Did you know Camarillo is one of California’s most popular wedding destinations? Our perfect weather, huge variety of venues, mountainous backdrop and proximity to the Los Angeles area make us an ideal wedding locale for hundreds of couples every year, including newlyweds Allyson Phillips and Ryan Coil. They tied the knot at Maravilla Gardens on Sept. 25 in a 100-guest ceremony that they say was “absolutely perfect.”
We asked Allyson and Ryan, a pair of actor-comedians, to share some details about their big day for any of you out there curious about getting married in Camarillo. Read all about their dream wedding here, and learn more about all your options for wedding planning in Camarillo.
Q: Tell us about yourselves as a couple. When and how did you get together?
A: We met on stage at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre performing in a show called “Improvised ‘Grease.’” By chance, Allyson played Sandy and Ryan played Danny. From there on we started seeing each other around at other comedy shows around town, and eventually really hit it off while we were both performing at a comedy festival in New York. We both love to travel! We’ve been to Paris, London, Amsterdam, Scotland, Ireland, and most recently all over Italy for our honeymoon.
Q: What about your engagement? Who proposed and how?
A: During the shutdown of 2020 we took a road trip from L.A. to Nashville to visit Ryan’s family, which also happened to be the 2-year anniversary of our first date. We spent the day exploring Nashville and ended up on a pedestrian bridge at sunset overlooking downtown. That’s where and when Ryan proposed. From there he booked us a beautiful bed-and-breakfast in the countryside of Nashville to celebrate!
Q: How did you choose your venue? Why Camarillo?
A: Camarillo is just 15 minutes from Thousand Oaks, where Allyson grew up. We looked at venues all over Southern California and Nashville. We didn’t want to get married at a country club or on a golf course, but we knew from the start that we wanted an all outdoor wedding. Allyson’s mom had a friend who had gotten married at Maravilla Gardens, and when we went to go see it we all loved it. We fell in love with the trees and gardens, as well as the views of the mountains. It is absolutely gorgeous.
Q: Tell us about your aesthetics or vibe! What were your colors? Any theme?
A: Our aesthetic was French Country Rustic. For our colors we chose light pinks, dusty rose, burgundy. We had a fun slight theme of the movie “Grease!”
Q: What about wedding attire? Tell us about the dress and the wedding party.
A: I absolutely loved my wedding dress. I have very short hair and wanted a unique beaded back with a floral detailed dress with lots of layers of lace. It felt like a Cinderella dress. For the bridesmaids, we had a wine night and each girl picked out a color in our color scheme and different style dress. I love that sort of aesthetic for weddings. The groomsmen all wore charcoal-colored suits with blush and floral ties. Ryan wore the same charcoal suit but with a burgundy tie with matching suspenders. During the reception, Ryan and I changed our shoes into some custom Converse that read “Mr.” and “Mrs.” on the side, with “Just Married” on the soles.
Q: Did you use a wedding or day-of event coordinator?
A: Maravilla Gardens included one for us and she was incredible. Everything ran smoothly and every detail was perfectly orchestrated. The team at Maravilla was incredible to work with. They helped us with every step along the way and were so incredibly kind and supportive in everything we needed, including their catering team they work with who were able to do an entirely gluten-free meal for us! We both have celiac disease, so finding a cake was tough. Luckily we found a gluten-free macaron shop based in Camarillo, which went perfectly with our country French aesthetic.
Q: Did you work with any other local vendors?
A: All of our vendors were local to the area. Our florals and photography were done by Jayden Hobbes at Vibe Florals and Photography. Our DJ was Jerry Gutierrez at GTZ Entertainment. Catering was Command Performance. We highly recommend Maravilla Gardens and all of our vendors.
Q: Did any guests have to travel to attend the wedding? How did that go?
A: Probably over 50% of our guests traveled from all over to the wedding. They came from Nashville, Portland, Dallas, London, Hong Kong, Kansas City, New York and Chicago just to name a few. We set up a wedding block and everyone stayed at Sonesta Select. We also had our afterparty at the hotel! Many guests traveled to the area early and made use of being in Southern California. A lot of people spent the day at the beach, which is the benefit of being so close to Camarillo.
Q: How was the weather on your wedding day? Did the Camarillo weather play a part in your decision-making?
A: We had absolutely perfect weather! The week before us had the hottest weather, so we got lucky. It did play a part in our decision. We didn’t have to worry about rain due to California barely having any as well as the weather almost always being near perfect.
Q: What do you think makes Camarillo an ideal place to get married?
A: The scenery is unbeatable as far as views, trees, gardens. The wedding was perfect, with a light breeze coming in from the ocean. It’s also a quieter area, being in the suburbs of L.A., as well as being very convenient to travel to.
Ryan and Allyson just rave about their experience at Maravilla Gardens, and it’s just one of the beautiful venues Camarillo has to offer brides and grooms to be. From traditional churches and country clubs to airplane hangars and libraries, there’s something for every couple, from formal to quirky. Explore all of Camarillo’s wedding venues here.