There’s something fiercely magical about the The Ritz at Half Moon Bay. It’s the kind of locale that makes for a dream of a wedding, especially when Lyndsey Hamilton Events, rEvolve and Elegant Cheese Cakes have anything to do with it. But what really makes this wedding shine is that it’s sort of three events in one. That’s right — a trio of prettiness with the most gorgeous day-after session you ever did see. Mike Falco of Christian Oth Studio worked his magic behind the camera and per usual, we’re speechless.
From Lyndsey Hamilton Events…Natalie and David both live in Hong Kong, but wanted to give their guests a spectacular destination event. The groom has some family in San Francisco and the city holds a special place in the bride’s heart, so it was a pretty easy decision to settle on the Bay Area for their wedding. After investigating several venues, they fell absolutely in love with the Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay. Natalie initial wanted an outdoor venue for the both ceremony and reception, but with the incredibly unpredictable weather along the Northern California coast, a compromise was made: the ceremony would be held outside at the gazebo on the hotel property and dinner would be hosted in the main ballroom.
Knowing that the bride and groom wanted an elegant, outdoor, garden wedding, we worked hand in hand with the florist (Ariana of Lily Lodge) and lighting designer (Manu of rEvolve) to make an indoor garden a reality. Potted trees and ferns were brought into the ballroom, the tables were filled with fragrant, Downton Abbey inspired arrangements, string lights were hung to create a warm, summer evening feel, and clusters of lanterns were placed around the room to round out the decor. Everything else in the room, from linens, to china, to menus were carefully chosen to compliment the overall design.
Dinner was an elegant, formal affair, featuring a duo of lobster and quail. The party that followed was one for the books: the bride and groom opened the dancing portion of the evening with a steamy tango (complete with outfit changes for both!) and continued well into the night with music by DJ Smiles of The Flashdance. Guests were also treated to a photo booth and midnight snacks before the party came to an end.
The next day, Natalie and David had a photoshoot with the amazing Mike Falco from Christian Oth Studios in Muir Forest. He was the principal photographer at the wedding the day before, but the newlyweds wanted a day to themselves and some much more intimate photographs than would have been possible with all their guests in attendance. They spent the day at the beach and in the redwood forests, with some stunning images as a result.
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Photography: Mike Falco, Christian Oth Studio | Venue: The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay | Event Design + Planning: Lyndsey Hamilton Events | Floral Design: Lily Lodge | Lighting: rEvolve | Makeup: Kamen Leung, Hong Kong | Hair: Elizabeth Chang from Skyla Arts Makeup & Hair | Bridesmaids H&M: Artists by Sherrie Long | Cocktail + Dinner Music: Sheila Fords Harlem Review | DJ: DJ Smiles, The Flashdance | Ceremony Music: Golden Gate Strings | Photo booth: Snap yourself! | Cake: Elegant Cheese Cakes | Cinematography: One Shot