This Napa Valley wedding by Lisa Lefkowitz has left me completely and utterly breathless. Gloria Wong Design certainly succeeded in creating a magical dreamland that feels both whimsical and familiar. Even though there are countless little details and vignettes each one feels adored and cherished. I love that they borrowed so many of the couple’s favorite things but managed to style each area without it looking cluttered or overcrowded. The delicious pink and aqua hues carried throughout, as well as the ombre elements, bring a touch of playfulness to this elegant affair. We won’t blame you for spending the rest of the day in the full wedding gallery!
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From Gloria Wong Design… When asked what they are known for as a couple, Leslie and Jeff said that they are known for being great hosts for overnight guests. Friends have actually told them that their guest facilities rival those of a nice hotel! They take great pride in making their guests feel as though they’re at home. As their wedding designer, I latched onto this comment. We decided to create a concept based on the idea that Beaulieu Garden was Leslie and Jeff’s summer home at which they’ve invited guests to spend an enchanting evening. Therefore, we infused elements that you would normally find in Leslie and Jeff’s apartment (i.e. modern lamps, gold dishes with keys, newspapers, Leslie’s favorite Antipodes water from New Zealand, framed art, interesting books, cashmere throws, comfy pillows, etc). Leslie and Jeff described their style as clean, classic modern. So we tried to present their personal belongings in a neat edited manner.
Leslie also mentioned that she wanted her guests to feel as if they had woken from a summer reverie. We felt that we could capture a dream-like quality with our use of tone on tone color. For a blended look, we decided on infusing gradations of pink and aqua, two of Leslie’s favorite colors, wherever we could. We neutralized the soft palette with whites, greys and beiges. For a touch of luxe, we threw in some gold as an accent!
Lisa Wong Jackson of Good On Paper created all the paper products around an upholstery pattern that Leslie had pulled. Upon first view, we all concurred that the abstract pattern reminded us of a print that you would see on a weekend tote bag. It was an easy choice that this pattern would serve as inspiration for all the graphics on the invitation as well as all the framed art that would be showcased throughout the wedding.
An interesting commonality that Leslie and Jeff share is the fact that they both call multiple places their home. They wanted to pay tribute to all of their homes by presenting their guests with a vignette filled with photos, books, food, and mementos from these special places.
We decided to display guests’ names and table assignments in three different ways. The first way was having names and table numbers calligraphed onto a notebook. The second way really reinforced the idea of home; we printed this group of escort cards in various shades of pink to look like paint chip swatches. The third way involved coffee beans! Leslie credits the aroma of coffee for waking her up in the morning every day. So, we inserted the third group of escort cards into trays of coffee beans! A drink tray, keys, and a basket filled with the wedding graphics disguised as wrapping paper served as decorative accent pieces.
The cake was inspired by Leslie’s pleated Vera Wang wedding gown. Leslie’s beautiful wedding dress looked as though it was constructed with individual layers of silk ribbon. We wanted a similar pleated look for the cake. We decided to enhance the cake by playing with gradations of pink as we had done with other elements from the wedding. We went with an ombre effect and colored the strands of ribbon from dark pink on the bottom to light pink on top.
For the dessert buffet, we wanted to present something simple and clean with a homey spirit. Pastries were arranged neatly on clean white cake ceramic stands, mugs, and colanders. Cupcakes and cookies were embellished with frosting in different shades of pink to echo the different shades of pink from the “paint chip” escort cards, the framed artwork, and the cake. Leslie and Jeff wanted to include their parents’ sweet wedding photos in this display of treats! They also wanted to include their favorite Asian snacks. As kids, they both loved munching on pineapple cakes and Pocky Sticks. So, we packaged the cakes and sticks and encouraged guests to take some home.
Photographer: Lisa Lefkowitz / Wedding Planner: Jubilee Lau Events / Wedding Designer: Gloria Wong Design / Wedding Venue: Beaulieu Garden / Caterer: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Floral Design: Nancy Liu Chin Designs / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Bridesmaid Dresses: J Crew / Wedding Stationery: Good On Paper / Letterpress Printing: AccuColor / Calligraphy: Tracy Joe Calligraphy / Event Lighting: Got Light? / Event Rentals: Classic Party Rentals + La Tavola Linen / Wedding Cake: Cake Coquette / DJ: A. Long Music / Wedding Cinematography: Weddings On Film / Ceremony Music: Lawrence Strings Group / Photobooth: Magnolia Photo Booth Co. / Makeup: Christine Craven Makeup / Hair: Kien Hoang