I’m a chatty gal – and when it comes to weddings, I could talk all.day.long. But, when I laid my eyes on this stunning Sonoma affair captured ever-so-brilliantly by Flory Photo and Nirav Photography, well… I lost the ability to speak. The intimate garden setting, the sophisticated florals by Natalie Bowen Designs, that amazingly gorgeous Monique Lhuillier gown… I have never (and I mean NEVER) been more in love. All planned and designed by Alison Events and boasting some of the most heart-warming moments you will ever see, trust me, you’re in for a day of nothing but pure lovely. See it all here.
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From the Bride… We kept our September wedding very intimate with our nine immediate family members. The ceremony took place at the Kenwood Inn and Spa in Sonoma, and the reception was at Cyrus in Healdsburg. We wanted the wedding to feel very intimate and personal and to reflect our style and interests — we focused mainly on creating a classic yet vintage setting with great food and wine. We wanted to enhance the natural beauty of the setting with flowers, linens and candles. I loved looking at Style Me Pretty and Martha Stewart Weddings for inspiration, and while we’re not so crafty, a family friend did a beautiful job creating our invitations.
Our first viewing was, hands down, our favorite moment of the day. It was a very special moment between the two of us and completely eliminated all nerves. It also allowed us to be very present during the ceremony because we had already had a chance to talk and react to everything going on around us.
My best advice is that great vendors are the greatest investment. We found Flory Photo over a year before our wedding and, since we were planning a destination wedding on the other side of the continent (we’re from Ontario, Canada), Joel was instrumental in referring us to our vendors, especially Alyssa from Alison Events. Since we were in such great hands, the only thing we had to worry about was showing up and the entire wedding day was completely stress-free — I think this comes across in the photos. Since our wedding was so small, Joel, Alyssa, Nirav and Susie felt like part of the party. Our first reaction when we saw Joel and Nirav’s work was how amazingly accurately they depicted the day. The entire collection of photos captures the intimate details, emotions and nuances of our relationship and our relationship with our family members. Joel and Nirav were an absolute pleasure to work with. In addition to being amazingly creative, talented and kind, Joel was a dream to work with every step of the way and full of good advice and creative ideas and solutions.
Wedding Photography: Flory Photo + Nirav Photography / Ceremony + Cocktail Party: Kenwood Inn and Spa in Sonoma, California / Reception: Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg, California / Wedding Planning + Design: Alyssa Brown of Alison Events / Floral Design: Natalie Bowen Designs / Wedding Invitations: A Family Friend / Wedding Cake: Perfect Endings / Rentals: La Tavola / Harp: Bertina Mitchell / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bride’s Headpiece: Sara Jane / Groom’s Suit: Custom