This romantic garden wedding at Park Winters planned by Madix & Co brought the elegance and charm of the French countryside to Northern California. From organic floral arrangements by Amanda Vidmar Designs of blooms in cornflower blue, apricot and yellow hues to an intimate candlelit indoor reception… this wedding is bursting with Victorian garden party style. Don’t miss a minute of this gorgeous affair at the full gallery of images captured by Lynette Boyle Photography.
French Countryside Inspired Garden Wedding at Park Winters
From the planner, Madix & Co... Annie, a Stanford Business School Grad, and William, Co-founder and CTO of Plaid were introduced by a mutual friend in San Francisco. He was smitten immediately with her intelligence, determination and beauty. Her feelings for him were not far behind. He proposed on a hike in Muir Beach, which was the location of their second date and then surprised her with a whirlwind trip to Europe including Paris.
When they returned and set out on wedding planning, their ultimate goal was to have a joyful and sentimental celebration that was still very lively and fun - a perfect description of the two of them! We set out on a venue search with a vision inspired by French Provincial style and British Garden parties. So it was no surprise when they feel in love with the Victorian estate and garden landscapes of Park Winters.
The color palette is reminiscent of the hues found in the french countryside - cornflower blue, muted apricot, butter yellow and vibrant greens. Beautiful floral arrangements by Amanda Vidmar Designs combined with blue vine patterned chargers, sophisticated paper goods and lots of candlelight set a refined but warm ambience. We mixed pews into the ceremony to create a sentimental, more church-like setting for their outdoor ceremony. Being that Annie and William express their love with little surprises and gifts to each other, they wanted to share that with their guests as well. So they incorporated other unexpected touches to delight their guests, including their favorite local bread by Tartine Manufactory, a popcorn machine for late night snacking, a surprise encore as part of their First Dance, and a sparkler grand exit. They left directly for SF where they stayed at The Four Seasons San Francisco before heading to Bora Bora for their honeymoon.
What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?
From the bride... William and I adore hosting friends and family, and a top priority is that our guests always feel at ease when under our roof. So while we wanted the day to feel refined and sentimental, we also wanted to ensure our guests were able to relax and truly enjoy the series of festivities. I think the way I first described my vision to Madix & Co (our planner) was that of a Victorian garden party, but a few hours into the event so that everything just felt a little less formal and orderly. We had fun embracing this theme of intentional chaos, from mix-and-match chairs to bouquets that featured the occasional wildflower.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
We very much wanted to capture some of the details of our love story over the course of the day. For example, William and I first said I love you on a beautiful rooftop during a visit to Rome, so we served aperol spritzes as a signature cocktail. We also end most Saturdays with a good book and big batch of homemade popcorn, so we had a popcorn machine as a late-night snack for guests. (We even made sure to bring a baggie with us in our getaway car!)
What unique elements did you include?
William and I love the outdoors and had hoped to get married outside, but we still wanted to capture the religious heritage of our families. We ended up finding beautiful old pews for our wedding ceremony, which we placed directly on the grass -- the combination was a perfect nod to tradition, while allowing us to say our vows in a buzzing and vibrant garden setting.
What was your favorite moment?
The most memorable part of the day? Our first dance! We love dancing together and had so much fun taking weekly dance lessons leading up to our wedding. We had actually choreographed a fairly elaborate routine and were so nervous we'd get to the big day and forget all the moves! But somehow all the steps came to us and we had so much fun dancing under the stars... And were perhaps a bit relieved when it was all over!
Tell us about your gown!
A Monique Lhuillier, my gown made me feel simply more like me! With an ephemeral lace top that flowed into a fuller tulle skirt, it was a nod to the 12+ years I spent studying classical ballet. I complimented the look by doing my hair in a simple bun. I wanted people to pay attention to our love and not too many frills and accessories.