California is chock full of gorgeous venues, but after seeing this gorgeous wedding captured by Jessica Burke, the Ramekins Culinary School is moving its way to the top spot on my favorites list. The entire wedding is, actually. With its sweeping vistas, perfectly planned details from A Savvy Event and a gorgeous couple in the center of it all, it’s hard not to love every single image sitting in this gallery. See it all right here.
From the Bride… After dating for two amazing years, Brett proposed at our anniversary dinner. It was incredible how quickly we transitioned from celebrating the engagement to wedding planning. Since our target date was late summer, only 10 months later, I started contacting venues almost immediately. I wanted to find a venue that already had its own sense of style and would only require simple decorations to enhance the surroundings. Although we live in San Jose, we fell in love with the rustic, European decor of Ramekins Culinary School in Sonoma, California.
Once the venue was booked, I turned my attention to choosing the perfect wedding colors. My first thoughts naturally wandered to my favorite flower, the yellow gerbera daisy, since I felt the bouquet was the most important expression of the color theme. However, I realized that a mixture of yellow flowers and gray foliage would make for more elegant arrangements. I added burlap to the theme for texture and because the yellow and gray needed something else to tie them in with the natural tones of the venue. I custom-ordered several burlap signs from a wonderful company on Etsy called Your Divine Affair. My favorite was the “Here Comes the Bride” sign that my two flower girls carried down the aisle. I continued the burlap theme across the tables by adding the texture to the background of the framed table numbers.
My husband and I spent hours desperately searching for affordable, yet useful, wedding favors for our guests. My father saved us with his suggestion to purchase olive oil from a small, family-owned company based locally in Modesto. Sciabica Family Olive Oil Company sold us 100-milliliter bottles of cold-pressed, basil olive oil with custom labels for $3 each. The favors were such a hit! At the end of the night, many of our guests wanted to take extra favors home with them.
Every couple wants their wedding to be unforgettable, and that desire drove every decision we made, not just for ourselves but for our guests. We insisted on an open bar placed outside so guests could enjoy the beautiful Sonoma weather. Our passed hors d’oeuvres were specifically chosen to be tasty yet filling to ensure that our guests were not hungry during cocktail hour. Since our wedding venue was a culinary school, we selected courses that used locally-sourced ingredients and highlighted the chef’s talents. A dessert bar allowed guests to sample a broad range of culinary creations and ended the evening on a sweet note.
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Wedding Photography: Jessica Burke | Wedding Venue: Ramekins Culinary School in Sonoma, California | Event Planning: Courtney from A Savvy Event | Floral Design: Fleuressence | DJ: Quantum Music Event Planners | Decor: Your Divine Affair