Because going green is oh-so-chic I simply cannot get enough of this down to earth wedding by Locally Grown Weddings. I'm smitten over the floral arrangements that combine vegetables and leafs from the local farm. There are so many unique and thoughtful details that share the root of this couple's love and beliefs. Be sure to read below for more on this wedding that's ahead of the curve and head over to the full gallery for more.
Hopland Wedding at Campovida by Locally Grown Weddings
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From Locally Grown Weddings... Sean and Renee's wedding was a celebration of values in sustainability, community and good food and wine! The couple first met in 2004 while cooking at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco. It was there that they met our own Chef Stephanie, and new friendships grew. When the news of the exciting, upcoming wedding was announced, she introduced the couple to the Locally Grown Weddings team, and it was another perfect match! Over the past seven years, Sean and Renee have created a vibrant and strong community together. Their wedding at Campovida in Hopland was a gorgeous late summer celebration full of unique and thoughtful details. As Renee put it, “we wanted our guests to feel inspired and to walk away with lasting memories of a celebration of love and a feeling of connection to the land."
A close friend officiated their ceremony, which included a beautiful water ceremony. As guests arrived, they picked up a small bottle that held water collected from the Sierras — pure mountain water. They were then asked to “send” thoughts, blessings and wishes for the couple into the water which was then poured over Renee and Sean’s wedding rings, flooding these symbols of their new life together with all the love and support from their community. After this beautiful and touching ceremony, the feasting and celebrating ensued. With their love of food and cooking, Sean and Renee chose heirloom tomatoes as their theme, which carried through in lovely little details throughout the day, and of course, was showcased in their delicious menu. When you put two chefs together, you know that the food will be amazing! Most of the ingredients were sourced from farms they have a strong connection to, including their friends Linda and Steven of Lindencroft Farms, whose produce and flowers were featured in the menu Sean and Renee created, as well as the decor. The farm was featured as the location for the amazing engagement photos that Aurora shot in the spring. It is clearly it is a place with significant meaning for the two of them. Linda and Steven grow specialty produce exclusively for Gather, the much celebrated Berkeley restaurant Sean co-owns and works at as the executive chef. He has gained much national attention since the restaurant opened in 2009, including Esquire Magazine’s “2010 Chef of the Year" among other awards.
Madeline created some lush and unique florals for their wedding, combining vegetables such as kale leaves and fennel with sunflowers that were all grown at Lindencroft Farms. As the planning process continued, Madeline, Sadie and Renee collaborated on many more of the decorative details. Madeline created a beautiful illustrated map of Campovida so the guests knew how to navigate through their vast gardens. Both Sadie and Madeline also created the signage for the tables and the escort cards staying in tune with the heirloom tomato theme. Renee and Sean both shared that they are not huge dessert people, but did want to have something sweet to close out the evening. Working with Pei-Yee, they decided to have a buffet of seasonal crostatas, or free-form pies. Campovida presses their own olive oil with the olives grown on the property, and Pei-Yee was able to incorporate that into the crostata dough as a unique and local spin on the dessert. The crostatas were filled with a variety of delicious fruits, including honey punch pluots with anise hyssop, brown turkey figs with an almond frangipane, strawberries with balsamic syrup, and in keeping with the wedding theme, heirloom tomatoes and honey. We felt so fortunate to be a part of this special wedding. It was a glorious summer day and an unforgettable celebration of two people’s love and the local and sustainable offerings from their community.
Wedding Photography: Aurora Meneghello of Locally Grown Weddings / Wedding Venue: Campovida in Hopland, California / Event Planning: Sadie Waddington of Locally Grown Weddings / Floral + Event Design: Madeline Trait of Locally Grown Weddings / Catering: Back to Earth / Desserts: Pei-Yee Woo of Locally Grown Weddings / Whole Roast Pig: SOL Catering / Wedding Invitations: Cherish / Guest Book: Mai Kong / Rentals: Hartmann Studios / Wedding Dress: Adele Wechsler / Jewelry: Brilliant Earth / Hair: Allure Hair Salon