Kiki's Enchanted Forest Fairytale Wedding

When you look through Kiki and Stew’s wedding photos, it’s clear that besides being surrounded by gorgeous greenery and unique special details, their geek wedding was overflowing with love! Set in a striking forest venue, these two combined their passions of nature and nerdiness to create their dream enchanted forest fairytale wedding!

*The beautiful ceremony site at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu*

Kiki and Stew got married at the incredible Calamigos Ranch venue in Malibu, California, on 9/15/19. The venue includes lush gardens, wide open spaces and even a ferris wheel! There are several different wedding sites on the ranch. Kiki wore a stunning Strut wedding gown that fit her wedding day perfectly! She shopped in our Long Beach, California store in May of 2018.

*“The ceremony was truly magical, and when I think back on the day I remember the peace and joy I felt just standing up there in front of our officiant, looking at his smile through my veil.*“

Kiki wrote, “We were married at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, CA, at the Pavillion site. Before we even started looking at venues we knew we wanted to get married under a Big Party Trees (shoutout to Lord of the Rings, with which we’re both obsessed). When we saw the big tree at Calamigos and how it was huge and lit up, we knew this was the ideal location. It was a bonus that the venue location came with a Ferris Wheel and a big tent to host our guests after the ceremony.”

“We had a photo booth which we filled with all our own costumes over the years as well as props that we own including weapons, wands, and various accessories. Stewart and I both wore crowns as if we were the king and queen, and our sweetheart table was back-dropped by “floating feathers” that were suspended by clear string – can you say wingardium leviosa?!”

rustic tent wedding with branch centerpieces — *To bring in elements from all of their favorite pop culture moments, they used long tables during the reception*
*to emulate the Great Hall in Harry Potter!*

“*It was a party like no others all outdoors and under our tent, with about 150 guests attended.*

Featuring a sweetheart neckline, bohemian lace embroidery, and tulle overskirt, her lace wedding gown looked spectacular. Her two tone ivory and light gold wedding dress is the perfect mix of lightweight, beautiful and fun! She paired the exquisite wedding gown with an ethereal headpiece and elegant tulle veil. Kiki says this about her wedding dress shopping experience with us:

“I was honestly so nervous to buy a wedding dress. My older sister had gotten married in 2018, and I remembered even shopping for her wedding dress there were dresses she couldn’t fit into – and she is QUITE petite. I get pretty easily self-conscious when I feel that I’m not finding clothing options that look good, and I simply did not want that experience when shopping for my wedding dress. That was when I decided to look for a plus-size bridal salon, and immediately Strut Bridal popped up, only a few minutes away from where I live”

Kiki continued, “I set up an appointment with Yulina, gathered my mom and sisters, and tried on an array of dresses, all which made me feel beautiful. There was never a moment where I felt a dress was not made for me – it was such a good experience to be able to say yes/no to dresses based only upon style, not upon whether or not they would even fit me. Yulina and the team were so incredibly kind, helpful, and encouraging.”

*Kiki’s gown also featured delicately beaded straps and a dazzling built in belt!*

“I was originally extremely set on a dress that the Strut team referred to as ‘The Magic Dress’. My family liked it and were happy, but toward the end of my appointment, Yulina says ‘actually, there’s one more dress I want you to try – we call it the Magic Dress’s Sister!’ And just…wow…it was slightly more structured, fantastical, and had a bit more bling than The Magic Dress, and as soon as I tried it on we all knew it was the one. I felt comfortable, but supported, and not at all like I was popping out of anywhere. In fact, I didn’t even need to purchase/wear additional shape wear for the evening! I stayed in my dress the whole day/evening and even opted to not do a costume change because I loved it so much.”

wedding shoes and garter — *Kiki added her “something blue” in the form of her adorable shoes!*

“Truly, thank you so much for all your support and experience. I really felt cared for and important at Strut, and I was able to try on a variety of gowns, not just gowns the wedding industry thinks a plus-sized girl should get married in. I had a variety to choose from, and I felt that I was not limited in any way. I had a blast and wouldn’t change a thing!”

Kiki’s wedding dress fits wonderfully in any setting, from magnificent greenery to beautiful beach! Her wedding dress takes the look of an a-line style over a more fitted skirt with it’s soft tulle skirt overlay. Their amazing wedding photos are by Sami Cromelin. No matter where your wedding location is or the style you are looking for, here at Strut Bridal we have your perfect dress for your dream wedding day. For our brides looking for a less or non-traditional wedding dress, Strut is a geeky bride’s dream come true because we can help make your vision a reality.