Wedding Archives | Sonia Hopkins Events

A Piocho Ranch Wedding: Makenzy & Brant

November 10, 2026 by Sonia Hopkins

Some venues ask you to decorate them. Piocho Ranch asks you to get out of the way of the view.

For Makenzy and Brant’s ceremony, we curved the rows of chairs around a low, round stage on the lawn, so every guest faced the couple and the hills beyond. The stage was edged in white blooms and soft blue delphinium, and wicker urns of flowers lined the aisle.

Makenzy stepped out from the white porch of the ranch house and walked down an aisle that felt part of the landscape. From above, the whole ceremony looked like a ring of family drawn on the grass.

The reception moved to long tables beneath the trees, dressed in pale blue and white with rattan chairs and fringed parasols. As the light faded, café lights came on overhead. The evening ended on a checkerboard dance floor set in front of an ivy-covered barn, where the two of them shared their first dance as husband and wife.

It was a day that felt like the two of them: easygoing, beautiful and completely at home in the open air.

Vendor credits:

Venue: Piocho Ranch
Photography: Micah Cook
Planning and design: Sonia Hopkins Events
Florals: Glenna Joy Flowers
Beauty: Janet Villa Hair & Makeup
Rentals: Bright, Theoni Collection
Lighting: Bella Vista Designs
Catering: Catering Connection
Music: VOX DJ’s, Tania Birker
Cinema: Wanderland Media, Follow The Bride
Cake: Frances Baking Co.
Stationary: Elisabeth Stuckey Design
Transportation: Executive Limousine & Coach, Blue Star

A Fall Wedding at the Farmhouse at Ojai Valley Inn: Madison & Andrew

November 10, 2026 by Sonia Hopkins

Madison and Andrew wanted their wedding to feel like autumn in Ojai: rich, warm and a little moody. It started with the invitations, set on deep green velvet with their monogram in gold.

The groomsmen wore relaxed tan suits. The bridesmaids wore mismatched dresses in olive, moss and chocolate brown, so the wedding party looked like the valley in fall. Madison wore a tiered, romantic gown and a long veil that the littlest guests couldn’t resist playing with.

The ceremony took place on the lawn beneath tall trees, with low banks of white hydrangeas and garden roses framing the couple instead of an arch. When it was over, the whole lawn cheered.

After golden-hour portraits in the meadow grasses, everyone moved into the Farmhouse. Inside, we lowered the lights and let candles and chandeliers do the work. Long tables and rounds were set with green velvet chairs, and low arrangements ran down the center of each table. Dark curtains wrapped the room so it felt intimate, even full of family and friends.

The dancing went late, and so did the after party. A few of the youngest guests didn’t make it to the end, and that’s always the sign of a great night.

Vendor credits:

Venue: the Farmhouse at Ojai Valley Inn
Photography: Michelle Beller Photography
Planning and design: Sonia Hopkins Events
Florals: Ojala Floral
Beauty: TEAM Hair & Makeup
Rentals: BBJ La Tavola, Theoni Collection, Avenue Twelve, Ventura Rental Party & Events
Lighting: Bella Vista Designs
Music: Design Sound, West Coast Music, Good Mood
Stationary: Caroline Haines

A Winter Wedding at Ojai Valley Inn: Natalie & Jonathan

November 10, 2026 by Sonia Hopkins

Winter in Ojai brings clear skies, soft light and cool, golden afternoons. Natalie and Jonathan’s January wedding at Ojai Valley Inn had all three.

The day began with two first looks: one on a sunny terrace, and one in a quiet courtyard where Jonathan turned to see Natalie for the first time. Her bridesmaids wore soft shades of sage, and her bouquet mixed white roses with blush and rust.

The ceremony took place beneath one of the Inn’s grand old oaks, its trunk wrapped in white roses and greenery by Knot Just Flowers. Jason Sulkin played as guests found their seats. During the vows, Natalie and Jonathan braided a cord of three strands together as part of the ceremony.

After portraits in the late-afternoon sun, guests moved into the ballroom. Iron chandeliers hung above tables of candles and low arrangements in white, mauve and rust. The couple’s names glowed across the white dance floor, and JME Band played from the first dance to the last song. In between, there were dips, laughter and a few dances with family that nobody will forget.

Vendor credits:

Venue: Ojai Valley Inn
Photography: Kelsey Albright Photography
Videography and photo booth: Lovely Films
Planning and design: Sonia Hopkins Events
Florals: Knot Just Flowers
Cake: Lele Patisserie
Lighting and draping: Bella Vista Designs
Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen
Rentals: Theoni Collection
Hair and makeup: Design Visage
Ceremony music: Jason Sulkin
Reception music: JME Band

A Lloyd Butler Ranch Wedding: Lauren & Jamie

November 10, 2026 by Sonia Hopkins

Planning Sonia Hopkins Events | Design Laurel & Fey | Lloyd Butler Ranch | Emily Magers Photography

Some weddings are a day. Lauren and Jamie’s was a whole weekend, and every part of it felt like them.

It began on Thursday with an intimate dinner for 31 at Lloyd Butler Ranch, then a welcome party for 120 at the Camarillo Air Museum the next night. By Saturday, the ranch was ready for 145 guests and the main event.

The ceremony was held on the lawn, framed by florals from Unique Floral Design and a string quartet from West Coast Music. Jamie walked down the aisle with his aunt to a song from The Lord of the Rings, and Lauren followed to “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” They kept it unplugged, so every guest was fully there for it.

While guests found their French 75s and limoncello spritzes, we had one more surprise waiting. A mariachi band played from the balcony of the main house as Lauren and Jamie walked back into cocktail hour. Nobody saw it coming, and that was the point.

Dinner was served family style on the reception lawn, with velvet lounges by the dance floor and lighting from Bella Vista Designs glowing as the sun went down. After the toasts and a first dance to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” a 12-piece band kept everyone on their feet until the very last song. And when the night needed a second wind, an In-N-Out truck rolled up just in time.

Read about the rehearsal dinner at Lloyd Butler Ranch and the aviation-inspired welcome party from the same weekend.