Walking on Water

Wedding planner Lisa Kahn of Lisa Kahn Events faced a space dilemma when Sam Hussain and Kevin Wilson decided to say their vows under the wisteria-covered arbor at Belmond El Encanto in Santa Barbara. At the center of the garden lies a lily-pad-covered pond, which adds romance but created a distance between the guests and the couple. “The guests would be seated on the other side of the pond, away from the altar,” say Kahn. “We needed a way to unite these two environments and create an intimate space.” So while conceptualizing the design, Kahn envisioned a bridge that connected the two spaces and enabled the bride to walk among her guests on the way to the altar. With the help of Bella Vista Rentals, Kahn built a plexiglass walkway suspended over the lily pond, creating a spectacular aisle that not only unified the guests and the couple, but embraced the natural beauty of the garden.

Butterfly Floral created a hand-tied bouquet of orange dahlias, ranunculus and billi balls wrapped with ivory ribbon.

The arbor was romantically decorated in hydrangea, roses and amaranthus; Sam and Kevin stroll down the aisle on a custom-built plexi-glass bridge.

Swirls of petals decorate the aisle while guests were seated in white Paris dining chairs from Revelry Event Designers.