If a romance-filled venue is high atop your wedding must-haves, look no further than Paula Leduc‘s stunning Beaulieu Garden. I guarantee that this lovely fete from Stacy McCain Event Planning and Nirav Patel will be all the proof you need. And the seriously talented lineup of vendors involved including Got Light?, One True Love Vintage Rentals, Sherrie Long and Cherries Flowers helps state the case that much more. See the whole shindig in the gallery!
From the beautiful Bride… Thinking back about our wedding day, it was everything we could have wished for and more. We were surrounded by our closest family and friends in one of our favorite places on a beautiful summer day. On the day of our wedding, we celebrated late into the night after my Dad’s kick-off champagne sabering toast and danced to music from the band Notorious while at Beaulieu Garden and our favorite DJ from New York, DJ Swann, at the after party at Farmstead.
While Ben and I live in New York City, neither of us is originally from the East Coast. Ben grew up in a small town in Arkansas, and I grew up in San Francisco and the Bay Area. When we were deciding where to get married, we knew that we wanted somewhere people from near and far would enjoy traveling to spend a weekend, and where we could comfortably spend a day outdoors in late August. Well, Napa Valley seemed like the perfect fit.
Upon our first visit, while driving up the quiet oak tree lined road to Beaulieu Garden, we immediately got the sense we were entering a very special place. We were blown away by the beauty of the property set in the heart of the wine country, with its secluded French and Italian gardens, and by the fantastic caterer, Paula LeDuc and her talented team, who direct all of the events at Beaulieu. It was a pleasure to work with Mollie and Sarah from Paula LeDuc who were extremely flexible and accommodating throughout the planning process. They helped us customize a menu which incorporated ingredients from the working orchards and vegetable gardens on the property and even suggested giving coffee caramel macarons as favors after they’d heard they were Ben and my favorite dessert.
Throughout the wedding planning process and especially on the wedding day, Stacy and Allie, our wedding planners from Stacy McCain Event Planning, ensured that everything went smoothly and that each detail was just right. Since we were planning our wedding from across the country, it was incredibly helpful having a wedding planner who was so well organized and knowledgeable about all things wedding-related in the Bay Area. On the wedding day, they’d thought of and planned for everything – from extra lip gloss to bringing Ben and me the specialty cocktails and delicious appetizers to taste after our photos, to scouring the lawn to find the champagne cork from the bottle my Dad sabered so we could keep it as a memento, to staying late to oversee the shuttle service at the after party. They’re true professionals who went above and beyond!
While getting ready, my amazing sisters presented me and all of the other bridesmaids with custom t-shirts they’d designed with a hot pink image of our puppy Sophie, with the cute good luck slogan, “Eat, drink and be Married!” arching across the front of the Ts. Our makeup artist, Sherrie Long and her team did a beautiful job with our makeup and hair as we ate Bouchon pastries and chatted, still recovering from a Father-Daughter spinning class that morning in which our Dad proved he can still beat us up those hills!
For my “something borrowed”, my Mom lent me a ballerina broach that was her mother’s to wear on my bouquet. For my “something blue”, I wore a blue satin ribbon which my Dad’s mom had worn on her wedding day and my Mom had worn on hers. Among many other wonderful surprises of the day, one of my favorites was seeing my bouquet and the bridesmaids’ bouquets for the first time. Catherine from Cherries Flowers exceeded every expectation and awed us with her beautiful designs. Throughout the wedding day, I noticed different special details she’d added to complement the natural beauty of the surroundings, like little lavender sprigs on each plate tied with gold ribbons and the vases and containers she’d chosen to fit the Provencal feel of the setting. Catherine worked closely with us during the months leading up to the wedding to really understand what we wanted and to perfect our vision – and that she did!
The wedding was so much fun, and we wish we could go back and enjoy it all over again. Luckily, we have wonderful memories and beautiful pictures to bring us back to that special day. We cannot thank Nirav Patel enough for capturing the feelings and experiences of our wedding day through his photographs. During our first dance, the sunset lit the sky pink, orange and lavender, and made me feel as if I was truly seeing the world through rose colored lenses; Nirav was able to capture that lighting in our photos, reminding me of that feeling each time I look at them.
We are so thankful for all of the family and friends who were there to celebrate with us and for all of the people who helped us plan our special day.
Photography: Nirav Patel | Wedding Planner: Stacy McCain Event Planning | Floral Design: Cherries Flowers | Wedding Dress: Oscar De La Renta | Cake: Perfect Endings | Invitations: Papyrus | Bride's Shoes: Christian Dior | Bridesmaids Dresses: J.Crew | Catering: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering & Events | Hair And Makeup: Sherrie Long Makeup Hair & Effects | Lighting: Got Light | Band: Jay Siegan Presents | Transportation: Pure Luxury | Hotel: Bardessono | Wedding Venue: Beaulieu Garden | Ballerina Pin: Bride's Grandmother's (something Borrowed) | Blue Ribbon: Bride's Grandmother's (something Blue) | Bridesmaid's Custom Shirts: CustomInk | Bridesmaid's Custom Shirts: LogoLenses | Bridesmaid's Sashes: Carol Hannah | Bridesmaid's Shorts: Gap | Bridesmaids Bags: Toss Designs | Candy: Miette Bakery | Ceremony And Cocktail Music: Synchronicity Strings | Champagne Saber: Laguiole From France | Flip Flops: Old Navy | Groom's Shoes: Domenico Vacca | Groom's Tux: Domenico Vacca | Handkerchief: Bride's Mother's (something Old) | High Heel Protectors: Solemates | Limoges Boxes: Rochard | Locket: Groom's Grandmother's (gift From His Grandfather) | Photo Booth Props: Paper Fete | Rentals: One True Love Vintage Rentals