[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]Talya and Chris were inspired by the natural landscape in Santa Barbara County for their wedding colors. Since the wedding was held in coastal California in the springtime, they leaned into fresh and earthy colors. Talya and Chris, alongside their wedding team, set a backdrop of neutrals with hints of green to match the landscape and then sprinkled in pastels in shades of pinks, oranges, and blues. [/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]Starting back in 1973, Talya’s mom grew up visiting The Alisal with her family and carried the tradition forward with her own, so Talya hasn’t missed a summer at the ranch since she was born! Being high-school sweethearts, Chris started visiting The Alisal with the Coopers years ago. When it came time to get married, The Alisal was at the top of their list– and when the ranch called and said they had one open summer weekend left for the next two years, Talya and Chris knew it was fate!
This intimate, personal tone was woven throughout their wedding weekend since the HCs wanted guests to feel part of their Alisal story. From Rehearsal Dinner bingo (a ranch tradition!) led by the same Alisal counselors who ran the kids’ program throughout Talya’s childhood to a ketubah signing at the Old Adobe where Talya and Chris spent brisk summer mornings sharing pancakes and hot chocolate, their wedding weekend felt true to the couple and gave guests a glimpse of their favorite memories together.
As their wedding day turned to night, guests took hay wagons to the Sycamore Grove to watch the couple tie the knot. The group then journeyed down to Alisal Lake for a sunset cocktail hour followed by dinner and dancing under twinkle lights and the stars– brought to life by an incredibly talented team.
[/field]
[field title=”Proposal Story”]Though Talya and Chris grew up in Los Angeles, they’ve built their life together amongst the skyscrapers of New York City. On Thanksgiving weekend in 2021, Chris convinced Talya they were attending a family brunch in Gramercy. Instead, Chris surprised Talya with a key to Gramercy Park– New York’s only remaining private park and a pocket of tranquility nestled among the city streets. Chris popped the question there and they celebrated with cake, champagne, and a surprise family engagement party in SoHo that night.
[/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”First Look”]
[/board_carousel]
[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]After visiting a handful of bridal stores in Los Angeles, Talya knew her wedding gown was the one the moment she put it on. From Lovely Bride, the strapless dress featured structured folds in the front, a tasteful slit, and a button detail running down the spine. Talya paired the classic gown with a pearl-adorned veil and strappy pearl heels to match. Late into the reception, Talya changed into a high-neck silk dress and switched her hair to an updo before cutting the cake and hopping back right on the dance floor.
[/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]Though Talya was involved in nearly every decision for her wedding weekend, one area where she put her aesthetically oriented sister Riva in charge was fashion. Together, the duo curated mismatched bridesmaid dresses in light spring colors with floral patterns. To be sure that each bridesmaid felt beautiful in her outfit and would be able to wear the dress again and again, each picked her own unique dress. Though this took a bit of additional effort (and some Photoshop mockups) to ensure the look was cohesive, the sisters say they’d do it ten times over given how gorgeous the group looked together. [/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]The groom wore a custom tux from Enzo in NYC, complete with his new initials and wedding date embroidered inside the jacket. Groomsmen wore tuxes with custom cufflinks given as a bachelor party gift from Chris! [/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]
[/board_carousel]
[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]As vegetarians, Talya and Chris have been at their fair share of events where the food options were limited– and they wanted to ensure that all their guests would have delicious food that matched the elevated setting of the ranch. Guests were served passed appetizers and custom drinks and mocktails during cocktail hour, while chefs grilled steaks to be served for dinner. Alongside The Alisal’s famous BBQ, guests enjoyed vegan caesar salad, parmesan potatoes, grilled asparagus, tofu steaks, and homemade biscuits.
The wedding featured custom drinks such as “The Henderson,” a vodka-pineapple cocktail inspired by a drink Chris had in Puerto Rico, “The Cooper,” a margarita with extra lime (Talya’s favorite) and “The HC,” a pomegranate spritz mocktail named after the couple’s new, merged last name, Henderson-Cooper.
The rehearsal dinner and welcome party were hosted by Chris’s parents at The Alisal’s rodeo. They opted for Mexican food, including homemade churros and tres leches for dessert! The ranch chic vibe was matched with custom cocktails including a spicy margarita, an old fashioned, and an Alisal Special (a Shirley Temple with a splash of OJ).
[/field]
[field title=”Florals & Decor”]Talya and Chris were intent on florals that brought out the natural beauty of the Sycamore Grove where the ceremony took place and the rolling hills of the lakeside reception. They chose a mix of springtime pinks and natural white and green florals, which surrounded the custom white birch chuppah and aisle during the ceremony and were arranged in modern, natural vases throughout the cocktail and reception outdoor space.
[/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”]For dessert, Talya and Chris cut into a berry cake with fresh whipped cream, inspired by a cake at Talya’s favorite bakery in Los Angeles (Sweet Lady Jane). Guests were also served The Alisal’s Oreo cheesecake, one of Chris’s all-time favorite desserts, which was a must for them to have at the wedding.
[/field]
[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]To kick off the reception, Talya, Chris, and their parents were lifted in chairs, as friends and family danced the hora– brought to life by the band’s vibrant horn section and singers.
Both Talya’s and Chris’s parents and siblings spoke at the rehearsal dinner and reception, without a dry eye in the crowd. Having known each other since middle school, there were toasts from friends who grew up with them both. There were jokes about Chris on the basketball court in kindergarten and the day he met Talya in 7th grade.
The crowd danced for hours before the last song– which had to be Love Story by Taylor Swift. Guests then piled into hay wagons to ride back to the main ranch for an afterparty full of late-night bites, disco lights, and a DJ. As promised, Talya’s parents stayed until the end of the afterparty, bringing the energy to the dance floor and closing out the night with a bang!
[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]Loly Orozco from the Little Postage House crafted invitations with a sleek and modern aesthetic for the couple to match the wedding weekend design. The centerpiece of the design was the couple’s names, elegantly rendered in blind letterpress on a luxurious double-thick cotton cardstock. Complementing this focal point, the remaining text was meticulously printed in a custom dusty blue shade. To complete the ensemble, the invitation suite was impeccably presented, bound together by a bespoke dusty blue wax seal, graced with the couple’s monogram, and encased in a custom-cut vellum wrap.
[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #2″]To maintain a harmonious theme throughout their wedding day, the couple collaborated closely with Little Postage House to craft day-of items that seamlessly echoed their invitation suite. Each place setting featured a napkin adorned with a personalized place card, expertly printed in dusty blue ink, mirroring the elegance of the wedding invitation suite, and bearing the name of each guest. The reception’s culinary offerings were tastefully presented using signage that harmonized perfectly with the color and style of the wedding invitation suite and other day-of paper elements.
[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″]The couple truly leaned into personal touches throughout their wedding weekend. From customized welcome bags to partaking in The Alisal’s traditions, friends and family were brought together in a space that truly embodied Talya and Chris’s relationship and love for one another. Most of the wedding guests stayed on the ranch for the weekend, turning it into a family- and friend-filled property no matter which way you turned.
The groom’s parents got into the ranch spirit and kicked off the weekend with a “Ranch Chic” rehearsal dinner at the rodeo, where guests had a chance to wear their best elevated rodeo-inspired outfits and danced to music played by Talya’s cousin’s band. Talya’s mom baked nine loaves of her famous challah for Shabbat, since it wouldn’t be a true Cooper family Friday evening without it. Though her family has historically included raisins in the bread, they’ve added plain challah to the mix as it’s Chris’s favorite!
At the wedding reception, Talya’s childhood best friend, Lauren, sang “If I Ain’t Got You” as their first dance song. Though Talya and Chris asked Lauren to sing, it was a touching surprise to all other guests, who then joined Lauren in singing an encore of the song and slow-danced alongside the bride and groom (at their request!) as their dance wrapped up.
The weekend concluded up with a cozy Sunday brunch at The Alisal, where guests got their caffeine fix, had one last chance to wear their cowboy boots, and pored over photobooth pictures from the night prior before heading back home.
Talya and Chris wanted to add that their picture-perfect wedding would not have been possible without an incredible team. They want to thank everyone who didn’t judge their meticulous Excel sheets, kept them calm and excited, and helped bring their dream weekend to life every step of the way. This allowed them to share one of the most important moments of their lives with their family and friends and remain present the entire time. The couple has spent the last months reliving every moment from the weekend and know that every corner of The Alisal will be filled with memories when they visit each year.
[/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Reception”]
[/board_carousel]
[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/830029997 600 338]
Photography: Christine Donee Photography | Cinematography: Jeremy Foster | Event Planning: Ashley Chanel Events + Design | Floral Design: ella & louie | Invitations: Little Postage House | Catering: Alisal Ranch | Hair + Makeup: Marla Nyamdorj | Lighting: Bella Vista Designs, Inc | Transportation: Jump On The School Bus | Venue: Alisal Ranch | Band + DJ: The Straytones | Custom Chuppah Design: Backdrop Boutique SB | Photo Booth: Mir Mir | Rentals: Party Pleasers