Real Weddings/Modern Weddings

A Magical Pampas Grass Filled Wedding At Terranea Resort

Do you stan pampas grass? Ignoring any calls to end the trend? We’re with you. Pampas grass adds texture, whimsy and volume to wedding floral arrangements, venues and decor.

If you’re looking for a prime example of how to masterfully pull off the pampas grass wedding theme, look no further than this magical Terranea Resort in California.

We’re also thankful for bride Raylena echoing our ethos: “There are no rules to weddings, and I enjoyed making ours our own.” Raylena included both her best guy and best girlfriend as maid and man of honor. Plus, Giancarlo had two best men. There’s no reason you have to pick just one important person to honor (in fact, you don’t have to pick any!)

And, if you need any help planning a mixed-gender wedding party, here’s our guide!

Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 40
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 64

Our Love Story

We like to believe it was fate that brought us together through a dating app (Coffee Meets Bagel). As both first-timers to the dating app world, we quickly matched. However, a conversation took a while to form.

What seemed like a few weeks later, Giancarlo finally reached out and a first date was set up. Safe to say that the date went well and we were together every weekend after that, the rest is history.

Our proposal was during a very uncertain time during Covid. Giancarlo decided to set up something a bit more intimate with what I believed to be a “photo shoot” out in Joshua Tree with my cousin (who does photography and film). He got down on one knee and proposed in the middle of the shoot and my cousin was able to compile a short film and we also got some great pictures!

Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 36
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 12
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 16
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 13
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 18

Unique Details

We had two maids of honor and two best men! Who says that you can only have one?! I love that we didn’t have to choose. I was able to have my best girlfriend and best guy friend stand by my side as “Maid of Honor” and “Man of Honor”. And, Giancarlo was able to have his two best guy friends by his side. I also was fortunate enough to have two dads walk me down the aisle, my dad and my stepdad. There are no rules to weddings, and I enjoyed making ours our own.

Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 17
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 20
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 23
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 28
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 25

The Venue & Planning

Our wedding day took place overlooking the ocean at Terranea Resort, it was a warm beautiful sunny day filled with lots of pampas, lots of people, and of course, lots of love!

A Good Affair captured everything we imagined for our special day, including a neutral palette of colors, pampas and dried florals and a specialized drink menu featuring our two dogs, Milo and Olive. We had a lovely ceremony with an amazing officiant, Clint Hufft, whom all our guests enjoyed! Our reception was dreamy and delightful with white carpeted floors and large pampas arrangements. With two families that love to dance, dance battles occurred all night long on the dance floor and didn’t stop until 2 AM when the wedding ended. It was definitely a night to remember.

Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 26
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 29
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 2
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 1

The Photography

Although our wedding planner gave us a lot of great photography and videography recommendations, we were drawn to one in particular. After looking through Michelle Flores Photography photo gallery, we knew she was the one for us. Her work was everything we were looking for in a photographer, we loved that she was able to capture candid moments as well as posed photos so beautifully. Her work had a light and airy feel that matched exactly what we were aiming for on our wedding day. We were nothing less of impressed after we had our engagement shoot and film with her and her team and knew they would blow us away with our wedding photos and film – which they absolutely did!

Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 37
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 41
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 44

Favorite Moments

One of our favorite moments of the wedding would have to be having our two French Bulldogs have a part in it. We love them so much!

Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 45
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 50
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 11
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 80
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 71
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 54
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 60
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 68
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 81
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 61
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 65
Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 5

Advice to Other Couples

Some tips I would pass along would be to find a great wedding planner. Because although we all hear how stressful weddings are until you’re actually planning one do you realize all the small details and decisions that go into it that would have never crossed your mind. A great wedding planner can take a good load of the stress off and guide you to great decisions. We are so thankful for ours!

Another helpful tip: Prioritize what is most important to you on your wedding day and spend most of your budget there, save on the rest if you can.

Boho Wedding With Pampas Grass – Netta Benshabu Wedding Dress – Michelle Flores Photography 84
Share this