A colorful wedding dress, parade, and rainbow decor impress guests at this playful New Children’s Museum wedding

Rachel and Jeremy’s San Diego wedding at New Children’s Museum is bursting with good vibes, no doubt because they made sure everything was aligned closely with their two requirements: that their wedding be 1) colorful and 2) happy. As long as those musts were met, they knew their day would be special and guests would love it too. Details like a custom colorful wedding dress, rainbow tablescapes, a second line with their brass band were just some of the ways they made that happen. 100LC vendor guide member, the talented Lets Frolic Together, was behind the lens for this most joyful bash, and Horton Grand Hotel made for the perfect, intimate downtown spot to say I Do before parading on over to the museum.

Rachel’s Colorful Wedding Dress

Traditional fully white wedding dresses never really seemed to fit my personality. I started with wanting something with color and then the idea of partially white struck me as a lovely way to give a nod to the traditional wedding dress, but still make it my own. While shopping for a dress I discovered the wonderful designer Elizabeth Dye from Portland, OR, who makes stunning wedding dresses, both in traditional white/ivory and many other colors. While trying on her dresses, she said we could do something custom and that seemed like the perfect option. Elizabeth listened to all of my ideas and goals, and she designed a dress that felt uniquely me.  Terra Cotta Studio whipped up the most gorgeous, vibrant florals for the occasion. Just wait until you see the ceremony and reception arrangements…

The Wedding Theme: Colorful and Happy

The New Children’s Museum in San Diego is a modern art museum for children. Walking into the venue it just felt unique, interesting, and, most importantly, happy. We thought all the colors on the walls would only be a perfect backdrop for all of our colorful attire and the opportunity to slide down a two story slide on our wedding day was a big plus. For our ceremony location we were excited to find the Horton Grand, which was only a few blocks away from the reception venue. We had already booked a band with brass instruments, so a New Orleans second line seemed like the perfect way to get our guests from the ceremony to the reception. We also wanted the ceremony to still have soul and significance before moving on to the craziness and fun of the reception. Having all of our guests parade down the street with brass horns playing was the perfect transition.

The couple knew they wanted to celebrate their wedding at The New Children’s Museum, but they couldn’t gather there until 5pm. Not wanting to rush the ceremony, they decided to look for a ceremony venue nearby. Luckily, they found Horton Grand Hotel a few blocks away, which had a gorgeous courtyard for the ceremony and was walking distance to the reception.

Most Memorable Moments

Rachel: I remember I was given advice by a friend to really make sure to pause during the day and enjoy individual moments, specifically to take our time walking down the aisle and really look out at everyone. I remember so vividly turning the corner to walk down the aisle with both my parents by my side and slowly walking down the aisle and seeing all the people that we love smiling and staring back at me. I just remember feeling so much joy and love. It was the perfect moment that ended with me getting to finally make it to my husband on the altar that really just felt like that “oh my goodness it’s happening” moment.

Jeremy’s: Definitely our first look. Rach had kept the details of her dress under wraps. I knew she’d been working with her designer to do something special, but had no idea what. At first, I didn’t notice the color and had a moment thinking “well this is nice, but I’m not seeing what all the fuss was about.” Once she pointed out the color, I was absolutely floored. I hadn’t expected that at all. Then I got to watch my family see the dress for the first time and enjoy their reactions. Those photos are some of my favorites of the day.

A colorful wedding dress and ribbon wands for the ceremony = some seriously joyful photos.

Moral of the story: if you have the opportunity to have a wedding parade, HAVE A WEDDING PARADE.

How fun are these electric-hued glass candle holders? When R + J couldn’t find the type of decor they wanted to make their tables pop, they opted to go the DIY route and add colored window film to clear hurricane glasses. They also wanted all of their wedding signage, paper goods, and website to be bright and fun, so to keep the design consistent, they did that themselves, too. So creative and clearly a success!

Wedding Saves vs Splurges

Our biggest splurge was for photography. It mattered so much to us to get someone who would give us photos that we would cherish for years. Jasmine, with Let’s Frolic Together, was able to understand our goals and needs. She was able to capture all of the color and fun of the venue and event, but also the spirit and soul of this incredibly important moment in our lives. We thought it was so important to find someone who was able to capture those candids and make you feel like you were there. When shopping for a photographer we looked at multiple full catalogues for each and with Jasmine’s work it wasn’t just one or two incredible shots, but rather picture after picture documenting the story of each couple’s love and their special day.

We also splurged on the band. Bands are frequently more expensive than DJs, but with the band we got to have a parade, live music during cocktail hour, and of course wonderful music for the dance floor. The band was another area where we got great feedback from our guests.

We saved money in several areas. Going with ice cream over the traditional cake allowed us to save a bit of money on dessert and share our personality with our favorite ice cream place in San Diego, Stella Jean’s with their Mango Sticky Rice ice cream. To offset splurging on photography, we thought we could save some money on opting out of a videographer. We still don’t regret this decision as our photos perfectly captured the day and we will look at those much more frequently than we would video. Finally, we went with a day of coordinator over a full wedding planner. While we did save money here, it was money well spent. Our wedding coordinator Jacqueline Jean was incredible. She was calm, focused, and detail oriented. We always felt like we were in good hands.

One last moment for the dress…

Such a fun way to do a San Diego wedding. Congrats to Jeremy and Rachel!

Cakies, find more colorful wedding ideas like this right here, and be sure to check out Matchbook to find your perfect vendor team.

Photography: Lets Frolic Together | Ceremony Venue: Horton Grand Hotel | Reception Venue: New Children’s Museum in San Diego | Planning: Jacquelynn Jean Events | Florist: Terra Cotta Studio | Hair: Ziel Bridal | Makeup: Elizabeth Root | Catering: Culinary Concepts  | Bar Service: San Diego Wine & Culinary Center | Dessert: Stella Jean’s Ice Cream | Rentals: Raphael’s Party Rentals | Band: Lucky Devils Band | Custom Colorful Wedding Dress: Elizabeth Dye | Bridesmaids’ Attire: The Dessy Group | Hotel for Getting Ready: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina

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