Wedding story of Kathryn & Devin

May 28, 2024

WEDDING STORY OF KATHRYN & DEVIN

Kathryn and Devin sought to honor their Italian heritage on their wedding day by hosting an opulent ceremony rich with Italian details at Cielo Farms in Malibu that resembles the energy of Tuscanian hills. Read on to discover our newlyweds' beautiful journey and the bride’s valuable tips for future brides-to-be.

What was the main idea of your wedding?

Ultimately, we wanted to create an Italian-inspired atmosphere, whilst keeping a traditional chic wedding feel. My husband and I both come from an Italian background, and we wanted to pay homage to our roots through the food menu, cocktails, florals, and of course, the beautiful venue we chose.

Describe your wedding atmosphere in three words.

Romantic. Opulent. Celebratory.

Please tell us a little bit about your location for the wedding. Why did you and your husband choose it?

After looking at hundreds of venues online, Cielo Farms in Malibu, CA had the closest energy to the Tuscany hills we aimed for. It was the first and only venue we saw in person before making our decision. It was absolutely love at first sight and we immediately set our date.

The winding road you take to make it to the top of the hill, where you then find the gorgeous vineyard that is Cielo Farms, took our breath away. The views at the top are even better — they embody everything we were looking for.

Were there personal touches in the decor or ceremony? Perhaps you can recall some details that are important to you.

Absolutely. When you first entered the venue, there was a welcome table that honored our late grandparents with beautiful black and white photos in brass frames.

For the ceremony, we walked down the aisle to “Gloria The Gift Of Life” by Andrea Bocelli, which again speaks to our Italian heritage and the artist himself is someone my family and I listen to daily. I highly recommend everyone give it a listen; you’ll definitely need tissues.

We also had our fabulous family friend officiate the wedding. It was the perfect combination of romance, humor and tradition.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day?

I had my husband answer this question: “holding your hands at the altar.”

What made your wedding special?

Seeing the venue filled with our closest friends and family — watching them all hugging, laughing, dancing, and enjoying the evening.

It was so special to witness the joy everyone was experiencing.

Five tips for couples who are planning their wedding.

Be decisive and don’t overthink too much about the little things — everything will fall into place and you’ll look back on this day remembering the feeling you had, not the details or mishaps.
It’s okay to have different involvement in the planning process — my mom and I did almost all the planning together, and I’m so thankful my husband sat back and let us enjoy this exciting time. Every couple is different, just do what works for you!
Don’t compare to anyone or anything else. Gathering inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest is wonderful and a must, but remember to have confidence in your own ideas and vision.
Trust the process. A floral mockup will never compare to the day-of look, so take these moments with ease and know it will come together beautifully.
Let go and enjoy every single moment of your wedding day. Nothing else matters in these moments, except the beauty of coming together as One. Imperfection is beauty and this is what the day is all about!

Five tips for brides-to-be.

Enjoy the process of gathering all your inspo, and then don’t look back. If it helps, even unfollow those bridal accounts (for the time being), so you don’t second guess any decisions you’ve made!
Be YOU. We see every article on how to prep for the wedding day, which consists of thousands of dollars worth of workout plans, skincare routines, body contouring, etc. I chose to stick to my normal routine and truly felt so good on my day because I showed up authentically me.
Take everyone’s opinions with a grain of salt and don’t get offended by unwanted input. The people around you love you and will get excited to share their vision. No need to get worked up because, at the end of the day, you are the decision-maker.
There will absolutely be a few things that come up that you and your partner don’t agree on. This is okay! Sit with the indifferences and know that not everything will go your way or their way, but the end result will be beautiful.
Whether you’re into a big or small celebration, go all out with the things you care about! The dress, florals, venue, shoes…everything. This is your one day to feel like the perfect Queen that you are. Money will always find its way back to you 😉

Five biggest regrets on your wedding day.

Honestly, it’s hard to come up with a list because I genuinely enjoyed every bit of our day. If I had to list any, here are a few:

Worrying too much about the DJ not playing specific song requests. At the end of the day, everyone was on the dance floor and enjoying the night.
Not eating enough appetizers and wedding cake — take it ALL in, food included. I’m thankful our wedding planner set aside some appetizers for us, but I would’ve loved to enjoy more of it.
Not taking even more time to stand back and take in the evening truly.

We will be happy to hear about your experience with Milla Nova. Where and under what circumstances did you find the dress? Was it love at first sight?

It had been a few months after getting engaged and I was becoming so eager to find my dress. After a late night of scrolling through Instagram, I came across the dress and it was absolutely love at first sight. I knew this dress had to be mine and I was going to find a way to make it happen.

I immediately went to the Milla Nova website, only to find out the company is based out of Ukraine, BUT the brand itself was scattered around the world. I then found a bridal boutique based in Los Angeles, Viero Bridal, that sold the Milla Nova brand, but not my exact dress. I contacted them and they made the process so easy. The dress was ordered, and it would take about 6 months for the dress to arrive in-store (thank goodness I started looking for a dress right away).

When the day came to try on the dress, I invited some family members to join me. I had them each pick out a dress for me to try on and then I would try on my Milla Nova dress last. As it was meant to be, I put this dress on and knew it was the one. Nothing compared to the way I felt, the floral details and the fit were just perfection.