You are totally gonna die when you see the amazingness that is this next wedding. The spectacular setting, the don’t-stop-til-you-get-enough flowers, the fresh and vibrant tablescapes, and of course, the glowing bride, all add up to make one drop dead gorgeous California wedding. Captured by Anna Kuperberg with flowers from Atelier Joya, this Sonoma beauty is sure to have you drooling on your keyboard, so grab a bib and meet me in the gallery!
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Brian and I had just moved back to California from NYC before we were engaged – and I now work for a winery. For inspiration, we love the elegance of the French countryside but wanted to add a little modern NY touch- sort of a blend of old world and new world. Annadel was the perfect place as it was a blank slate and felt very old world romantic with the stone ruins, the big lawn and the gorgeous rose gardens and vineyards. A lot of our guests were coming from the east coast and other countries so we wanted it to be a unique Sonoma experience. We also loved the site in that it had three spaces- the courtyard, the lawn and the barn- so that you could create new experiences for guests to discover throughout the evening. The only sad part was that Sonoma requires you to wrap up at 10 pm – I just wish it was longer!
I’ve worked in marketing for years, so I thought if I pulled together some great vendors we could plan it ourselves, as I love throwing events. It was a little more challenging than I thought! Luckily, Lisa and Priska from Atelier Joya, who we brought on as the florist, are also event designers and absolutely amazing. They went above and beyond in every way and really helped transform our thoughts into what we wanted. We wanted the stone ruins to feel very intimate and romantic. We didn’t want a big flower centerpiece as a backdrop, but something a little more unique – we loved their idea of the soft drape with the flowers in hanging glass balls.
My parents are Dutch and Brian and I love the European style of long tables where everyone feels together and flowers run the whole way down. It turns out that all of my favorite flowers are spring flowers, but Priska and Lisa found a way to achieve a similar look through other flowers- and once again have the contrast with the single fuchsia dahlia on every plate.
Paula LeDuc was our caterer. Brian and I are foodies and they can make anything happen. During one of our wedding planning jaunts to Sonoma, we stopped at a local restaurant and they had a fresh fig cocktail that we fell in love with. Paula LeDuc recreated it for us as our signature drink. We paired all the courses with different wines that I have worked for. Paula LeDuc loves a food challenge and are so fun to work with. They also helped us select all of the furniture.
We wanted to transform the barn into a more modern space thru the use of white, fuchsia and chandeliers. And per Priska and Lisa’s suggestion, and a desire for the unexpected, we moved the chandeliers outside. We loved the space, as it had all these little areas where we could create intimate seating areas and Priska and Lisa brought in candles, vases etc. to really make it cosy and have the spaces pop.
Wedding Photography: Anna Kuperberg / Floral & Event Design: Atelier Joya / Event Planning: Stacy McCain Event Planning / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Annadel Estate Winery / Catering: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Hair & Makeup: Darlene Carlson / Music: An Elegant Touch of Strings / Wedding Cake: Perfect Endings / Linens: La Tavola / Table Runners: Custom / Event Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Save The Date: Hello!Lucky / Wedding Invitations: Bella Figura / Calligraphy: Friend of the Bride / Menu & Programs: The Bride + Friend of the Bride + FLAX art & design (Paper) / Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss / Groom & Groomsmen Ties: Hugo Boss / Bridesmaid Dresses: Vera Wang / Wedding Dress: Manuel Moto for Pronovias (Scarlet) / DJ: Kevin Wong