Peonies and weddings are like peanut butter and jelly in our book. They go hand in hand like a trusted classic and one that we never, ever get sick of gazing at. So it’s no surprise that we can’t take our eyes off this gem held at one of the prettiest spots in California, Beaulieu Garden. It’s classic elegance with a layer of pretty, pretty pink florals by Valley Flora and image after beautiful image by Sylvie Gil Photography. Now add in the oh-so-in-love couple and we have the makings of the perfect happy ever after. See it all here.
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From the bride… Every time I think of Napa, I think of the gorgeous green rolling hills. The smell of grapes reminds me of all of the wonderful times spent with our friends. We’ve eaten at some of best restaurants in the world and of course enjoyed copious amounts of our favorite beverage — wine. Amir & I definitely consider ourselves to be huge “winos” and foodies. I really wanted our wedding to have a romantic feel and really capture what we love in life: great times with friends and excellent food and wine. Napa was the perfect fit for us and without much deliberation we chose it as our wedding location.
For the décor and overall style I wanted to stick with the following themes: vintage, French countryside, and understated elegance. Naturally, Napa provides a rich and colorful setting for a wedding, so I didn’t want to overwhelm tables with elaborate flower arrangements. Instead, I opted for simple peony bouquets in glass vases. I absolutely love peonies, and I have to admit that the wedding date was planned around the peony season, which is fairly short – only 6 weeks (May through early June). I do love my peonies! I also really liked the idea of dessert buffets and I wanted our dessert table to incorporate some our favorite treats. Our table featured baked goods from our favorite bakery: Bouchon. Ah, Bouchon, where do I begin … known for their French macaroons, eclairs, chocolate bouchons and pretty much any other baked deliciousness. We decided to skip favors and offered to go boxes that our guests could fill up with whatever they chose from the table. I heard it was quite a huge hit with everyone.
Words can’t describe how happy I was to wake up to a warm, sunny morning. We definitely got very lucky with the weather, as it was cold and heavily rainy the entire week leading up to our wedding. The day was beautiful, full of emotions, happy tears, and of course as I have been warned, flew by in what seemed like 5 minutes. I am glad that I remembered to take Kathy’s advice, before the last song, I grabbed Amir’s hand and stepped away from the dance floor to just stand there for good 10 minutes and soak in the moment. Watching friends & family dancing, popping in and out of the photo booth, munching on late night snack, I will never forget that moment. Looking back, I would not have changed anything and I am completely overjoyed with the thought that now Napa will always have a special place in our hearts. Every time we come back to Napa we will get to re-live the memories of our wedding day..
Photographer: Sylvie Gil Photography / Venue: Beaulieu Garden / Cake: Michael and Angela of Perfect Endings / Catering: Geoffrey and Tim of Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Celebrant: Tannaz (Taz) Mokayef, groom’s sister / Ceremony + Cocktail Music: Brian Moran of Ever Music Group / Wedding Planner: Kathy Higgins Weddings /DJ: Chris Fox / Florals: Polly Harrington of Valley Flora / Sound System + Lighting: Jon Retsky of Got Light / Rentals + Linens: Deirdre Muller of Classic Party Rentals / Lounge Furniture: Neil Adams of Blueprint Studio Collection / Rehearsal Party: Brix / Transportation: Karen Dooley of California Wine Tours / Dessert Table: Bouchon / Hair and Makeup: The Makeup Dolls