Who doesn’t love both travel and animals? This wedding at the Santa Barbara Zoo seamlessly combines both elements and we can’t get enough of the sweet photos taken by Kiel Rucker Photography. The big day was actually a destination wedding for the couple and their guests as they traveled all the way to sunny Santa Barbara from the Windy City.

The color scheme for the day was purple but floral arrangements from Hogue & Co. boasted pastel colors and subtle inclusions of baby's breath. The bride wore a two-piece white wedding ensemble and both her and her groom wore flower crowns during their ceremony.

The reception is where the travel theme fully began to come into play. Small globes sat at each table and in lieu of table numbers were purple luggage tags with the name of different cities printed on. Plus, a unique display of paper planes made for the perfect photo booth backdrop. Events by Rincon planned the event and Rincon Catering additionally provided the wedding meal consisting of a strawberry spinach salad, carrot and walnut souffle, potatoes au gratin, and grilled tri tip. Crushcakes bakery took care of dessert with different flavors of bite-sized cupcakes.

From Kiel Rucker:

Coming all the way from Chicago, John and Nadia made the most of their Santa Barbara Zoo wedding by inviting friends and family to enjoy a bit of the wild. They treated their guests to zoo tours and photos with some of the wild residents, including a Giraffe and a penguin. In addition to travel themed table decor, they had hundreds of paper airplanes spread through out the reception.

Venue: The Santa Barbara Zoo | Photographer: Kiel Rucker | Wedding Planner: Angie Chavez with Rincon Events | Catering: Rincon Catering | Florist: Hogue & Co. | Cake: Crush Cakes | DJ: Gavin Roy Presents | Rentals: Rincon Events | Lighting: Rincon Events