Californian couple Brooke and Jovany didn’t set out to have a destination wedding when they first began their journey to the altar. That is until they found a venue they simply couldn’t pass up.

“We chose the Reflection Bay as our wedding location because we fell in love with the view and how special the ambiance made us feel,” the couple says.

Although COVID-19 forced Brooke and Jovany to narrow down their 160 guest count to just 70, friends and family completely understood which eased some of the couple’s tension. After recruiting Tara Federico of Scheme Events, the daunting task of planning a dreamy wedding during the pandemic became much easier.

“We knew exactly what we wanted and Tara and her team knew how to get it done,” the bride says.

The overall vibe Brooke and Jovany had pictured for their special day was rustic yet elegant. While most of the design elements were handled by their lovely planning team, the couple did include some DIY projects for extra personalization.

“One project included staining our wedding signs and we had Acamy Schleikorn do hand lettering on the wood,” Brooke says. “Another project was our party favors. Jovany has been in the wine industry so we had our favorite winery bottle us a few different wines and we then labeled the bottles ourselves with custom wedding labels for each guest to take home.”

From personal touches to the perfect elegant, rustic theme, the couple couldn’t have pictured their nuptials any other way. 

“All of our vendors made our day so special by adding those personalized touches to our wedding day,” the couple says.

Brooke and Jovany’s celebration taught them a number of things about wedding planning, but one we couldn’t agree more with is to have your wedding day recorded!

“There are so many moments that weren’t seen by either of us, like getting ready separately that morning, the behind the scene moments of our guests, and the setup of the event,” Brooke says. “It is fun to watch the video, and all the amazing feelings and memories come right back.”

Vendors: Photographer: Kristen Marie Wedding & Portraits; Wedding Planner: Scheme Events; Ceremony/Reception Site: Reflection Bay Golf Club; Florist: Layers of Lovely; Stationery: Minted; Cake: Las Vegas Custom Cakes; Hair & Makeup: Makeup In The 702; Gown Designer: Made With Love Unique Bridal; Groom and Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Men’s Wearhouse; Bridesmaids Dresses: We Are Flower Girls; Videographer: Adam Trujillo Photography; Favors: Orfila Winery; Sign Lettering: Acamy Schleikorn