Continuing on with the real wedding by Sasha Souza Events!
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Because April brings unpredictable weather, cocktails were held in a clear tent on the grounds of the winery. Guests were treated to a variety of specialty hors d’oeuvres such as lobster cones with caviar, chilled pea soup with crab stuffed green peas and cheve wine country wontons with apricot dipping sauce – they also indulged on cheese, antipasto and other delicacies on a station. Escort cards were arranged on custom made picks gleaming with crystals and set in moss.
The dinner tent popped with color – shades of blue and green accented with white flowers. The carpet in the tent was custom dyed to match the invitation envelopes – just a little detail. Each of the guests’ place settings featured a crystal bead wire chargers and menus with the pattern of Brooke’s dress & the couple’s new monogram. We decided to use a pole tent so we could forgo a liner and instead project amazing pattern on the ceiling. Crystal beaded chandeliers, moss poles with ribbons of roses in tones of white and green and handcrafted garland were used to create the finishing details in the tent. We also used several tones of linen ranging from a light pear green to a deep ocean blue to create excitement among the 20+ tables! Dark chiavari chairs were sweetly tied with aqua toned ribbons.
A few years ago, we found a gate in an abandoned lot – it’s been painted about 20 different colors and is featured in quite a few of our weddings …it was one of the bride’s favorite décor details we do, so it was incorporated into the cocktail tent to lead guests into the dinner. It’s true that no wine country wedding would be complete without photos of the couple in the vineyard – even in April, the buds were breaking. The couple also chose a magnum wine bottle for their guest book instead of the traditional paper book (what’s better than great wine you can drink later?)
The same pattern on the invitations is projected on the ceiling using color changing LED lighting – over the course of dancing, the tones changed from deep blue to teal and back again. The four tier cake made of fondant and handmade flowers featured crystal accents and also had a pattern reminiscent of the bride’s gown. Being from the south, a groom’s cake was inevitable. Mark was an avid fly fisherman, so brook surprised him with a tackle box and pole and fish for his cake – even the fly’s on the board were made from edible modeling chocolate. To end the evening, guests were treated to a port and chocolate table where they cut their own chocolate from large slabs and enjoyed a variety of port. (note…I’ve never in my life seen 200 people drink 12 bottles of port – they devoured it!)
It’s always an honor to be introduced into our couples lives by creating one of the most important days of their lives. (note I said…one of the most important). While each event we plan provides unique challenges, we never miss the fact that brides and grooms have a lot of options now when planning their parties and it’s a great feeling to think that they trust us with the monumental task. I make it a point to thank my couples and the mothers/fathers after the wedding is over – because I am thankful that they entrusted us…so, thank you, again…Brooke & Mark.
Vendor info:
Location: Chateau St. Jean / Invitation: Dauphine Press / Photos: Sherman Chu for Sasha Souza Events / Décor and Design, Floral: Sasha Souza Events / Cakes: Fleur De Lisa Cakes / Bride’s Gown: Vera Wang / Catering: Alex’s Catering / Lighting: Got Light
Thank you so much to Sasha for entertaining us here on SMP today!