Our Story
as told by Joanna
Ceremony & Reception
Ceremony
The ceremony will be at the Arbor Lily Pond at Belmond El Encanto.
The ceremony will begin at 5:00pm. We will provide transportation from The Fess Parker Santa Barbara Resort to El Encanto.
There will be two shuttle pick ups from Fess Parker hotel, the first at 4:20pm and the second at 4:45pm.
If you wish you drive yourself, please refer to the map below. There will be a complimentary Valet service. There is also a Santa Barbara taxi service and Uber that is available, we would love all of our guests to have fun at the party and get home safely.
Following the ceremony there will be a cocktail hour near the Arbor Lily Pond where we will service an assortment of appetizers and cocktails.
Reception
The reception will begin at 7:00pm in the Riviera Ballroom at El Encanto. The party will last until midnight and the first shuttle back to Fess Parker Hotel/Downtown Santa Barbara will be leaving at 10:30pm and the second at 11:15pm. If you need to leave the event earlier Santa Barbara has a wonderful taxi service and Uber service that you can use.
Belmond El Encanto
800 Alvarado Place, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
(805) 845-5800
Both of these events are for adults only. Our hotel has recommended ChildTime Nanny for any child care needs you may need. Please visit their website for more information. http://www.childtimenanny.com/services.htm
Gifts
We registered. Yes, we made a couple trips to these wonderful stores. At the end of our wish list marathon, we accumulated a good amount of items for you to check out at your leisure.
Guest Information
If you are coming from far away and making a vacation out of your trip – we are planning on going wine tasting in the Santa Ynez area on Thursday 6/25 in the afternoon. We will be leaving El Encanto Hotel at 11:30am and headed to our first winery, Alma Rosa, which happens to be the place Jamie fell in love with Pinot Noir. See our tour details below and feel free to meet us at anytime
We are very excited to see everyone!
Sorry our room block that was reserved for June 26, 2015- June 28, 2015 at The Fess Parker Santa Barbara is full. There are lots of hotels and rental options very close to El Encanto and Fess Parker. You can still take the shuttle from Fess Parker even if you are not staying at the hotel.
Please mention you are with the Thorpe/Warden Wedding when making reservations.
There is also an abundance of fantastic hotels in the Downtown Santa Barbara area, that are in walking distance (short drive) to Fess Parker to catch the shuttle to El Encanto. June is a busy month for Santa Barbara so please do not wait till the last minute to make your plans.
Bridesmaids
Natalie Thorpe: Maid of Honor and Joanna's fabulous sister. She is a wonderful new mother to the bride's nephew, Lucas - who you will all meet at the wedding!
Elle and Grace Koleckar: Elle is Joanna's cousin (as close as a sister) and her daughter Grace is our adorable flower girl, who is very excited to wear a pretty dress and walk down the aisle!
Katie Latimer: Katie is Joanna's cousin who just started her third year at Villanova and happens to share a birthday with the bride!
Erin Stranahan: Erin is Joanna's best friend from high school who she has shared many wonderful laughs with throughout the years in California and Arizona.
Mariel Giannetta: Mariel is a friend that Joanna couldn't live without, especially with all those Warden men. She lives in Pittsburgh and is lucky enough to live with her boyfriend, the wonderful Co-Best Man Steve Warden. :)
Stacey Taylor: Joanna met Stacey 7 years ago when Stacey invited her to girls night to watch The Bachelor, where an amazing friendship began. Laughs, some cries, and always wine :)
Laura Shlecter: Joanna actually met Laura in high school and then again 7 years ago. She is a very loving and supportive friend who Joanna can always count on to share some wine and cook s'mores in the fireplace. :)
Groomsmen
Steve Warden: Jamie's younger brother and co-best man for our wedding!
Pat Warden: Jamie's younger brother and co-best man for our wedding!
Wes Warden: Wes is Jamie's younger brother and also the youngest member of the groomsmen!
Andrew Thorpe: Andrew is Joanna's brother and a tank-top enthusiast.
Jason Stuckey: Jason is Jamie's good friend and former roommate of 6 years. That's a long time to live with anyone.
Matt Smith: Matt is Jamie's good friend and former roommate of 5 years.
Brad Smoyer: Brad is a good friend of Jamie's. He enjoys sunglasses, beards and cheeky smiles.
Santa Barbara Musts
Below are some links of interest about Santa Barbara:
Santa Barbara has some very picturesque tourist attractions. Make sure that you don’t miss these!
- Seniors (age 65 & over): $5
- Adults (age 16 – 64): $6
- Youth (ages 5 – 15): $1
- Children (Age 4 & under): Free
Open to the Public…
Week day hours:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Weekend hours:
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Open all U.S. holidays except Christmas Day. While admission is FREE, a donation is suggested to help with conservation projects.
$8.00 Adults
$6.00 Seniors (60 years)
$6.00 Children 13 – 17, college students and active military with ID
$4.00 Children 2 – 12 years
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
The SB Museum of Art has a wonderful collection of art and is located right on State Street.
It is home to 17 different stores and restaurants, and one of the best places for fresh seafood in the town. It has a great candy store. The Harbor restaurant, Longboards Grill, and the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company are all located on the wharf, and they are all spectacular! Also, on Sunday’s from 10-4pm right next to Stern’s Wharf is the Santa Barbara Art Walk.
http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/
You can reach State Street on foot from Fess Parker or drive and park. There are many parking garages all clearly marked along State Street, or if you prefer, you can drive a few blocks to the east or west and find parking along the street. Make sure to note how long you are allowed to park there, because there are usually time limits (except on Sundays).
You can also walk up State Street from Sterns Wharf, or down from the Courthouse.
