Glided down to its very core, this wedding is basically an SMP dream come true. It sparkles, it shines, – it’s styled-filled to say the very least. With stunning Sonoma setting the scene and breathing images from onelove photography letting us take a peek at all the pretty, this gallery is one we could crawl in and live forever, particularly since it’s complete with a bubbly room. Cheers!
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From the Bride…From day one, we were insistent that our wedding be an intimate homage to those we love and owe our relationship to. We recognized that it was our day, but really wanted to make our guests feel as though they were participating in something more special than ‘just a wedding’. We felt it was particularly important to honor our families…those present and those no longer with us, including my father. We knew that by surrounding ourselves with those who are important to us, we would have the most amazing day of our lives, to date. We also knew that we did not want to follow many wedding traditions closely, including a traditional or religious ceremony. We instead were honored to have a friend marry us and personalize our ceremony so that it was a perfect representation of us as a couple. We also did not do a bouquet toss and opted for a less traditional wedding cake. The beauty of our wedding to us was that it was our day, and we could chose to incorporate, or not incorporate, whatever we liked!
As a wine country native and a former Utah native, we have had the privilege of growing up with nature and have had the outdoors play a huge role in our lives. We knew we wanted to make our wedding rustic, chic and elegant by standing by the motto ‘less is more’. There were a few key elements that were really special to us, including a freestanding trifold that housed family wedding portraits, fun facts about us and seating cards. We put countless hours into making this board a focal point and a representation of us. The seating cards were all handmade, including feathers hand dipped in gold paint, and embossing done by my team of nearest and dearest…aka True Emerald Styling. We worked very closely with owner and lead stylist Amy Lovlien to rein in all of the ideas floating around in our heads. She was fantastic at helping to focus us and leading us towards executing our vision. Another big component of our wedding was the hand painted wood boards with quotes that we found to be inspirational and representative of us…including but not limited to Audrey Hepburn and Dr. Seuss. And how can we forget…The Bubble Room! We had an entire room in the wine caves dedicated to champagne and decked to the nines in white and gold!
The best advice I received in my wedding planning process was to take a moment in my wedding and stand up and look around. I was reminded that this may be one of the only times in my life that I would have all the people I love in one place. I definitely took this opportunity, and it was a very moving experience. I recommend that brides not take their day too seriously, and cherish every moment. Focus on the positive and the real reason why you’re spending countless hours planning….you and your partner. A wedding is not an excuse to become a bridezilla or make unrealistic demands. Keep everything in perspective and enjoy! And hire a wedding planner!
Our greatest highlight from the big day was when our First Dance abruptly stopped and the UC Berkeley acapella group marched out on to the dance floor. Unbeknownst to us, my mom and sister had secretly planned for them to come and perform our first dance song…as well as a few other favorites. Our venue did not allow for us to have a live band, so this was their solution. With my husband being a proud Cal alum, this was an even more special gesture. Their voices were stunning, and I’m pretty sure there was not a dry eye in the crowd.
Photography: onelove photography | Videographer: Northbound Weddings | Florals: Amanda Masson | Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Cake: Miglet's Bakery | Cupcakes: Cheryl + Becky | Shoes: J.Crew | Bridesmaids Dresses: Aidan Mattox | Caterer: Grapevine Catering | Makeup: Tylar Leonard + Team | Hair: Julie West Of Primp Salon | Lighting: Denon And Doyle | DJ: Denon And Doyle | Groom's Attire: Ted Baker | A Capella Group: AiR! aka Artists in Resonance | Ceremony and Reception: Buena Vista Carneros | Designer: True Emerald Styling And Planning | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Paper Goods: Papagraphics | Rentals: Wine Country Party