We love when love comes full circle! Our couple met and wed at Stanford, and oh what a wonderful wedding it was! The celebration then continued at Thomas Fogarty Winery where a sophisticated palette of navy, bone, and burgundy led the design aesthetic for the day perfectly planned by Hilary Marie Events. Fresh figs and berries paired well with richly colored florals designed by Lauras Floras, for a relaxed California cool vibe we can’t get enough of. Elegant imagery by Cheers Babe Photo did a beautiful job of capturing the joy and happiness of the day, you can see every picture-perfect detail in the full gallery.
From Cheers Babe Photo… Samuel & Charles’ (aka Sam & Charlie) wedding was an Autumn dream! They were married at the Stanford Chapel (a special nod to where their love blossomed) and celebrated with friends and family overlooking the gorgeous vineyards at Thomas Fogarty Winery. When it came to finding the aesthetic, Hilary of Hilary Marie Events brought Sam & Charlie’s vision to life — a perfect mix of masculine & feminine in the seasonal color palette of navy, ginger, sandstone, bone, and burgundy. The Autumn harvest vibes were made abundant with the addition of fresh figs, berries, and citrus on the tables. A special surprise for the guests was when Brazilian dancers – a nod to Charlie’s Brazilian heritage – kicked off the dance floor, it was amazing!
From the couple… We met at Stanford University while I was a law student and Charlie was a psychiatry resident. During our first date, at a local pub that we still frequent, our connection was immediate—we saw each other almost every day during the initial month after that date! We have since made the Bay Area into our home together, though neither of us is a local. I’m from Georgia, and Charlie is from Brazil. Because many of our family members and friends traveled long distances to celebrate with us, we wanted to provide our guests with a Northern California experience. We welcomed our guests to the weekend at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, California. Guests first enjoyed a cocktail hour in the venue’s gardens, followed by the rehearsal dinner on its outdoor terrace. The Allied Arts Guild’s vibrant gardens, Spanish colonial revival architecture, and breezy outdoor spaces evoked a relaxing, Californian atmosphere. It was a perfect venue for an evening of toasts and celebration. Our wedding ceremony occurred the next day at Memorial Church at Stanford University. We were ecstatic to have the opportunity to introduce our loved ones to the place where we met. After the ceremony, shuttles took our guests up mountain roads that wound through the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains before reaching our reception at Thomas Fogarty Winery.
At the winery, guests were greeted with clear, sunny skies and panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay (as well as fantastic wine from the vineyard!). At the reception, we prioritized entertainment and engagement. During the cocktail hour and dinner, a string quartet played covers of our favorite pride anthems, inviting guests to identify the familiar songs that they heard. Samba dancers—a nod to Charlie’s Brazilian heritage—surprised everyone with an energetic performance at the end of dinner and led all of our guests in a conga line to the dance floor. From then on, the exuberant Salamanders band kept guests on the dance floor all night! Alongside the Northern California experience that we sought to create, we still incorporated elements from our respective backgrounds. Before our wedding, we participated in a Southern tradition of burying a bottle of bourbon (or in the case of a winery, wine) for good weather—and we can promise that it works! In addition to the samba dancers, our appetizers and dinner courses incorporated Brazilian flavors and inspirations, and guests were invited to take home brigadeiros (Brazilian chocolate truffles) packaged in our wedding colors. Integrating these Georgian, Brazilian, and Californian influences, as well as seeing family and friends from all parts of our lives, made our wedding truly feel like a celebration of our lives coming together. We are incredibly grateful for our planner (Hilary of Hilary Marie Events), photographer (Jess of Cheers Babe Photo), and all of our other vendors for building and capturing such a wonderful day.
Photography: Cheers Babe Photo | Event Planning: Hilary Marie Events | Floral Design: Laura's Floras | Cake: Pretty Please SF | Invitations: Aerialist Press | Ceremony Venue: Stanford Memorial Church | Reception Venue: Thomas Fogarty Winery | Catering: Culinary Eye Catering and Events | Band: The Salamanders | Groom's Attire: Canali | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss | Groom's Attire: Armani | String Quartet: Eclecta Quartet | Beauty: Camille Goldston Hair & Make Up Artistry | Brazilian Dancers: Samba Con Migo | Car: Symbolic Luxury | Rentals: Standard Event Rentals | Rentals: Theoni Collection | Weddings Rings: Tiffany & Co.