There’s al fresco dining and then there is this breathtaking Landmark Art and Garden Center affair, a gorgeous bayside beauty with a lush garden setting that can only be described as crazy gorgeous. I’m talking all caps ROMANTIC, people. And when you add to the world’s most beautiful locale a bundle of sweet DIY details mixed with darling vintage finds and a rustic meets elegant vibe, you can guarantee a day that will most certainly go down in the SMP Hall of Fame. Check out all of the lovely photographed byCaptured By Aimee in the full gallery.
From the Bride.. As every couple does, we wanted to have a wedding that exemplified who we are as a couple and one that displayed the love we have for one another and for those around us. We fell in love with our venue at the Landmark Art and Garden Center. It to me was like an intimate secret garden, back-dropped by the San Francisco Bay. We imagined the wedding to have the natural rustic beauty of the garden with touches of elegance and refinement. I loved the combination of textures with burlap, lace and pearl and much of the decorations and details were a labor of love between my mother and me. My mother created the lace and pearl trimmed burlap runners, the raw silk cushion covers for the stone benches, and fashioned the wagon for the flower girls and ring bearer. I created the doily/lace lanterns, the flower girl fascinators (which had lace rosettes with gold and pearl buttons and a cream veil), designed our wedding program poster and scoured flea markets and antique stores in search of finishing touches like candelabras, antique cake stands, picture frames and chandeliers.
On the big day to see everything come together as we imagined was surreal and I was brought to tears at how perfect it all was. The weather was gorgeous and all our vendors handled everything seamlessly. The inside of the cottage was decorated intimately with family and childhood photos of the two of us. It felt like you were in our home and getting a glimpse of each of our family’s history. The flowers were so beautifully done with the centerpieces being either wooden flower boxes, galvanized buckets, or mason jars all carrying a mix of wild field-like flowers and herb sprigs. Our music was our own personal soundtrack and was a blended selection of songs all thoughtfully chosen by Kevin and me. Our processional song, “Tous Les Garcons et Les Filles” by Francoise Hardy, was a song selection that was very special to me because of it being so loved by the many generations of my family who had listened to it when they were in Vietnam and when they immigrated to the states. Being both foodies, Kevin and I wanted to have a diverse menu and in addition to our catering had brought in specially made Vietnamese spring rolls, and splurged on an Oyster Bar. With our open bar we also made sure we had some of the best wines and champagne to celebrate with! The laid-back atmosphere of our wedding made it comfortable and easy for our family and friends to roam around the garden and cottage mingling, drinking, eating and enjoying all the personal details we had created for the wedding.
One friend of mine told me “Your wedding was the most beautiful, elegant wedding I’ve ever been to that turned into the biggest party!” Which made me so happy to hear because although the day was a celebration of our marriage, it was also a day to honor all the people who had been with us through these years and gotten us there, and knowing everyone was having as much fun as us made the day the happiest of our lives! Kevin and I are so blessed to have found one another and to have had such a perfect day to celebrate it!
[dotted]
Wedding Photography: Captured By Aimee | Photography Assistant: Lauren Nygard | Wedding Venue: Landmark Art and Garden Center in Tiburon, California | Catering: Delicious Catering | Oyster Bar: Hog Island Oysters | Wedding Dress: Pronovias | Alterations: Roxy from The Bustle Del Mar (760.520.4181) | Hair: Lucy Nsour-Reynolds |Makeup: Penelope Vazquez | Lighting: Jimmy Duhig Creative Lighting