When the bride just so happens to be one of the industry’s top planners, her sister is a creative floral genius (and her business partner!), and she calls Mike Larson, Mar Bridal Stylist, and La Tavola Fine Linen Rental friends, the wedding is guaranteed to be unforgettable. So without further ado, start your Monday off right with this intimate, boho beauty of a celebration…
Jill La Fleur of La Fleur Weddings and Events has been a local wedding planner and event designer for the past 16 years and was recently named one of the top wedding planners in the world by Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine. Although she has planned large and lavish weddings in destinations around the world, when it came to her own wedding, she preferred to keep it local and intimate.
She and her husband Gokhan, an athletic trainer in Santa Ynez specializing in training addicts in recovery, met years ago and became very good friends before eventually falling madly in love. They had originally planned to elope, but their dear friends, Alain and Kathy Clenet, offered to host the wedding at their beautiful home, Long Meadow Estate in Santa Ynez, which is one of the most stunning locations in the valley and is set up perfectly for weddings and events. Jill and Gokhan could not think of a more beautiful, perfect venue where they could feel at home and have those closest to them be part of their day! Another dear friend offered her Santa Ynez vacation rental home for Jill’s family to stay all together for the weekend, so for their family rehearsal dinner the night prior, they decided to stay in and cook homemade pizzas in the beautiful outdoor pizza oven and serve them with local Santa Ynez Valley wines.
Jill had her eye on a couple of gowns that she had fallen in love with immediately and could not decide between the two, so she wore them both! For her bridal shoot on the rehearsal day, she wore a dusty blue, romantic gown by Claire Faye, and for her wedding day, she chose a stunning, bohemian-chic gown by Rue De Seine which she found at one of her favorite Central Coast boutique bridal salons in San Luis Obispo, Moondance Bridal. Her hair was done in a matching style with a soft, side braid by her longtime friend and hairdresser, Kelly Trumble of Mishay Salon and Spa, and her makeup by another longtime friend and colleague, Mar Romero of Team Hair and Makeup.
The wedding was officiated by a wonderful, local officiate, Miriam Lindbeck of Weddings Santa Barbara, in front of a beautiful oak tree as they stood on a custom Turkish rug (Gokhan is originally from Istanbul), which they now have prominently displayed in their home. Jill’s dad is also a deacon, and he lovingly said a special blessing over Jill and Gokhan and the custom combined cross and tasbih that Jill created and wrapped around her bouquet just before they walked down the aisle together. Jill’s son, Jake, carried the rings, and a seat was saved up front for her mother, whose ashes were placed in a beautiful bud vase with an olive branch.
Jill and her sister, Colleen La Fleur of Atelier de La Fleur, recently teamed up and joined their businesses to offer both full planning and floral design services locally and in destinations worldwide. Colleen is an extremely talented and renowned floral designer, and their businesses now have offices in both Santa Barbara, California and Tucson, Arizona. Given they have a very similar style and aesthetic, Jill and Colleen were able to work together seamlessly, coming up with the design elements for this wedding day, which included a romantic, organic display of locally sourced plants and floral in soft peach, ivory, and champagne mixed with soft greys, creamy whites, and gold accents.
Jill loves to cook and Gokhan loves to eat, so they brought in Luca Crestanelli of Sky Kitchen because they wanted to treat their friends and family to their favorite dishes from his acclaimed Santa Ynez Valley restaurant. The two-tier wedding cake was created by Christine Dahl of Santa Barbara Cakes and was served with Turkish Delight and Turkish Coffee. Jill and Gokhan also gifted a set of Turkish towels to each of their guests as a special thank you gift. The vintage goblets, crystal, plates, and gold flatware were all from Otis and Pearl, and they mixed in beautifully with Atelier de La Fleur’s crystal compotes, vases, and brass candleholders and the linens La Tavola. The custom paper goods (invitation suite, menus, thank you notes) were created by Jill using the services of Honey Paper in Los Olivos. She incorporated the design of the Turkish rug and the Fleur de Lis family emblem with writings in English, French, and Turkish for their families. All of this was photographed beautifully by the talented Mike Larson, someone Jill has worked with for many years. He and his wife, Rachel, are also dear friends of Jill and Gokhan’s, and were of course included as guests at their wedding as well!
Photography: Mike Larson | Event Planning + Design: La Fleur Weddings & Events | Floral Design: Atelier De LaFleur | Wedding Dress: Rue De Seine | Cake: Christine Dahl Pastries | Invitations: Honey Paper | Caterer: SY Kitchen | Makeup: Makeup by Mar | Hair: Mishay Salon & Spa | Groom's Attire: Michael Kors | Officiant: Miriam Lindbeck | Angel Wing Necklace: Enchantress Boutique | Bridal Boutique: Moondance Bridal | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Paper Goods: Honey Paper | Place Settings: Otis + Pearl Partywares | Private Estate: Longmeadow Estate | Rehearsal Dinner Dress: Claire La Faye