A Romantic Outdoor Wedding At Hummingbird Nest in Santa Susana, California

Pablo Correa was celebrating his birthday at an iconic San Franciscan bar when he first spotted Lorin Martini. His friend turned to him and said, “the girl of your dreams just walked in.” According to Pablo, he fell in love with Lorin that very moment. “He was quite charming, handsome and – from my perspective – too good to be true,” Lorin describes. “I was only 18 at the time. What did I know about dating? It took some time to win me over, but once he did, we became inseparable.”

Eleven years later, the couple was ready to start thinking about marriage. They had already designed an engagement ring, but weren’t planning on tying the knot for another year. Two months later, Pablo surprised his then-girlfriend by renting out the penthouse suite at the Fairmont, filling it with beautiful flowers, hiring a live band, and proposing on the balcony with the cityscape as the backdrop.

Lorin enjoyed every minute of the wedding planning process, whether it was choosing linens, tasting the food, or choosing the music. Along with her wedding planner, Uniquely Yours, she created a wedding filled with an endless stream of personal touches and special details, like acrylic menus and draping shawls on the chairs for guests to keep warm during the chilly night. There was also a special motif to be woven in. Butterflies hold a special meaning for Lorin, as they miraculously surrounded her when her grandmother passed away. For the wedding, she knew incorporating butterflies into the décor would be a way to know her grandmother would always be with her.

When the big day arrived, the bride and her bridal party got ready onsite at the Hummingbird Nest Ranch, before heading to the ceremony. “Once it was time to walk down the aisle, it all became too real and I became quite nervous,” she says. “Reciting my vows in front of my closest 200 friends and family members was not something I wanted to do. However, once I saw my husband-to-be waiting for me at the end of the aisle, all my nerves calmed, everyone disappeared, and it was just the two of us.”

The moment the bride and groom were pronounced husband and wife, an epic party began. A cocktail hour followed, which was filled with appetizers like empanadas, representing Pablo’s Colombian heritage. Signature drinks were also flowing, including The Paisa – a unique whiskey drink to represent the groom – and The Miss Martini – a tasty interpretation of the traditional martini to represent the bride.

Having envisioned a romantic wedding with a modern, yet classic feel, the wedding décor consisted of gold mirrored tables and accents. All-white flowers were set against matte beige linens, and candles illuminated the entire space. For Pablo, the most important element was the “club” portion of the evening. The couple wanted a sexy, carnival feel, which they achieved with a fantastic DJ, percussion duo, fire dancers, and a live white carpet – a woman on stilts, dressed in white feathers, greeting guests at the end of the white carpet. Guests were also served delectable late-night snacks like mini donuts and authentic tacos.

“After our wedding ended, we were the happiest we’ve ever been,” says Lorin. “We were now husband and wife, after almost 12 years together, which is a huge achievement. The only blip in an otherwise seamless day was the fact that I forgot to bring the sparklers. We had ordered two-foot sparklers for our sendoff, because I really wanted that killer photo, but I forgot them in my garage. I blamed my dad at the time – oops. Sorry, dad!”