“My husband loves everything about nature,” says Kendra Strandemo. “We knew we’d be married outdoors, but neither of us imagined such an incredible setting.” Surrounded by their family and closest friends, the couple exchanged vows beneath centuries-old sycamore and oak trees at Rancho Las Lomas, a private estate in Orange County, California. It was an unconventional choice being that Rancho Las Lomas is both a botanical garden and zoological site, yet it seemed the perfect locale. “The grounds are unbelievable, very intimate and elegant,” Kendra says. The couple was drawn to the romantic Spanish style of the vintage setting with its quaint haciendas scattered throughout the property, not to mention the exotic wild animals on the grounds— white Bengal tigers, zebras and rare South American parrots created a real element of surprise for out-of-town guests!

Kendra turned to her mother Terry, an interior designer, to help orchestrate all of the fine details of the event. The restored California ranch is an antique collector’s dream with such novelties as vintage pub signs and 100-year-old Pasadena street lamps displayed throughout. It needed little adornment. Wedding photographer Monique Feil took advantage of the iconic red phone booth in the garden for a funloving photo session with the couple.

The afternoon ceremony would be held in the Teatre, an outdoor courtyard marked by a romantic stone fountain and abundant foliage. In selecting a color palette and floral theme for the affair, the couple let the season be their guide. A long petal strewn aisle led to a magnificent natural altar of foliage and flowers in varying hues of red, green and ivory created by the Enchanted Florist. On this particular day in January the sky was crystal clear, and the breeze gentle. Kendra was a beautiful bride in a floor-sweeping gown of finely embroidered lace. Her bouquet was a medley of all white blooms tied with ivory satin. Her bridesmaids carried vibrant bouquets of green cymbidium orchids with white hydrangea. KC looked handsome in a black-on-black Tommy Hilfiger tuxedo paired with a white tie. Kendra spent the minutes leading up to the ceremony with her father in the bridal cottage, sneaking a peak at the guests as they arrived. “It’s a surreal moment when you see all of the people from your life joined together in one place,” she says. When it came time for the bride to walk down the aisle she was pleasantly surprised by the distance it took to reach her future husband. “Not too many brides get that long of a walk!” she exclaims. The couple’s adorable daughter, Kennedy, was the flower girl who “stole the show” from the very beginning. Both KC and Kendra agreed that the greatest moment in the touching ceremony was the vow they took for their child, promising their eternal love to her.

French doors opened onto the spacious patio, where lively conversation filled the air during the cocktail hour. Hanging garden lanterns provided just enough light and a string quartet serenaded the crowd. The happy couple joined their guests in the Grand Salon for dinner. The room was at once elegant and natural. The bride remarks, “I wanted the dining room to feel romantic and warm with lots and lots of candles!” They opted for rich sage green linens with chocolate brown accents to coincide with nature. Copious arrangements of baby’s breath stood in tall vases of bear grass at each table setting. “I chose baby’s breath because it is so untraditional and it can look really dramatic en masse,” she says. Guests were encouraged to write a simple blessing on a river stone placed atop a bed of moss. When it was time to unveil the wedding cake created by The Cake Studio, guests savored the delicious white chocolate and Bavarian crème topped with fresh raspberries.

For their first dance as man and wife, KC and Kendra surprised everyone with a number they had secretly rehearsed. Kendra admits that she was the one who would typically lead during their lessons, but not this time. “I completely messed up and was stepping on his feet the entire dance!” she says. Afterward the entire party joined them on the dance floor. “We found the best DJ around and the dance floor was full the entire night!” she says. “I wish we could do it all again!”