Photo: Amy and Stuart Photography
Sally Pressman and David Rogers are used to playing for an audience. They each have leading roles on hit television series—she on Lifetime's Army Wives and he on ABC Family's Jane by Design. So when it came time to plan their wedding, the couple naturally considered their crowd—190 of their closest friends and family who gathered at Santa Barbara's Bacara Resort & Spa for a mid-September celebration. "Guests were given a burlap bag of gifts when they arrived at the hotel," says Sally. "They were filled with items that are local to Santa Barbara, including locally made truffles infused with white chocolate and lavender."
Lavender was central to the wedding's rustic garden theme: dried sprigs were tied to the escort cards and also accented the couple's signature Champagne cocktail.
Photos: Amy and Stuart Photography
The couple's ceremony took place on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and incorporated several Jewish traditions and blessings, as well readings by several of the couple's close friends.
Photos: Amy and Stuart Photography
The bride carried an all-white bouquet of dahlias, English garden roses, veronicas, scabiosas, hydrangeas, and japonica stems that had a romantic "just picked" feel. David sported a boutonniere of lavender sprigs on his custom-made Armani suit. Each of Sally's 11 bridesmaids wore chiffon dresses by Joanna August in varying shades of blue and purple.
Photos: Amy and Stuart Photography
The celebrity pair worked with wedding planner Yifat Oren and Associates to create a romantic reception setting that resembled a European garden. The outdoor space at Bacara Resort & Spa was transformed using rustic wooden tables and lush botanicals arranged by The Velvet Garden. For the tablescape, a collection of purple sweet peas, lavender sprigs, tulips, white hydrangeas, and blue flannel flowers were set on wrought-iron pedestals. Plantings of herbs such as lavender, mint, basil, and oregano were placed in vintage glassware, mason jars, and bottles topped the dining tables. "When I walked into the reception, I almost cried," says Sally. "It looked exactly like I had imagined."
Photos: Amy and Stuart Photography
The bride wore a strapless gown with a scallop-shaped beaded overlay designed by Kenneth Pool. "The instant I put the dress on, I knew it was special," Sally says. "I did try on a few more dresses, but couldn't get it out of my mind. I brought my brother to look at my top five gowns, and before I had even made it out of the dressing room, he said, 'That's the one!'" She accessorized with rose-cut diamond earrings, a tulip cuff, and a beaded veil, by Amsale.
The gown's delicate scallop beading played a large part in stealing the bride heart. Her look was completed by rose-cut diamond earrings, a tulip cuff and a beaded veil, also by Amsale.
Photos: Amy and Stuart Photography
The bride's wedding band was handcrafted by a jeweler in New York City. Her earrings and cuff bracelet are by Gilan. The heels of her Giuseppi Zanotti shoes were embellished with crystals.
Photos: Amy and Stuart Photography
"David proposed in the middle of yoga class," says Sally. "He wanted it to be a surprise and knew that I'd never expect him to propose while I was in the middle of workout. He had called ahead and let the trainers know what he was planning to do, and he showed up, interrupted our 10-person class, and got down on one knee! Everyone, including me, was crying—it was truly amazing."
Photo: Amy and Stuart Photography
Photographer: Amy and Stuart Photography || Venue: Santa Barbara's Bacara Resort & Spa || Planner: Yifat Oren and Associates || Florist: The Velvet Garden || Bride's Dress: Kenneth Pool for Amsale || Bride's Earrings and Bracelet: Gilan || Bride's Veil: Amsale || Bride's Shoes: Giuseppi Zanotti || Bridesmaid Dresses: Joanna August || Groom's Tux: Armani
Visit our Real Weddings Gallery to find more gorgeous seaside wedding inspiration.
—Anne-Marie Scali
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