A wedding filled with beautiful blooms is my happy place. I could spend hours on end in our Flowers gallery, that’s how much I love them. So, when Chestnut & Vine sent over another stunner, sprinkled with the prettiest of petals that they so beautifully designed? Well, my happy place just got a little bit happier. Jerry Yoon Photography made sure to capture every lovely detail and it’s all right here!
From Chestnut & Vine… One of our favorite weddings of the year, this gorgeous Sonoma Valley wedding combines rustic beauty with whimsical charm, a combination truly representative of the bride and groom. We had a wonderful time collaborating with the bride, Jessica, on florals and event styling. From the herbal tea garden centerpieces to the hops draped ceremony backdrop, we loved turning her vision into the perfect wedding day and lucky for us, the amazing images from Jerry Yoon Photography captures the day perfectly.
From the stunning bride… Jon and I met randomly at a restaurant in San Francisco. I happened to be having drinks with my girlfriends at the table next to Jon and his friend one Friday night. Jon struck up conversation with me and we ended up talking for a bit. He gave me his business card (very professional of him) and we exchanged numbers. A few days later, we went on our first date to the Berkeley Botanical Garden. We went on a few more dates after that and the next thing you know we were inseparable.
Jon and I both love outdoor activities. We work in the City, so when we have a chance to escape, we like to get away from it all. I have always been fond of farm life and Jon knows I dream of having a working farm, growing fruits and vegetables and living on self-sustainable land. When I visited Beltane for the first time, I felt removed from the crazy urban city life. I didn’t have clear vision of what I wanted, but I knew Beltane was where I wanted to get married. I knew it would be a wonderful place and the perfect environment to start our new lives together. Being at Beltane, I felt like I could pretend, for at least one day, that I lived on a beautiful estate with horses and apples growing in the backyard. The morning after our wedding, I woke up with my husband in our cute little cottage overlooking Sonoma Valley. I sat outside in our private garden with a cup of tea and just enjoyed every second that I had in that moment.
In planning my wedding, I drew inspiration from everything around me, including the romantic moss covered trees, the colors of my favorite pieces of jewelry, organic tea, my maid of honor, conversations with Svenja from Chestnut & Vine, and of course Pinterest. I used a company called Greenfield Paper for our plantable save the date post cards. I wanted to be as green as possible throughout the wedding planning process. The postcards were embedded with wildflower seeds. The idea was to have our guests plant the card so that by the time the flowers bloomed, it would serve as a reminder that our wedding was just around the corner. I wanted to include wood and organic elements as much as I could in our wedding design, so for my invitations, I worked with my sister who runs Laserbuilt and a designer from White Lemon Designs to create my laser cut balsa wood invitations.
On my wedding day, I woke up feeling relaxed and happy. I felt confident about the day ahead because I had everything planned out and I also had a wonderful day-of planner to help me execute my ideas. As the day progressed, I watched everything come together- from the furniture placement to the table decor and the flowers to the DJ setup. I watched as the months of planning began to take shape. It was pretty cool. One thing I really appreciated was that Jerry, my photographer, pulled me and Jon away during dinner at ‘golden hour’ to take bride and groom photos. We frolicked through the fields and twirled around the property just enjoying each other’s company. It really made for great photos.
When I saw Jon for the first time, I remember being overwhelmed with joy to point of tears. During our ceremony, I felt the purest sense of happiness I had ever know. I was living completely in the moment. One of my most favorite moments of the wedding was our first dance. Although everyone was watching, it was the first time we were able to hug and embrace and really feel together without cameras in our face. I let everything and everyone around me disappear and I remember just seeing Jon and holding him tightly. The rest of the night was such a blur. If I could sum it all up, it was like having the best day of my life, but better because everyone around me was happy. I got to share the greatest feelings with Jon and we were both enveloped in love and positive energy from our friends and family. When I close my eyes, I can still envision the ceremony like it was yesterday- from the glow of the sunset and the rustling of the trees in the wind to the look on Jon’s face. It really was the most memorable day of my life and I wouldn’t have done anything differently.
Advice for new brides: Don’t get too caught up in the details. Being a bride-to-be is fun! No matter what happens, just remember to enjoy every second leading up to your big day.
Photography: Jerry Yoon | Videographer: Pixel Morning | Coordination: Clever Girl Consulting | Floral Design: Chestnut & Vine Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Pronovias | Cake: Carolyn Wong | Invitations: Laserbuilt | Invitations: Green Field Paper Company | Invitations: White Lemon Designs | Bridesmaids Dresses: Weddington Way | Catering: Alex's Catering | Hair & Makeup: Susie Chhuor Makeup | Entertainment: AMS Entertainment | Groom's Attire: Custom design from Seymours San Francisco | Officiant: Lissin Song Ceremonies | Wedding Venue: Beltane Ranch | Photobooth: Snappea Sf