a wonderful couple, and some amazing friends.

Much love!

*images courtesy of Shannon Rutherford Photography, Floral by Petaling in Tandem