love meets design: love meets real weddings

I'm very excited about my first post for the Real Weddings feature of Love Meets Design! The first couple I'd like to introduce is Courtney and Darren. The pair got hitched June 25, 2011 in the Bay Area. The thing that I really love about their wedding design was their theme. They took something that they both had a passion for and wove it into every detail of their wedding from their color palette to the reception details with lanyard escort cards and table numbers.

Read on for thoughts from Court about their special day.

All photos in this post are courtesy of Encarnacion Photography

What was your goal for your wedding? When your guests arrived to the wedding, what did you want them to see and feel?

Our #1 goal was for our guests to have a great time! We wanted it to be a day that we not only remembered but everyone remembered. I kept my guests in mind throughout the planning and wanted them to really enjoy themselves. We like to party so we wanted to throw the party of the year!

No one could've said it better - they DO like to party!

What were some of your inspirations for your wedding? Where did you get your inspiration from?

Darren and I both love basketball. We met playing basketball and love watching basketball so that's where our inspiration came from. It was a Golden State Warriors themed wedding.


Warriors headband turned into a garter; mini basketball details, blue and yellow invites, jersey table numbers, and a basketball net gift card holder - complete with a ball autographed by Chris Mullin

What was the hardest part about the planning process?

The hardest part was making sure I took everyone's feelings and opinions into consideration but also keeping true to what I wanted without hurting anyone's feelings.

Check out those SOCKS!

How well were you able to stick to your budget?

Our budget was kind of loose. But we did a lot of things DIY-style and came within an amount we were totally comfortable with.

The Roster

Was there a "must-have" from your wedding that you couldn't do without? In hindsight, was there a "must-have" that you could've done without?

Our "must-have" was a wedding video. I am so happy we did that. The day goes by so fast and when I watched my video over again, there were so many things I didn't remember hearing. Other big hit was probably the taco truck as a late night munchie. Perfect for those that had a lot to drink. I was also really happy that I made and brought my own Golden State Warriors Props. I probably could have done without my wedding planner. I had a lot of good family and friends that supported me and I think I could have done without her.

Was there something that you felt was missing from your wedding?

I wish I had a picture with just my mom. I DON'T. It's the biggest disappointment from that night.

The couple was wed at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley

What was your favorite thing from your wedding?

EVERYTHING!! I loved my wedding; it was definitely the best day of my life.

The reception was held at the San Francisco Design Center.

What was your favorite moment from your wedding?

There was a moment during our reception when Darren and I went to the second floor and just looked down at everyone having fun.

Do you have any advice for future brides?

Figure out what is really important to you; do what you want and let the little things go. If your mom really wants to invite her second cousin - just let her. It's not worth the fight or the stress.

Doesn't look like the stress got to Darren at all!

What are you feelings on hiring a wedding planner?

I think if you find a good one, its a good idea. But if you are organized and really know what you want, then you probably don't need one. Even though we had 400 people, I was totally in tune with what i wanted in my wedding and had a lot of family and friends to support me - so it actually felt manageable.

Where are they now?

It's almost been a year since our wedding and since then we have bought a house together. We are now taking the steps to starting a family. Looking back at my wedding always makes me happy. Whenever I feel sad or mad or if I'm in a little funk, I look up our wedding video or find some pictures. It seems to always put a smile on my face.