The first photo I saw of this wedding was a shot by Ali McGhie Photography of the bride with her rainbow colored petticoat, and I knew then that this wedding was special. Then I saw more details and heard the beautiful reason and more about the time and energy that went into planning this heartfelt wedding and soon I was wiping away tears, and I bet you will be too.
Antonio and Soraya have been together for eight years, and knew they would get married when the time was right – however, it turns out the right time was brought on by some unfortunate news when Soraya’s mother was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer. Wanting to have her mother there for this special day, the bride and groom banded together to make it happen in a short span of time. This incredibly touching, love-filled wedding came together in just under three months completely powered by the hearts and hands of friends and family.
Combining a love of rainbows, the art of origami and geeky fandom of the likes of Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars and video games, this wedding bound family and friends together in a completely intimate and handcrafted affair.
Every member of the bridal party represented a color from the rainbow spectrum … and then some (they added pink)! Soraya’s incredible custom made bridal gown (courtesy some Pinterest scouting and two crafty friends) incorporated over 40 yards of rainbow colored tulle into the skirt.
But that’s not all. So many other elements of this wedding were crowdsourced and DIY’d – from the friend officiating the wedding, bartending to photography, decor and more! Even the taco bar meat was made by the bride and groom by slowcooking it in the early morning hours of their wedding day. (Yes, seriously!)
And the touches of origami? Soraya writes: “We knew we wanted to fold the 1,000 paper cranes for a good luck wish which after two months of enlisting my sisters’ and mom’s help, along with a few friends, we were able to fold 1,600 cranes. Our wish at the wedding was for my mom to defeat her cancer and live a long, happy, healthy life with us. Along the way, we also decided to make the bouquets and center pieces origami too because one, they would never die, and two, they were beautiful. So together we folded all those flowers as well.”
Long into the night the party continued poolside under twinkling lights strung up to illuminate the carefully hand folded origami cranes while the attendees dined on a taco and tamale bar with “geeky themed” cocktails. For sweet treats, a rainbow cupcake tower, cake from Freed’s and a candy bar that would have had Willy Wonka drooling.
The wedding reception even included a mashed up choreographed dance set to Justin Bieber and Disney tunes. Soraya explains: “The groomsmen, Antonio and I had actually coordinated a dance blending two of our favorite genres together, Disney songs and boy bands. We came up with a slow waltz to Beauty and the Beast’s Tale As Old As Time and transitioned into Justin Bieber’s Beauty and the Beat in which the groomsmen all jumped in and danced with us. We learned it from practicing Just Dance 4 many times over. It was a blast.”
I hope a cliche does not cheapen this marvelous wedding, but looks like Antonio and Soraya found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! Keep on going for a few more details from the bride and lots more photos!
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 Vendor and Venue Goodness:Â
 Wedding & Reception Venue: Private Villa / Photographer: Ali McGhie Photography / Wedding Dress: Custom, Corset from Corset Story, Bolero from David’s Bridal / Jewelry & Tiara: Icing and JoAnn / Bride’s Shoes: Payless Shoesource / Bridesmaid’s Dresses:  Amazon, Sashes from David’s Bridal and DIY ribbon decorated flats from Payless Shoesource / Groom’s Suit: Kohl’s, Bowties and Suspenders from Amazon / Groomsmen Suits: Kohl’s, Bowties and Suspenders from Amazon / Hair + Makeup: Mel M from Roni Josef Salon & Spa/  Floral: Handmade DIY Origami Bouquets / Catering: Bride and Groom, Friends / Cupcakes: Albertsons / Cake: Freed’s Bakery / Celebrant: Sam, a friend / Entertainment: DJs Francisco and Mason/ Rentals & Linens: a family friend, Costco and Mariana’s
More from the bride, Soraya: “Overall, in two and a half months with a very limited budget I think the wedding was quite the success. Everyone looked fabulous, the decorations were beautiful, the food was good and everything went how we wanted it to. It was unique, geeky and memorable and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate Antonio’s and my love with our family and friends.”
