this was a wedding we designed back in april of 2010 but we haven't been able to blog it because the knot magazine was going to be featuring it!! the issue has just hit newstands so now we can finally share this "hamptons-inspired" fete...
allison and chris decided to get married at the bride's family vacation home on balboa island in newport beach, which they have owned for over a century - talk about history!! she knew she wanted something ocean inspired but nothing too "themey"...no starfish, no sand dollars, no messages in a bottle...
based on the style of the family home, her planner, courtney toney, and i came up with more of a cape cod/martha's vineyard style affair...we wanted to highlight the more natural elements of the seaside while keeping it romantic and pretty...
style file: cape cod, hamptons, martha's vineyard style with a slight nautical feel
color scheme: tan, beige, white, cream, celery, royal blue
elements: grapewood branches, natural khaki linens, wood lounge furniture, dingy boat, sailing trophies, white lanterns
florals: hydrangea, vibernum, ranunculas, garden roses, tulips, peonies, cala lilies, scabiosa, lilac, sweet peas
each bridesmaid carried a different green theme flower in a celery or lime tone...the maid of honor had a combination of the different florals...
ring bearers held a grapewood log accented with white peonies in lieu of a standard pillow...
the groom's boutonniere was a white mini cala, some natural sea grass and a rustic twine wrap...
a gorgeous floral wreath we created for the entryway...
i LOVED these rope spheres courtney brought in! just the right nautical touch...
the ceremony was set on the sand right outside the family home...what a gorgeous view of the waterfront!
flower girls carried rusted pails of green vibernum...
the ceremony structure was a simple canopy of natural bamboo poles, sheer white fabric and green vibernum tie-backs...
courtney was dead set on finding a dingy boat to use somewhere in this wedding - she needed to look no further than the bride's family garage! they had this PERFECT blue dingy boat covered in barnacles...it was a dream! so authentic and special since it belonged to the bride's family...
i gave courtney some beige grosgrain ribbon and her staff strung the placecards across the width of the boat...we added a couple arrangements of green vibernum to give it a touch of floral...all in all, AMAZING!
the cocktail hour was made up of wood lounge furniture and all white florals in glass footed vases...double tulips, ranunculas, sweet peas...
the couple also had a steel drummer playing as a nod to the time the couple spent living in the caribbean (chris is a pilot)...
courtney created that adorable "just married" sign for the back of the bride's family boat...
some pretty mixed floral pieces in shades of white and green accented a wood hutch holding family photos...
we brought in knotted grapewood branches and white lanterns to add a natural, hamptons-esque vibe...
dinner tables were set in the sand and covered in natural khaki colored raw linens with matching napkins and white chiavari chairs...it was such a crisp, fresh base to work off of! we lined up the florals, vase after vase, for a feel that was full but still simple since each of the vases held only one kind of flower...
i love this shot with the dock in the background and cafe lights overhead...
tables were named after places the bride and groom have traveled to together...
a cute little boat that courtney found held bottled waters at the bar area...
allison had just finished school to be a licensed sommelier so of course their favors were custom bottles of wine!
we created a simple little backdrop of some rustic khaki linen to go behind the rustic buttercream cakes from sweet and saucy...i gave her some white peonies and she placed them in strategic spots...just goes to show that cakes don't need a ton of flowers to be pretty!
courtney and i oo'ed and aww'ed over the bride's family sailing trophies from the 1920's and 30's...we used some as part of an entry display inside the home but courtney snagged two low ones to use as the toasting flutes on the cake table - genius!
a cigar roller was brought in to hand-roll cigars all night...
stunning night shot looking back on the house and waterfront with the dock that we lined in white paper luminarias - LOVE!!!
this is actually one of my favorite weddings to date...so simple, clean and sophisticated with just the right blend of natural elements with feminine elements...plus i loved how courtney and i were able to draw from the bride's family home and their stories...it really spoke to us and was such a reflection of their heritage! plus allison and chris were the SWEETEST!! so easy breezy to work with...they kinda let me and courtney get creative and run with it!
i also have to point out the incredibly talented people who helped make this day what it was!
photography: meg perotti (these photos are a designers dream - she captured all the details AND the bride and groom so beautifully!)
coordination and design: courtney toney with joyful weddings and events (i adore you court)
florals and design: me :)
rentals: classic party rentals
catering: 24 carrots
stationary and printed items: posh paperie
cakes: sweet and saucy shop
band: cuesta ridge mountain boys (that dance floor was packed all night - loved them!)
cigar roller: cuban cigar factory
steel dummer: nesta
lastly, a HUGE thank you to leila of be inspired pr who submitted everything to the knot magazine for us! we are so thrilled to be featured on the pages of the latest southern california edition - please check it out!!
