Once Orlando Vargas caught the eye of his new neighbor Kelsey Lafko, she worked up the courage to spark a conversation with him by their condominium pool. The two started dating and got engaged while celebrating their four-year anniversary in Sedona, Arizona. “Orlando had placed his backpack down where I was standing and asked the nearby couple to take our photo. That’s when music started playing and he got down on one knee to propose,” the bride recalls.

Fond of hosting parties and do-it-yourself décor, Kelsey confided in Pinterest, wedding magazines, and her coordinator to plan their perfect wedding. A beautiful villa-inspired venue was complemented by greenery and lush garden florals to provide a romantic and organic ambience. Obsessed with blooms, the bride worked with her florist to ensure that the arrangements perfectly executed her vision. “I wanted lush arrangements that had ivy and jasmine along with my favorite garden roses in colors of blush and light apricot. It was important to me that our florals were very fragrant,” she describes. Since having a customized monogram incorporated throughout the décor was equally important to Kelsey, The Original Runner Company placed it on the aisle runner and the symbol appeared all throughout the reception.

“I feel like all of our personal touches made our wedding unique.”

After the lovely alfresco ceremony, guests gathered for cocktail hour accompanied by a live mariachi band. Place cards doubled as favors since they were customized vases decorated with a tag showcasing the respective table number. “In addition, we had our guests’ names laser cut out of wood and painted gold to be placed at their assigned table. Other favors included a gold foil-wrapped chocolate bar embellished with our monogram,” Kelsey describes. The duo's wedding cake also showcased two of the most important décor elements – layers of flowers and their monogram crafted into the fondant. Once the couple sliced into their stunning confection, the bride surprised her sweetheart with a personalized groom’s cake in honor of his alma mater. “I feel like all of our personal touches made our wedding unique,” she affirms.

Musing upon her dream wedding, Kelsey shares that the unique details are what mattered most to her. “One phrase I felt like I kept repeating was, ‘It’s all about the details.’ I love all the small little personalized details I tried to incorporate,” she describes.