A Summer Vineyard Wedding in the Malibu Hills at Cielo Farms

The wedding day took place at Cielo Farms, a beautiful vineyard venue surrounded by lush greens and overlooking the rolling hills of Malibu, CA. As such, the vision for Courteney and Michael's wedding day, designed and planned by Kelly Patrice, was to create an elevated garden party that complimented the European feel of the location while offering a sophisticated take on a dreamy, Summer celebration with stunning California views.

Michael and Courteney have been friends since freshman year of high school but only started dating years later after college when their social circles became intertwined during their first few years living in New York City. For the proposal, Mike and Courteney went out to lunch at their favorite restaurant in New York the day before Thanksgiving and drove out to New Jersey, where both of their families live, for dinner. Mike made a stop on the way home, asking to go for a walk in a local garden where he proposed. A little nervous, Mike opened the ring box upside down so Courteney's first impression was that the box was empty - a funny moment that lightened the mood. Both of their families and a few friends were waiting to celebrate at Courteney's house!

The bride chose a stunning sheer J. Andreatta gown with floral lace overlay and a short train. The California light danced through the delicate fabric creating a dramatic silhouette that was beautifully captured by Taylor Kinzie Photography.

A collection of blush dresses by Show Me Your Mumu.

The groom put his trust into his groomsmen to select a black tux that they had in their closets. Each of them a bit unique, it makes for a great story!

Food and beverage was provided by Tres LA Catering. The bride & groom offered two signature cocktails for guests to enjoy: "Courteney's Malibu Marg" and "Mike's Teton Tequila", an ode to Mike's love for the outdoors. The evening's menu consisted of a wild Arugula salad starter with choice of dry herb marinated New York Steak, Pan Seared Branzino, or Butternut Squash Ravioli. Guests were served Mini Pots of Mac & Cheese along with California Beef Sliders as late night bites.

Mulberry & Moss, the floral designer for the event, created a collection of floral centerpieces to adorn the reception space. The collection of mismatched vineyard & round tables had varying design elements with some including textured cream linens while other tables were left bare to highlight the textured grey oak tabletops. Each place setting included gold flatware with cream napkins & plates atop handwoven floral shaped chargers provided by Casa de Perrin. Each table setting had a beautiful handmade paper menu with letterpress matching the custom invitation suite designed by Kelly Patrice to create a cohesive design. The most show stopping floral element, however, was perhaps the jaw dropping floral ceremony arch. The design of the arch incorporated the pink, peach, & cream color scheme while providing the perfect frame for the stunning views behind it.

The bride and groom chose a SOCAL classic, Susie Cakes, which was a hit for all of the guests attending.

The invitation suite was custom made with Cielo's beautiful sketch as the liner right when guests opened the invitation, setting the tone for the weekend.

One of Mike and Courteney's favorite wedding moments was the few minutes they got to spend together after the ceremony and cocktail hour - just the two of them enjoying appetizers and a drink together in private, soaking it all in before the night continued on.