California Wedding Day Publication Release Party

Venue // Tar Creek Ranch

Featured on California Wedding Day

A Night of Celebration Under the California Central Coast Sky

There are some projects that stay with you long after the last candle is blown out, and designing for the California Wedding Day publication release party at Tar Creek Ranch in Arroyo Grande, California, was absolutely one of them. The Tapas & Tinis celebration at Tar Creek Ranch marked the Spring/Summer 2025 issue release of California Wedding Day with timeless style and a dirty martini theme.

It was such an honor to design for this celebration under new leadership, and even sweeter because the new publisher, Amanda Holder, is a dear friend. Seeing her step into this role and release her very first issue made the night feel deeply personal.

Rachell Rae standing beside the 13-foot interactive magazine installation at Tar Creek Ranch during the California Wedding Day release party.

White barn exterior of Tar Creek Ranch in Arroyo Grande, California, decorated for the California Wedding Day release party

California Wedding Day magazines styled on a table with white florals at the Tar Creek Ranch release event.

Welcome table at Tar Creek Ranch featuring custom signage, white florals, and California Wedding Day magazines.

Designing With Intention: Olive Green, Watercolor Ribbons & Modern Holiday Texture

From the start, I wanted the design direction to feel modern and elevated, with a quiet nod to winter without leaning too holiday-themed. That’s where the palette of olive green, black, and winter white came: fresh, neutral, and beautifully in tune with the trend-setting surroundings.

Watercolor martini illustration with three olives and bow accent designed for the California Wedding Day event signage

One of the most meaningful design elements was the watercolor martini illustration, painted by my mother-in-law, which I wove throughout the digital marketing assets and onsite signage. I added an olive-green tint to tie it into the palette, paired it with a hand-painted ribbon frame that created depth, and added a soft texture with a pinstripe line treatment.

This motif appeared across the welcome signage, bar menus, tapas & tinis display, and even the custom edible martini toppers. That little detail required its own set of technical decisions. (We tested glass sizes, topper diameters, and drink foam levels—because consistent branding really does extend all the way to the rim of a martini.)

Custom olive-green and black watercolor drink menus designed by Rachell Rae Designs for the Tapas & Tinis event at Tar Creek Ranch.

Martini glass with custom edible topper featuring watercolor ribbon frame for the California Wedding Day celebration

Rachell Rae holding a martini beside her custom event signage at the California Wedding Day release party in Santa Margarita, California.

Edible martini toppers featuring watercolor ribbon frames for the California Wedding Day Tapas & Tinis celebration.

Modern geometric bar with olive ribbon tie and white floral arrangement at Tar Creek Ranch for the Tapas & Tinis event.

Vendors, including Amanda Holder, posing beside custom drink menu signage and styling shelves at the California Wedding Day event.

The Interactive 13-Foot Magazine Installation

One of the biggest highlights of the evening was transforming the featured editorial spread into a 13-foot interactive magazine display. Turning editorial design into a large-format installation is truly a creative engineering puzzle: choosing the right material roll, calculating the maximum safe height, scaling artwork, and making sure the piece would photograph beautifully between the venue’s barn structures.

Seeing guests interact with it, pause to take photos, and experience the editorial work on such a dramatic scale made every late-night measurement and test print worthwhile.

Large-scale magazine banner installation inside the barn at Tar Creek Ranch for the California Wedding Day publication event.

Where the Design Story Began

This display also tied back beautifully to the blind-embossed square save-the-dates, the invitation suite wrapped in olive housing envelopes, and the horizontal menus with their perfectly paired signage—each of which was highlighted in an eight-page editorial feature.

Blind-embossed square save-the-dates and invitation suite wrapped in olive housing envelopes with white orchids, part of Rachell Rae’s eight-page editorial feature.

Editorial magazine spreads displayed on oversized hanging panels at Tar Creek Ranch for the California Wedding Day release party.

Thoughtful Touches for Every Vendor

One thing I always want to do at a collaborative event is show appreciation for the vendors. I created custom signage for each contributor so they could shine in their own spotlight—something both thoughtful and tailored, and a little more intentional, along with a 4ft thank you sponsors and vendor sign. Even the bartenders received custom QR-coded tip signage (because if I design a beautiful bar menu, I cannot let an oversized black tip jar sit next to it!). Small upgrades like this may seem tiny, but they change the whole energy of the space.

Tall thank-you vendor sign framed with olive ribbon and white florals at the California Wedding Day Tapas & Tinis event.

Black draped tent interior with bar areas styled for the California Wedding Day Tapas & Tinis event at Tar Creek Ranch.

A Living Gallery of California Creatives

The event brought together an incredible community of artists and vendors. Everywhere you turned, you saw someone’s craft on display: bartending stations, mocktail pours, an ice-cream bar, dessert tours, tasteful tapas, and thoughtfully styled vignettes throughout the ranch. It felt like stepping inside a living gallery of California creatives working side-by-side.

Live violinist, Ben Hoyt, performing along the pathway at Tar Creek Ranch during the California Wedding Day celebration.

Martini tower garnished with lime wheels displayed on a floral-patterned tablecloth at the Tapas & Tinis event

Dessert display shelves styled with treats, florals, and California Wedding Day magazines.

Negranti Creamery ice cream cart serving guests at the California Wedding Day release party.

Aerial silk performer,Lily Grace Quirk, entertaining guests outdoors at Tar Creek Ranch during the event

A Beautiful Celebration of Creativity

From the golden hills of Arroyo Grande to the candlelit corners of the barn, the night was filled with joy, artistry, gratitude, and anticipation for the year ahead. Seeing my work displayed at such scale—across menus, installations, glass toppers, digital deliverables, and printed pieces, was a moment I will always treasure and a true honor to contribute to California Wedding Day’s new chapter.