Provencal Parfumerie Wine Country Wedding in Paso Robles
A Wine Country Wedding at Hammersky Vineyards in Paso Robles
We are so excited to finally show you a wine country wedding we designed last fall at the beautiful and intimate Hammersky Vineyards. This beautiful setting was the perfect backdrop for Lauren and Mike’s Provencal parfumerie inspired wedding. With impeccable taste, Lauren and I worked on so many exciting custom designs including waterjet cut copper pieces, custom linens and pillows and many more.
There are so many delicious details and gorgeous photography captured by the talented Lindsey Hahn that we still can’t share them all even with this ultra long post! Please see more details and photos on our features on Style Me Pretty and Style Unveiled!
Lauren’s stunning Lela Rose gown and lacey Louboutin’s.
Lauren from Adornments created one of the most beautiful bouquets I had the pleasure to lay my eyes on! This stunning piece featured a variety of roses, blooms and wild greenery for a textural effect.
Guests were greeted at the ceremony via a custom waterjet cut sign we created and glasses of lemonade and lavender cookies to tie them over until cocktail hour, the perfect welcome to a wine country wedding in Paso Robles!
To decorate the vintage church pews used for guest seating we featured bouquets of red roses tied with vintage lace and custom designed toile pillows we designed with Nena Von.
Guests lovingly tossed wildflower seeds at the couple after they said their sweet I do’s.
For the cocktail hour we presented a fun cheese table served on vintage copper dishes and paired each cheese with unique pairings such as stout beer.
In lieu of traditional tags, we featured etched spoons for cheese markers.
For thoughtful guest gift I designed custom labels to go around Lavender and Verbena French soaps by Mistral and passed them out with jars of golden honeycomb.
For a fun start to the day, guests were picked up from their hotels on the Central Coast Trolley, the perfect start for a wine country wedding.
During the cocktail hour we let guests create their own potpourri sachets by blending their favorite dried flowers and then asked guests to write out their well wished onto squares of fabric later to be made into a quilt.
For a very Provencal style table design we started with long wooden farm tables and layered on our custom designed black toile table runners. From there we presented lush and wild arrangements in vintage French teapots and pitchers Lauren scoured far and wide to find.
For a unique take on the traditional menu I created a letterpressed and laser cut menu and then bolted them onto cut sheets of copper we had made.
For a fun twist on the standard bar we created another fun waterjet cut copper piece to hang behind a vintage armoire. To keep in line with our French country perfumerie inspiration we hung racks of dried flowers from the signage and backlit it for a warm glow in the evening.
To create a unique photo opp backdrop we designed a very Victorian inspired cameo design with Mike and Lauren’s initials and framed it in toile curtains for guests to pose in front of.
For a French country style dessert bar we had Two Little Birds Bakery whip up some delicious pies, cookies and pomegranate panna cottas we presented in vintage cut crystal glasses.
To keep guests cozy in the brisk valley air we offered spiked white hot chocolate served in cups wrapped in custom designed toile print we create fro the couple.
Event Design & Planning by Alchemy Fine Events
Photography by Lindsey Hahn
Flowers by Adornments
Catering by Trumpet Vine
Venue Hammersky Vineyards
Vintage Furniture Rentals by Found and Marigold
Cake & Desserts by Two Little Birds Bakery
Bride’s Gown by Lela Rose
Ren + John’s Art Deco Wedding
Art Deco Wedding in Santa Monica
After a bit of a blogging break we are back! We have been doing more than our share of globe trotting lately designing weddings, workshops & events from Italy to Ibiza to Miami and back again and are very excited to kick off our blogalicious fasting with this colorful Art Deco Wedding. We were so excited to design this fabulously bold and daring fete for our dear friend Ren and her darling hubby John. ‘Dharma & Greg’ as their friends jokingly call them, are the epitome of the free-spirited boho wild child meets the traditional buttoned up good boy. Opposites attract in romance and in this case, the bold splashy designs mixed with a classical charm and romance definitely started a love affair as well.
Ren + John’s Wedding was also featured on 100 Layer Cake!
For the Butterfly Big Top invitations we designed bold striped and art deco influenced geometric designs printed on a suede textured paper for a fun tactile element. Crystal Kluge adorned our black envelopes with beautiful whimsical white calligraphy and topped each envelope with our custom designed matching stamps.
Ren’s Miu Miu rhinestone encrusted heels were to die for and were the perfect bold splash to complement the customized etheral boho gown by Allyson Simone.
When Ren & John first rekindled their romance he took her on a date to Palos Verdes where they stumbled upon the most magnificent church she had ever seen. She decided then and there that that was where she wanted to get married. Several years later her dream came true. The Wayfarers Chapel, designed by Frank Llyod Wrights Son, Llyod Wright, is designed with an art nouveau style and features architecturally lined windows opening up to pine trees and endless views of the pacific ocean.
John’s mother offered up precious pieces of lace from her own wedding gown which we used to make a heart-shaped ring bearer pillow along with the silk ikat fabric from the reception decor.
Los Angeles based designer, and friend and guest of the brides, Yana K, created custom designed bridesmaids gowns in a bevy of colors and styles to allow her leading ladies to wear a gown of their own style and hue.
The bold & colorful bridesmaids all donned art deco necklaces gifted to the lades from the bride. These gorgeous beauts also happen to be my friends from junior high!
Having a former fashion model as a bride sure doesn’t hurt for incredible photos!
For a fun and dramatic seating card display we created a 13 ft tall installment of colorful ribbons and bold plexi-glass letters spelling out FOREVER.
To customize Ren’s dress Allyson Simone added butterfly sleeves onto the spaghetti strap gown. Such a fun and unique look in a sea of strapless gowns!
Each centerpieces was a different color combination to match the three different silk ikats we used for custom table linens.
Each napkin was also adorned with handmade rhinestone encrusted napkin rings.
To create a stunning art deco cake I illustrated a design inspired by this art deco Hoover building in London for Cupcakes Couture which they then transformed into a delicious work of art! For a stunning backdrop I created a geometric design of round and square mirrors suspended on thick black ribbon. To stay in theme with the geometrical feel of the evening I also created a custom designed table linen with baguette rhinestones to match the napkin treatments.
When Ren & John had a chance encounter years after their brief high school romance he sent a darling letter to her parents home in hopes of reconnecting with her. We blew up this letter onto a 10 ft tall heart and displayed a large R + J = HEART in the lounge where guests could read his sweet words.
Sweet Lucie’s ice cream cart made an appearance for a fun after dinner treat.
Michael Antonia of The Flashdance kept guests on their toes all night!
Credits:
Event Design & Planning by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Wedding Photography by Luna Photography
Invitation Photography by Scott Lawrence
Invitations by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Ceremony at Wayfares Chapel
Reception at The Annenberg Community Beach House
Catering by Urth Caffe
Mixology by The Martini Shop
Ice Cream by Sweet Lucies
Cake by Cupcakes Couture
DJ by The Flashdance
Videography by Shark Pig
Bride’s Dress by Allyson Simone
Bride’s Shoes by Miu Miu
Make UP & Hair by Jennifer Budner
DREAM:: An Intimate Bridal Affair
A San Diego Intimate Bridal Show featuring Modern Luxury Design
A few weeks ago we had the exciting idea to collaborate with our favorite San Diego vendors and create a very un-bridally bridal show! Along with Isari Flower Studio and Luna Photo, we pulled together our favorite San Diego vendors and designed and coordinated this special event just as we would a real wedding. No big tacky signs, no booths, nothing like a traditional bridal show! I really wanted to show a bride ‘this is how we would really all work together!’. From creating a cohesive design plan, site plan and gearing our furniture, flowers, food, music and drinks all towards the same design direction for one cohesive look verses a piecemeal feeling that you walk away from traditional bridal shows with.
Whether you need to fill in a few spots in your vendor list or come and hire the DREAM team as a whole, we were and are very proud to bring you San Diego’s best! Thank you everyone for helping us have had such an amazing turn out of more than 350 brides! With such an amazing success DREAM may be making another appearance later this year.
Pop Art + Modern Glam + Impressionism + Vintage
– Plan, Design, Invite: Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
– Embellish: Isari Flower Studio
– Capture: Luna Photo
– Dine: Toast Catering
– Stay: Starwood Hotels (The US Grant, The W, The Westin)
– Dance: Elan Artists
– Film: Modern 8
– Nibble: Sweet Cheeks Baking
– Illuminate: AV Event Rentals
– Set the Table: Casa de Perrin
– Furnish & Accessorize: Pow Wow Vintage Rentals
– Beautify: Shampoo Too!
– Dress: M Bride
– Say Cheese: The Foto Box
– Discover: Luxe Finds
– Style: CBS Life Stylist
– Sip: For Real Bartenders
– Pillows: Lounge Appeal
– Register: Bloomingdales
Art History for Brides: Renaissance Inspired Rustic Vintage Winery Wedding Inspiration
Rustic Vintage Winery Wedding Inspiration
Nothing exudes romance to me more than the ethereal age of the Renaissance. From it’s flowering of literature, science, art, religion and politics, this golden era flourished from every angle. Combining my passion for art, fashion, history and, of course, Italy, this age became proliferate with some of the greatest minds in our history. Starting in the 14th century in Florence, Tuscany, the Renaissance age boasted incredible works of art by Michelangelo, Donatello, Botticelli, da Vinci and great thinkers such as Dante. With inspirations from this indelible age, the 4th installment of our Art History for Brides series was born.
Inspiration
For my interpretation of the Renaissance, I wanted to create softer and simpler, pastel version of what we conceive to be the traditional Renaissance palette consisting of darker jewel tones. My vision was to create a pair cherub-esque brides longingly lounging around a beautiful vineyard feast while waiting for their loves to return, as if a scene from a Botticelli masterpiece.
Patterns / Graphics
Florentine patterns featuring intricate floral designs and illustrations were used throughout the shoot including the silverware trays on the table and on the invitations. The ‘Fleur di Lis’, which was a popular symbol of this time, reflected the political and royal. Born in France and then later adopted by Florentine’s as their city’s emblem, this symbol appeared on crowns, clothes and even currency as seen in the fiorini, an early Florentine currency.
Tablescape
To create our lounge worthy dining area we started by layering vintage rugs from Casa de Perrin then brought in a rustic sun bleached table and a soft vanilla hued velvet couch and love seat from Archive Vintage Rentals. Contrasting patterns of china and Florentine trays by Casa de Perrin were used to display the vintage silverware, fresh loaves of bread and rich raspberry hued pomegranates. Soft pink hued glassware offered pomegranate sprinkled bubbles and a romantic balance to our cut crystal decanters.
Flowers
Inspired by a Renaissance still life, Isari Flower Studio created a trio of contrasting centerpieces featured in ethereal golden-footed glass. For the berry hued centerpiece, Isari intricately designed a masterpiece brimming with champagne kissed cafe au lait dahlias and stunning merlot hued garden roses boasting ruffled petals, exposing green centers.
For the softer sunset hued centerpieces, sheer pink lilies, Californian oak twigs, fall kissed green hydrangeas, and unexpected Dutch tulips were trailing with bejeweled china berries to make it’s meandering statement amidst sprawling desserts and other vintage dishes unexpectedly featured on this magnificent table scape.
For a tall dramatic statement a taller amber vase boasted simple organic stems of tall camellia branches, with their waxy foliage in hunter green. Feast
To carry out our Tuscan worthy feast we created a rustic spread of fruits, nuts, breads, meats and cheeses offered upon layers and layers of Florentine, copper and silver trays. Vintage glassware, still life paintings and tapered candlesticks added height and interested for a layered effect.
For a Renaissance style dessert bar we featured home-style cakes and fruit tarts by Scootabaker in this vineyard setting-boasting vine covered walkways and majestic vineyard and mountain views. Buttercream cakes were displayed on silver cake plates and layered upon mirrored trays atop a vintage French table. Beautiful berries, pomegranates, pears and plums were scattered about to sweeten up this already scrumptious still life inspired presentation. Fashion
I wanted to invoke the romance of the Renaissance through the artisanal style of handwork and details seen in the beautifully detailed Allison Simone gowns, jewelry and accessories, which were featured on each of our brides. From the detailed beading on the neckline to the long sleeves with detailed hems, these gowns exude an air of romance from a time long gone.
During the Renaissance the most popular color of bridal gowns were actually blue, which was considered a symbol of purity. If the bride didn’t wear blue she would often still carry something blue, in which the tradition was born “something old, something blue”
Traditions
Some of the most common wedding traditions derived from the Renaissance are still celebrated today. Here are a few of the most popular (and interesting! Hand-fasting?) traditions from that time:
• Hand-fasting- One of the most common rituals is hand-fasting. Hand-fasting is a joining of hands between the bride and groom. Actually, their hands may be literally tied together with a piece of material or cord. In some ceremonies, hand-fasting is symbolized by cutting a lock of each others hair and placing the locks in a box, or by the bride and groom drinking out of the same cup. However this ritual is performed, the meaning is essentially the same. The couple’s lives are joined together for eternity.
• Throwing Rice- You may be surprised to discover that one of the most common wedding traditions, the tradition of throwing rice, dates back to Renaissance times. This is an essential part of the wedding, and symbolizes fertility and luck for the couple.
• Tiered Cakes- The tiered or layered wedding cake also dates back to Renaissance times. The guests would bring small cakes to stack on top of each other. If the couple could kiss over the top of the stack without knocking them down, they would have good luck.
• Garter- The throwing of the garter dates back to the Renaissance era. It was said that if a male guest at the wedding gave the bride’s garter to his love, he would receive faithfulness.
Credits
• Event Design & Styling by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
• Invitation Design by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
• Photography by Luna Photo
• Flowers by Isari Flower Studio
• Tableware settings & Props by Casa De Perrin
• Furniture & Props by Vintage Archive Rentals
• Cake & Pastries by Scootabaker Bakery
• Bridal Gowns & Jewelery by Allyson Simone of Provence Brides
• Venue Orfila Winery
