A Modern Wedding at the Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla, California

If you could get hitched just steps from where you met your groom, would you? If the spot in question is nestled in the oceanside cliffs of San Diego, we'd say the answer is a resounding yes! When Connie and Paul got engaged, they searched for a venue that captured the beautiful, sunny city where they fell in love—and decided on Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla, California, a modern, architectural venue overlooking the ocean at UCSD, the university where Connie and Chris first met. With eighteen months to plan, Connie used her design skills—and a bevy of gorgeous vintage finds—to create a sleek, elegant bash with hand-crafted details in a warm, inviting metallic palette. Throw in a floaty, romantic J.Crew gown, endless bunches of lush blooms, and a to-die-for view, and you're left with a truly picture-perfect seaside affair.

Connie asked a designer friend to make her invitations, save-the-dates, menu, and thank-you notes, which reflected the event's sleek aesthetic and warm gold palette. Her favorite part? The hand-drawn map, which Connie aptly describes as "just totally awesome." We couldn't agree more.

Connie wore the "Miranda" gown from J.Crew, a simple cotton A-line silhouette with an interior corset and—the clincher for the bride—pockets. "The cotton material felt perfect for our venue, and the shape and fit were classic and timeless," Connie says. She paired the gown with a peony bouquet, gold Valentino heels, her mom's "something borrowed" diamond pendant, and a stunning diamond bracelet gifted by Chris on their wedding day. Her Swarovski-encrusted belt was created by Prismera Design.

Connie's sister and maid-of-honor, Jenna, sparkled in a deep gold Modcloth dress covered in tiny sequins and paillettes. Her flower girl, 5-year-old Isla (who also served as ring bearer when her 2-year-old brother couldn't quite grasp the job description), twirled in a silk taffeta dress and glittery Crewcuts flats. Groomsmen wore boutonnieres composed of succulents, cotton, and balsawood flowers.

Chris looked dapper in a dark charcoal Hickey Freeman suit, black Armani shoes, and a pale gold Prada tie (to match his groomsmen).

Like the wedding itself, Connie and Chris' music selections for the ceremony were an eclectic mix of classic and modern. The groom's processional was a cover of The Pixies's "Here Comes Your Man" by The Vitamin String Quartet, while Connie walked down the aisle to a piano rendition of Pachelbel's Canon in D. The recessional was a cover of The Darkness's "I Believe In A Thing Called Love," also by The Vitamin String Quartet.

The couple's escort cards were displayed in a vintage shoe rack (a nod to Connie's shoe obsession), expertly tracked down by an eagle-eyed friend and decked out with the bride and groom's favorite kicks. The banners on the backs of their chairs, Connie says, were a last-minute addition, but she'll never forget how great they turned out.

Connie and Chris chose the Scripps Center for its sleek aesthetic and location in the heart of UCSD, where they met in 2003. "Our venue was very modern (very us!), but I wanted to bring some soft romance to the venue with touches of metallic," Connie says. They mixed blush and gold decor with metallic accents and DIY elements, like embossed cocktail napkins and a balsawood flower on each plate.

Wedding planner Heather, from Amorology Weddings in Carlsbad, CA, decked out a mixture of round and long tables in lush flowers in the couple's warm rose gold palette. Chris's mom sanded and painted wooden table numbers in Roman numerals, while Connie's friend Laura hand-lettered the menus.

Connie and Chris served both a three-tier cake and a smaller cake to stand alone. The three-tier cake was finished in white and gold with fresh flowers and decorated with Roman numerals spelling out their wedding date of June 22, 2013. It had two flavors: red velvet with cream cheese frosting and lemon with raspberry buttercream.

A live painter helped Connie and Chris commemorate the event, while guests snapped pics in the photo booth and took home foil-wrapped bars of chocolate with labels that read "You're Gold, Love Connie and Chris."

Instead of a traditional guestbook, Connie and Chris encouraged their guests to leave them a note on these adorable cards.

After the wedding, Connie and Chris jetted off to the South of France and Italy for their honeymoon. What's married life like for these two? "Just the same as before, but even better!" Connie says.

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Scripps Seaside Forum || Wedding Planner: Heather fromAmorology Weddings || Bride's Wedding Dress: J.Crew|| Belt: Prismera Design|| Shoes: Valentino || Hair: Drybar || Makeup: KC Witcamp || Bridesmaids' Dresses: Modcloth|| Groom's Tuxedo: Hickey Freeman || Rings: Blue Nile || Florist Twigg Botanicals || Invitations & Paper Goods: Invitations by Julie Su letterpressed with gold foil by Czar Press, Menus and thank-you cards by Laura Su, day-of calligraphy, place cards, escort cards and banners by Angelique Ink || Music: Rachael DJ Fishfonics|| Catering: Coast Catering, Giuseppe Catering || Cake: Hey There, Cupcake || Photobooth: Classic Photo Booth || Photography: Jill Thomas Photography

You Might Also Like:
See more modern weddings
A Pastel-Themed Wedding in Beverly Hills, California
An Eclectic Wedding in San Francisco