A Santa Barbara Wedding

• Published October 21st, 2009 by Debbie Adams
• 1 Comment

It could not have been a more beautiful day for the wedding of Kyle Erickson and Jennifer Bateman on Friday, October 16, 2009 at Elings Park in Santa Barbara, California. It could have been cooler, as temperatures were in the 90s, but at least it wasn't pouring rain like it was earlier that week. Despite the heat, their wedding day was picture-perfect and I want to personally thank all the event vendors who made it all come together. My good friend, Stephanie Hogue, was the professional photographer who captured the day and I just enjoyed myself so the few images posted here are with my happy snap camera. I can't wait to see all the wedding images from Stephanie Hogue Photography! (www.hoguephoto.com)

Jennifer found her couture wedding dress by Edgardo Bonilla at the bridal salon Beautiful owned by seamtress extraordinaire Mercedes Trump. I was fortunate to be with Jen when she first tried it on, it was so beautiful on her and everything she had wanted her dress to be. Mercedes did an awesome job with adding the lace sleeves and altering the dress to be a perfect fit for Jen. It was truly one of the most exquisite wedding dresses I have seen and in 34 years of photographing weddings, I have seen A LOT of wedding dresses! Jen was a beautiful princess bride!

We hosted the rehearsal dinner at our favorite Santa Barbara establishment, Opal Restaurant (www.opalrestaurantandbar.com). Richard Yates and his staff took great care of us. Everything was fantastic from the appetizers, the selection of entrees and the dessert accompanied by a fabulous selection of wines. The atmosphere of Opal is so warm and friendly. We enjoy it so much that Matt and I returned there again on Saturday to have dinner with friends before we left town.

The absolute best florist in town, Kaleidoscope Flowers, (www.kaleidoscopeflowers.com) designed all the floral arrangements and personal flowers and as always they were lovely. Thank you Michael and the crew at the shop! Your personal care and service were greatly appreciated!

The wedding ceremony was officiated by Jill Stein. Jill was our wedding coordinator over 10 years ago and now she is an awesome officiant. She is a calming presence at weddings and I love the way she personalizes the vows for each couple. I really liked the part of the ceremony while they were holding hands and have included the words below to share with everyone.

These are the hands of your best friend, beautiful and strong. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy. They will reach out in the dark, while you are sleeping, to calm you during a bad dream. They will love you, cherish you, and with the slightest touch, comfort you like no other’s touch can. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, tuck them into bed, guide them as they grow, and these are the hands that will cling to you for strength when it is time to let your children go out on their own. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

The beautiful wedding cake was made by Katie Scott of Montecito Confections (www.montecitoconfections.com) and it was absolutely delicious. I had to have both the white layer of cake and the chocolate, it was so good.

Clark Staub from Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos (www.fulloflifefoods.com) provided a wonderful menu to please the palette. The buffet included a Los Alamos Market Salad, Goleta Mussels with Spicy Rouille, Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Oven-Roasted Grapes with Fennel and a variety of Flatbread including Cheese & Herb, Pepperoni & Peppers, Central Coast Sausage and Kalamata Olive & Feta. I especially enjoyed the mussels! The fantastic selection of wines was provided by VanceErickson, a boutique wine broker for Southern California and the Central Coast and the emerging wine business of the groom Kyle Erickson and his business partner Ted Vance.

DJ Nahchey a fast-rising star in the Hollywood club scene (www.nahchey.com) kept the music playing and the people dancing throughout the evening.

Kyle and Jennifer are enjoying a two week honeymoon on a Mediterrean cruise exploring Spain, France and Italy. Now that is a honeymoon!

Jennifer & Kyle exchange their wedding vows...

The first kiss is a magical moment...

Could this couple be any happier as they are pronounced husband and wife!

My good friend and fabulous photographer, Stephanie Hogue.

The Bride & Groom cut their wedding cake.