And now for Paloma and Scott’s absolutely amazing reception…
From Paloma…
Viansa really was a dream to work with. We had our ceremony in their intimate barrel room, then our reception in the big white tent that they offer…it was gorgeous.
Nicole Ha really, really outdid herself with the flowers. She not only got my vision, but more than exceeded all my dreams. he head table had a gray tablecloth with a low long centerpiece of intertwined manzanita branches and huge white orchids, with tons of votives scattered throughout. On the rest of the tables, I had very, very pale pink tablecloths and centerpieces with tall vases, each filled with glass stones on the bottom and submerged orchids and coming out at the top. Manzanita Branches with huge white orchids and hanging votives accented each vase. It was magical. My bouquet was all white, and Nicole even managed to find peonies for me (in August)!!
The reception flew by. Scott’s Canadian family loves to clink their glasses to encourage the bride & groom kiss, but can get carried away after too much wine. Our solution was to put a ‘kissing menu’ on each table…
KISSING MENU
To request a kiss between Paloma & Scott, A clink of a glass is simply a not. We have a list from which to choose, (for which you may need a little booze).
1. The Serenade – Sing a song with “LOVE” in the lyrics.
2. The Brave – Group performance of either the Chicken Dance or the dance from “Thriller.”
3. The Patriotic – Sing either Paloma or Scott’s country’s national anthem.
4. The Irish Blessing – Recite a limerick about love.
5. The Historic – Six and some years ago, Paloma and Scott’s romance began at a small island restaurant. Channel your inner Tony Snell or other Last Resort performers by singing one of their songs.
Our guests loved it, and we ended up having an impromptu national anthem ‘sing off’: the Brits versus the Canadians!
What really helped pull together my vision was a few small touches (the hair pieces, the black and white dance floor, my silver chivari chairs) as well as our amazing band, Lavay Smith & The Red Hot Skillet Lickers. We actually play their music at our restaurant all the time, so it was fitting. Our first dance was to their song “Honey Pie”.
We partied at Viansa until midnight, at which point we all boarded our bus, drove to Sonoma Square and continued the festivities at a local bar (yes, I got a lot of stares in my dress!). Scott & I honeymooned in Bali for eight days afterwards…pure bliss!
A few other quick notes…My dress was by Selia Yang, shoes by Christian Louboutin. The bridesmaids dresses were J Crew. We had Sage Catering help with the food and the gorgeous cake was designed by Sweetie Pies.