Brookview Ranch Wedding In Malibu

When your best friend of 25 years gets engaged and you’re a Los Angeles wedding planner, you immediate jump on the task of planning the day in it’s entirety with no detail forgotten. Jennie and I have been friends for 25 years! There is a super special picture somewhere of us on our first day of kindergarten. Jennie, in the background looked terrified. I on the other hand stood proudly with my Little Mermaid lunchbox in hand. The rest is history. We’ve been through boyfriends, breakups, and all of the emotions of our teenage years. When Jennie and David got engaged, I couldn’t wait to dive in and plan their Brookview Ranch wedding in Malibu.

Jennie and David met while they both were studying at George Washington University on the east coast. Jennie grew up in a Los Angeles suburb with her quiet and always polite British parents. David hails from Ohio, and like me, has a family of loud Italians who always seem to be yelling about something. The pair dated while studying for their doctorate degrees and got engaged over an emotional (mostly on David’s end) and special evening during the holidays.

With the couple living in DC and busy with their studies, I was able to take the lead in creating their wedding day from venue, to design, and all the special details along the way. With Jodi from One Take Events there to take on the final logistics of the day, we had an incredible team in place for a perfect fall Malibu wedding for this special couple.

From the start, Jennie knew she wanted to take advantage of our amazing Southern California weather and have a fully outdoor wedding. Jennie and David envisioned big trees, open space, and being surrounded by nature. We quickly started searching in the Malibu mountains for the perfect wedding venue. Brookview Ranch checked all of their boxes with a beautiful setting, ample parking for guests with easy access, and a lot of flexibility with how we can utilize the space.

The day was filled with many special and emotional moments, and lots of cameos from the couples sweet corgi, Darcie. I love when couples incorporate their pets into their wedding. Sometimes it’s a custom napkin, and other times it’s full on photoshoot’s like with Jennie and David. Darcie was on hand to give all the hugs and kisses for her happy parents.

The First Look!

The first look is always a favorite moment of the day. There is so much emotion building up to seeing your partner on your wedding day. When you finally do, it’s always this big release. I love digging through the gallery to find these photos and often find myself tearing up as well!

Malibu Wedding Ceremony

October in Southern California is always a guessing game on the weather. But in recent years it’s definitely been one of the hotter months. Luckily, being a Malibu wedding, we got some of that coastal air and it was actually a pretty mild day for this Brookview Ranch wedding in Malibu.

The couple’s dog, Darcie made another appearance as part of the guestbook decor on the welcome table. The arbor for the ceremony was handcrafted by no other than my husband for this special day. Foxglove Los Angeles worked their magic with these incredible lush arrangements for the arbor which we repurposed to the sweetheart table after the ceremony.

Brookview Ranch Wedding Reception

Jennie had a color palette and some decor elements in mind which we worked into the overall design of the day. We had a soft palette of mauve, blush, and dusty sage and used rose gold and geometric accents to add a modern clean element to the design. The string lights overhead and glowing candles created a cozy and romantic vibe for the dinner reception.

For the dessert, the couple served traditional Italian and British desserts. The dessert station included favorites from each of their cultural backgrounds in a delicious display of sweet treats. Everything was a hit but the star was the corgi cookies. Another ode to their sweet dog Darcie!

This wedding was extra special for me. Planning such a special day in someone’s life has always been very meaningful and fulfilling to me. But extra special when it is for your childhood friend. Congratulations to Jennie and David!

At the time of this post, Brookeview Ranch is currently renovating after being affected by wildfires and plans to offer tours again in 2024.