When Jenn first reached out to us about planning a long-distance wedding, she did so knowing that the wedding needed to celebrate their love of animals. Arjuna and Jenn had visited zoos, aquariums, and nature preserves all around the world during their travels. So naturally, Jenn and Arjuna had their wedding day at the Safari Park Resort in San Diego, California. Cortney Helaine Events is a Destination Wedding Planner in San Diego.
Our team helped style their wedding and plan from afar. With several trips into the area for venue tours, it was an easy pick to have giraffes feeding right next to the dinner, a cheetah makes its way to cocktail hour (an 3 other animals!) and lions roaring while guests kicked up their heels on the dance floor.
Arjuna’s family being from Sri Lanka, they wanted traditional food from Arjuna’s heritage for the rehearsal dinner at the DoubleTree, where guests were staying down the street. Being their Destination Wedding Planner in San Diego, we planned for all of the guests to stay locally and be transported to and from the park on the day of the wedding. The wedding reception dinner showcased a custom made menu with tons of vegetarian/vegan-friendly options.
The couple decided to include a day at the park for their guests to enjoy the animals and natural beauty in the park’s 1,800-acre park. The couple had animal characters set up as their table numbers and even took a private trip to the San Diego zoo to see the red panda’s, their favorite animal.
Vendor Love:
Coordination: Weddings by Cortney Helaine
Venue: San Diego Safari Park
Photography: Red Trolley Studios
Videography: Kyro Digital
Entertainment: Premier Entertainment
Florals: Organic Flora
