Kestrin and Jonathan have a magical kind of love. The kind of love that they write novels about, that movies are centered around and that blogs love to blog about. To celebrate this magic stuff, they held a two-day wedding extravaganza in Northern California and it is nothing short of wondrous. To top it off, one of the best photographers out there, Noa Azoulay-Sclater of Feather Love Photography, was there to bottle that magic and hand it over one amazing photograph after another. Seriously jaw dropping works of art these pretty images are. Grab a comfy seat kids, we have an insane amount of gorgeous to bring you and we are starting off the marathon with Kestrin and Jonathan’s cliff side nuptials in Carmel followed by an intimate family dinner at The Beach House.
{click here for the FULL wedding gallery of goose-bump inducing photos}
Kestrin and Jonathan met at Burning Man in 2006 and were on the path to marriage almost immediately. Kestrin’s wedding gown was by Monique Lhullier. It is based on Monique’s “Poetry” dress, and Kestrin requested a change from the original silk tulle trumpet shaped skirt into an A-line with a bustled train. The designers worked with her to get the exact shape she wanted, accentuating her waistline and de-emphasizing her hips. Before and after the ceremony she added a vintage velvet pashmina for warmth. Her cocktail dress, worn at a family dinner after a small ceremony, was a pale chartreuse tulle frock made by Rebellion Dogs. She bought it on a whim just before the wedding at Talun on Echo Park Blvd in Los Angeles. “It felt like I was wearing a ladybug tutu, an absolute dream.”
The bouquet and corsages were constructed from Tillandsia air plants by Susie Nadler at Flora Grubb Gardens. Their dog Batgirl acted as ring bearer, wearing a Tillandsia and moss decorated harness.
Kestrin’s original vision included 10 guests gathering in front of a particular rock on the beach near her Pebble Beach boarding school. When Jonathan pointed out that his immediate family included more than 20 people they agreed to expand to the parks-department-limit of 50. They opted for a small banquet venue for a post-ceremony dinner. The area is filled with ideal venues, but none can match the stark beauty of the rocky beach and restless waters at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Beach House.
Guests arrived there in the afternoon for tea and sandwiches and were transported to the (nearly impossible to find) Wedding Rock at Carmel River State Beach.
As the bride’s limousine was pulling away from her hotel, something magical happened. Kestrin has been obsessed with Star Wars since childhood; when the couple met and fell in love she was wearing one of her 15 hand-made Jedi costumes and wielding a glowing Luke Skywalker replica light saber. Then, as she was on her way to solemnify that love, none other than George Lucas stepped out of the hotel lobby and walked in front of her car.
“His silver hair and beard flew past like a flock of doves released in Kestrin’s honor. George was blessing the union, not with his words, but with his mere presence, and with it flowed the blessings of Han, Lea, Luke and the entire Rebel Alliance.”
The weather was cool and windy with a bit of rain so the crowd stood lose, some huddled in fleece blankets. What could have been disastrous – rain on one’s wedding day – instead gave the ceremony a dramatic and monumental feel.
Paul Cartwright, one of Kestrin’s extremely talented band-mates, played a violin processional and recessional, and a guitar and vocal version of The Flaming Lips’ masterpiece “Do You Realize” during the ceremony. “That song made me cry the first time I heard it, and the second time I had a vision of someone singing it at my wedding. ‘Do You Realize’ was part of the ceremony years before Jonathan and I had ever met.”
After the twenty minute ceremony, the guests returned to the Beach House for cocktails and dinner. The families had never met, so the couple opted for large tables and a buffet to encourage mingling.
Sit tight, we have more coming in just a bit from the second night of wedding festivities and there just might be a flag wielding, altar spinning ceremony involved.
Photographer: Feather Love / Ceremony Venue: Carmel River State Beach / Family Reception Venue: Monterey Peninsula Country Club Beach House / Florals: Susie Nadler of Flora Grubb / Cake: Pâtisserie Bechler / Musician: Paul Cartwright / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Reception Dress: Rebellion Dogs from Talun / Groom’s Attire: Dolce & Gabbana suit from Barney’s