When you come from a large extended family, it’s easy to fall into a hole of seemingly endless wedding expenses, which is what Kristin and Christopher wanted to avoid.

“Once we decided on a small wedding, we had to make the tough call on limits—if we can’t invite all the aunts, we can’t invite one aunt. If we aren’t going to invite all the cousins—’all’ meaning a ton—we can’t invite a few,” says Kristin.

The result was an intimate celebration of 55 in the city the transplant couple called home –  Los Angeles.

“Chris is from Michigan and I am from Georgia, but our entire life together and a large portion of our close friends were in Los Angeles,” explains the bride. “By having a wedding so far from both of our families, we felt it more appropriate to have a small wedding than to create the expectation for so many people to travel across the country.”

Both the ceremony and reception were held in the Carondelet House, a gorgeous property that was built to resemble an Italian villa with urban flair. Architectural details such as exposed brick, beam ceilings, and enchanting chandeliers gave off an industrial elegance vibe that came out striking in the photographs snapped by Chicago-based photographer Ryan Cosens.

And when it came to the planning, Kristin stripped it down to the basics: good food, good friends and family, and love. “We cried at the lovely toasts, stuffed our faces with food and cake, and danced the night away.”

Kristin, 29 & Christopher, 30

Los Angeles, California

Wedding Date: November 4, 2012

Number of Guests: 55

Wedding Ceremony Location: Carondelet House, Los Angeles

Wedding Reception Location: Carondelet House, Los Angeles

If you are a bride looking for a venue in the Santa Barbara area, the Santa Ynez Inn might just be the perfect fit for your intimate wedding!

The Santa Ynez Inn offers a both indoor and outdoor options, as well as a wide variety of spaces to accommodate your wedding style. If you want to treat your guests to stunning wine country views while you say your vows, maybe the gorgeous lawn and garden area is your cup of tea.

If your wedding has more of a vintage flavor, the restored Coach House has plush carpets and decadent artwork and room for 125 guests to celebrate with you. Thinking of having a banquet reception for your 50 guests? The inn has a large parlor with a stunning fireplace – and a catering staff to match. The inn even offers the perfect space for the weddings of 12 people or less in the cozy library, complete with a fireplace and access to breathtaking gardens.

In addition to an array of perfect spaces, the Santa Ynez Inn is also equipped to create custom menus and assist with flowers, cake, and entertainment.

Photos: Linda Chaja Photography

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From the bucolic structures that dot Wine Country to the rustic venues that contrastingly lie on the outskirts of Southern California’s most populated areas, there is no shortage of California barn wedding venues. We scoured the Golden State to bring you eight of the most stunning venues that range from rustic romance to unexpected modern design.

Santa Margarita Ranch, Santa Margarita, Calif.

This historical central coast barn wedding venue is a real working ranch and evokes a sense of simplistic charm on its property. Unique touches, such as a narrow-gauge steam engine with Disneyland-origin pas­sen­ger cars (the only train every removed from the park) have been added around the head­quar­ters area for one-of-a-kind photo ops for couples and guests.

Gift giving should be fun, but the unparalleled popularity of the wedding registry, while wonderful and convenient, seems to have taken some of the joy out of the whole gifting process. Why not put the fun back into gift giving with a bridal shower gift theme?

Check out these 8 unique and fabulous bridal shower gift themes:

1. Wine and Dine

Perfect for foodie couples, the Wine and Dine themed bridal shower asks guests to bring the bride-to-be either a bottle (or two) of wine and/or a gift certificate to a local restaurant. Not only will the couple get a great start to their wine collection, but they’ll also benefit from some much needed time together while getting a few nights off from cooking.

If you’re thinking of a destination wedding (which have exponentially risen in popularity in the last few years), it’s nearly impossible to know your options without a Google search. However, that search can be pretty frustrating. It can take forever to sift through a mountain of outdated and irrelevant websites to find what you want.

Which is why we’re totally crushing on Ever After, a brand spankin’ new website that has done the legwork for you. Their extensive wedding database covers the world’s most romantic wedding locations, from white sandy beaches to Gatsby-worthy ballrooms, expansive terraces with a view to lush gardens—even at a property’s equestrian stables. Their Specialists have navigated the globe and can personally vouch for each of the properties they recommend so you don’t have to worry that the photos online won’t look like the real thing, or that you are being taken advantage of. They’ll even advise you on wedding documentation and legal requirements so that everything is in order when it’s time to walk down the aisle.

Here’s how it works: after you fill out a short survey, they’ll match you up with one of their Romance Travel Specialists who is an expert in the type of wedding you are planning. They’ll call you to discuss your ideal destination and your wedding vision, and then match you to your dream venue. based on your style and budget. They provide you with all the important info (pricing, packages and perks), and they’ll even handle travel and accommodations for your guests. And did we mention that it’s free?!

So if you’re thinking of a wedding in paradise such as the Caribbean, Hawaii or Mexico, don’t waste your precious planning time scouring the web … let Ever After do it for you and your guests.

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