Have you ever come across a wedding that you just want to live in for the rest of your days? I have a few times over but this wedding right here; it just might be my soulmate. Every beautifully planned detail by Rebecca Reategui Weddings, all those peachy garden roses and trailing vines by Max Gill Flowers, the almost-looks-like-a-really-amazing-backyard backdrop of Annadel Estate Winery; it’s pure heaven in nuptial form. And the only thing that could possibly make it dreamier is all the beauty captured by Sylvie Gil Photography. Have a look at the full gallery right here.
From the Bride…One of the few things that Conor and I knew when we began to plan our wedding was that we wanted the celebration to feel natural and welcoming for our guests. We cherish our families’ long-standing tradition of casual Sunday night dinners, and we loved the idea of bringing a warm, familial and relaxed feel to our wedding celebration.
The two easiest decisions were made right away: First, we brought Rebecca Reátegui onto our team to help us make the planning process enjoyable, create a seamless design that reflected us, and allow us total relaxation on the wedding day. Second was to hire the band Pride and Joy, who we knew would create a fun party atmosphere for the reception. (Later, to complement Pride and Joy, we decided to add a duo of fiddlers for the cocktail hour music – we loved the casual, laid-back bluegrass vibe while guests enjoyed beers from a salvaged wood trough beer station!)
Rebecca introduced us to Annadel Estate Winery, a historic piece of land, which, in addition to its vineyards, boasts an expansive English rose garden and an incredible set of ruins from the original distillery on the grounds. Beautiful, giant old oak trees canopy the whole property, and a small creek runs along the area where we held the ceremony. It was the perfect backdrop for our casually elegant décor. We loved the contrast of the more rustic elements, such as the wood chairs, farm tables, and hemp linens with Max Gill’s gorgeous, relaxed florals that added the perfect amount of understated elegance. I had worked with Max for years at Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, where Max does the flowers and I am a chef. Max is truly a genius with flowers; creating the most stunning pieces using locally sourced foliage like blackberry vines and persimmons, and of course roses from Annadel. As a chef, food is incredibly important to me. I was able to collaborate closely with the team at Paula LeDuc Fine Catering to design the perfect menu, inspired by my Sunday night family dinners, and served family-style. I loved the atmosphere of guests chatting and laughing over delicious food.
My family and I enjoy craft projects, and we wanted to put our own handmade stamp on several elements of the wedding to give the event a very personal touch. Rebecca and our stationery designer, Janèl Claire, helped us to design several “DIY” projects that my parents, sister and I then executed. For example, we sewed the save-the-date envelopes and also the individual program pockets that were affixed to the backs of each ceremony chair. To complement the large wire letters that we used to mark each dinner table, we created small wire letters by hand, embroidered them to each escort card. We hand-embroidered a heart, echoing our save-the-date card design, on each burlap favor bag. And finally, my dad and I built 4′ tall “L” + “C” letters out of wood that we salvaged from our backyard gate.
All of these details were captured beautifully by our photographer, Sylvie Gil. Sylvie gave us stunning pictures from every part of the day, and Conor and I were able to enjoy our wedding without feeling like it had to be interrupted for photographs. The day was truly a success because of the collaborative effort by many talented individuals who listened to our vision and made it come to life. I realized during the planning process that the wedding was going to be inherently original because it was ours, and by working with the right team and trusting their talents, the day would perfectly reflect Conor and me – casual, warm, and most of all fun! We accomplished our goal of a wedding that was unique and very “us.”
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Photography: Sylvie Gil Photography | Ceremony + Reception Venue: Annadel Estate Winery | Event Planning + Styling: Rebecca Reategui Weddings | Floral Design: Max Gill Flowers | Catering: Paula LeDuc | Band: Pride and Joy | Weding Dress: Rivini | Suits: Canali
