style me bridal : rehearsal dinner fiesta
Since our wedding would have a soft, romantic vibe, I wanted our rehearsal dinner to be completely opposite. A colorful, playful, super fun fiesta!
Damien and I had our first date at a Mexican restaurant and are both big fans of margaritas, so it was a no brainer when I thought to have our rehearsal dinner at Yolanda’s Mexican Cafe in Camarillo (near our wedding location). Since our wedding would have a soft, romantic vibe; I wanted our rehearsal dinner to be completely opposite. A colorful, playful, super fun fiesta…mission accomplished!
I decorated the tables with mini sombreros and Latin instruments and printed colorful menus that I personalized with a maracas stamp. I wore my new Heidi Merrick dress, which I had been saving to wear, for this very special occasion. (Side note: I picked out this dress before we decided on a rehearsal dinner fiesta. I think I was subliminally influenced by it, because it’s pretty perfect for this festive occasion.)
Mid way through the night, the toasts began and I must say…Damien and I are so lucky to have, the wonderful friends we do. They gave the most witty, heartfelt, funny speeches ever! We were both so touched and laughed our butts off.
Then came one of my favorite parts of the night…gifting our wedding party! Being in a wedding can be a big pain in the a$$! Yes, it’s an honor and whoever you ask will be thrilled to take part, but it’s still a major time and financial commitment. I wanted to make sure we took care of our dear friends and family for so graciously taking part in our journey. 
For the bridesmaids, I reached out to my favorite brands to create goodie bags any girl would love. I got each lady jewelry from Capwell & Co, make-up from Benefit and beach totes from Soludos. Then, I spent an afternoon at Nordstrom picking out the cutest pajama shorts to complete their bags. My bridesmaids are all so beautiful and different, it was really a fun experience customizing my jewelry, pajama and tote design pick for each girl.
I mean…look at these beauties! (From left to right: my baby sis Genna, my friend of 9 years Naomi, my younger sis & MOH Jolee, my friend of 15 years Julie, my BFF of 17 years & MOH Jasmin, my friend of 19 years Maria, my friend of 7 years Roberta and my friend of 8 years Natalie) No short term love here…friendship runs deep in these circles! Ha!
The whole crew! Pic 1 = smiley photo. Pic 2 = silly photo!
What a magical night, that was the perfect prelude to an incredible wedding! Damien and I are so freaking happy, we can’t take it. This past weekend was a true testament of how lucky we are to be surrounded by so much love. We have amazing families and friends and because of them, we had the perfect wedding. Can’t wait to share more photos with you…can’t wait to get the official photos myself! Till then, there are plenty of teasers on Instagram. #grasieanddamienwedding YAY! Oh and did I mention there was a Polaroid camera at the rehearsal dinner…
Photography by the adorable Sylvia G!!!
