Kathy and Patrick’s Catalina View Gardens Wedding is one for the books! I love their color palette, done to floral perfection by Rebelle Fleurs. Their designs and creativity easily make them one of my industry favorites. In the beginning of the day, the wedding party got ready at Terranea. Because it is only down the street, Terranea is the perfect resort for getting ready on the wedding day. As guests arrive at the venue, the giant circular floral backdrop greets everyone as a showstopper. Guests enjoy live music and the coastal breeze before Kathy and Patrick exchangevows. 

• 

• 

Making it Personal

Kathy and Patrick have an incredible amount of personal touches throughout their Catalina View Gardens wedding. Everything has been brought to life by their planner Nicole Gillis of Nicole Alexandra Designs. Over the past few years, Nicole has become another industry favorite of mine. I have had the pleasure of working with her a number of times at some of my most memorable weddings. Because the couple loves music, their seating display is created with vinyl records. The photobooth backdrop displays a giant neon sign of their last name. In order to pay tribute to their beloved cat, the signature cocktail of the day is named after it! Kathy loves the colors of fall, and was able to create a summer wedding that incorporates those beautiful colors into the palette.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

For the Love of Food

Made by Meg Catering is a huge hit at Catalina View Gardens. During cocktail hour, guests enjoy miniature lobster rolls and chicken and waffles, for instance. As always, you can never go wrong with a fresh guacamole and chips station, with everything made to order. Following dinner, everyone enjoys fresh mini churros and chocolate chip cookies. The bride and groom’s dear friend has created 2 custom ice cream flavors. The choice of sea salt caramel and champagne proves to be a hard flavor decision to make!  

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Two Wedding Dresses for Catalina View Gardens

Because I love a beautiful wedding gown, one of my favorite details of the wedding day is Kathy’s 2 gowns. The first one is perfectly ethereal for the ceremony, with lace and tulle that picks up with the breeze that comes off the ocean. The second is a fitted, beaded gown that is perfect for the evening! 

• 

• 

• 

Personally, if I were to choose a wedding venue close to home today, it would be Catalina View Gardens. It has everything I love in one place. As an ocean lover, I appreciate the unobstructed views of the Pacific. The expansive vineyards are gorgeous. Because it is my architectural preference, I love the touches of Spanish hacienda style. Additionally, I adore the outdoor fireplace. There is a beautiful garden and greenhouse. Finally, the wooden doors surrounded with bougainvillea are the perfect backdrop for photos.

Photographer: Mirelle Carmichael

Planning and Design: Nicole Alexandra Designs

Lodging & wedding preparations: Terranea Resort

Venue: Catalina View Gardens

Caterer: Made by Meg Catering

DJ, Ceremony Musicians, Photobooth: Second Song

Rentals: Bright Event Rentals

Lounge Rentals: Found Rentals

Seating Display: The Bleu Dahlia

Hair and Makeup: Makeup Therapy

Cake: Vanilla Bake Shop

Mirelle Carmichael is an award-winning fine art photographer based in San Diego and Santa Barbara County. She specializes in high-quality publication-worthy photography for weddings, special events, and editorials. Mirelle Carmichael Photography also offers year-round family photography and portraits throughout Southern California.