I’d be willing to bet my bottom dollar that this wedding goes down as a SMP favorite. For starters, it’s the work of Marcy Blum and Nancy Liu Chin (aka, some of the best in the biz) with Stephanie Pool behind the lens. From the bright pink petals down the aisle to the statement bridesmaids’ dresses, it’s a risk-taking spin on traditional elegance that paid off BIG time. Get started in the gallery and don’t miss the film from AwesomeShot Studios.
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From Marcy Blum Associates…Planning this wedding for one of my dearest friends’ children (we have been friends for over 45 years) of course held a very special meaning for me. I’ve known the bride and her siblings before they were born, and not having kids of my own, they are my surrogates.
Dana was raised in Palo Alto and now lives with her husband (Rob is from New York) in New York City where her mother, father, and I were raised. The bride and I have very similar taste and style and we lean towards the ‘fabulous’ much to her mother’s chagrin.
One of the challenges for me was to imbue the very elegant but rather masculine and definitely ‘clubby’ Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club with some NYC glitz and glam without eradicating the wonderful California aura that Dana and her family are very attached to. The Club is also a venue that many of the guests are quite familiar with and I wanted to turn it into something that felt very different and very festive to them as well. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the banquet manager Helen Engelherdt (from ny of course :) was 100% with me on this project and made it far easier than it would have been otherwise. We served cocktails and hors d’oeuvres before the ceremony so that we didnâ??t impinge on any members golfing time when we finally set up.
The ceremony on the golf course (an outdoor ceremony was the one non-negotiable from the bride) began with Beach Boy songs performed by an acapella group and continued with a classical ensemble. After the ceremony performed by a friend of the couple, guests entered the ballroom from a different direction than usual. Guests were literally stopped in their tracks by the transformation of the club’s dining room. Using long tables, custom gossamer and gold linens, clever lighting and hanging crystals and blooms from the existing chandeliers,our team had rendered the club ballroom even to those who are there often, unrecognizable.
A fabulous band after dinner was followed by a DJ in the sexy club we had built in the bar.
The entire weekend, starting with a Mexican tasting dinner in Palo Alto hosted by the grooms’ parents and ending with an around the pool farewell brunch at the bride’s parent’s home, was really the perfect melding of wonderful ideas and guests from east and west coasts, exactly as I had wished for.
Photography: Stephanie Pool | Videography: AwesomeShot Studios | Wedding Planner: Marcy Blum | Floral Design: Nancy Liu Chin | Bridesmaids Dresses: Amsale | Hair: The Makeup Dolls - Airbrush Makeup and Hair Artistry | Lighting: Enhanced Lighting and Design | Groomsmen Suits: Men's Wearhouse | Afterparty DJ: Casey Connor | Beignets: Harvey's Gourmet Mini Donuts | Bride's Dress: Naeem Khan Via Mark Ingram Atelier | Ceremony, Reception, & Afterparty Venue: Sharon Heights Golf Country Club | Cocktail Band: Samurai Gypsies | Invitations & Menus: Ceci New York | Linens: Nuage Designs | Photobooth: Tomfoolery | Reception Band: West Coast Music | Rentals: Hartmann Studios | Sound & AV: Design Sound