A Modern-Chinoiserie and Romantic Wedding at Stanly Ranch

•

March 15, 2024

The Planning

Design / Vibe / Vision

For Ivy and Ryan's wedding in Napa Valley, the celebration goes beyond being a mere fusion of different aesthetics; it serves as a poignant witness to the emotional journey from idealism to reality—a perfect embodiment of the union of love and life. The amalgamation of distinct artistic styles, including surrealism, modern gothic, and French chinoiserie, transforms the wedding into a captivating narrative. Surrealistic art takes center stage, emphasizing imaginative creativity and presenting incredible images and scenes that leave a profound sensory impact. The modern gothic style, with its emphasis on curved metallic elements, introduces an innovative vibe that adds a touch of intrigue to the wedding ambiance. Simultaneously, the romantic charm of French chinoiserie seamlessly blends the romance, delicacy, and elegance of French style with traditional Chinese elements like goldfish, lotus leaves, and calligraphy, resulting in a subtle and captivating visual effect. In the end, Ivy and Ryan's wedding not only showcases the unique qualities of each artistic style but also weaves them together into a unified and harmonious aesthetic masterpiece. It becomes a living canvas that beautifully captures the essence of their love, illustrating the beauty that emerges when diverse elements come together in perfect harmony.

Proposal Story

Ivy once envisioned love much like it is described in "Madame Bovary": "Love should descend suddenly like lightning, with flashing lights and thunderous sounds, like a wild gust from beyond the ninth heaven, sweeping in, overturning lives, stirring souls, like autumn leaves whisked away by the wind, plunging the soul into the abyss." However, Ryan guided her to solve mathematical problems, telling her that before loving others, one must first love oneself. He guided her in transitioning from an idealized perception of love to the practical reality, helping her shed uncomfortable high heels for comfortable sneakers, taking off uneasy colored contacts and wearing framed glasses. This transformation shifted love from being passionate to becoming steadfast and enduring.

Bridal Portraits

The Fashion

Wedding Gown

The wedding dress was from Pronovias, an ivory color princess style wedding dress with crisp organza, draped sweetheart bodice and deep pockets inside the skirt’s wide pleats. The wedding veil from Vera Wang was a cathedral length veil with embroidery in ivory color. The reception dress from Berta (Gemma Muse) was a bonded lace corset bodice finished with detailed leaf lace straps; the bodice is sheer with a lace boy brief bodysuit and a medium length train.

Bridesmaid Dresses

The bridesmaids wore a mixture of styles of long dresses in wedding themed colors.

Wedding Party

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

The Details

Food & Drink

Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection presented an exquisite culinary experience, with a focus on outstanding food and wine that played a prominent role throughout the wedding festivities. The appetizer selection boasted scallion creme fraiche, pickled fresno Deviled Farm Egg, crispy shallot Mushroom Crostini, ricotta, black truffle, parmigiano Prime Beef Tartare. The dining experience commenced with a sophisticated Butternut Squash Soup featuring spiced chestnut cream and pumpkin seed oil. For the main course, guests had the option of Olive Oil Roasted Cod with confit young potatoes, clam chowder, herb pistou, Filet of Beef paired with fresh horseradish, potato puree, French beans, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts complemented by malted parsnip puree, red quinoa, and chamomile salsa verde.

Florals & Decor

The floral arrangements for the ceremony showcase a variety of materials, merging elements such as mirrors resembling small ponds, wood, tree branches, and fruits. This harmonious combination produces a lush and textured natural garden scene, elevating the overall aesthetic of the ceremony. In the floral design for the banquet, floral materials like lotus leaves and lotus pods, symbolizing Chinese aesthetics were used. The overall flower arrangement extends upward and gracefully spreads around, creating a natural and elegant atmosphere. Each floral arrangement in the banquet area is distinctive and one-of-a-kind, adding a unique touch to the overall ambiance.

Wedding Cake

Elegantly simple, a three-tiered chinoiserie-inspired white cake adorned with delicate wafer paper lotus decorations.

Special Detail #1

At the sign-in table/welcome area, Chinese calligraphy brushes, ink stones, and black tea were set on a black wooden sign-in table. Behind the table, there is a hollowed-out rattan structure, and the red cloth with the characters "Double Happiness" hanging on the rattan frame adds many highlights to this corner. As guests enter the banquet, they were greeted by a boat adorned with lush flowers, grass, and leaves—a symbol that love, like a ship anchored in the harbor, may need to weather storms and waves while always being prepared for the journey ahead. On the left side of the boat, stands a seating chart with Chinese elements, featuring two playful fish that also appear in the wedding invitation design, creating a cohesive and echoing design theme.

Special Detail #2

The ceremony is arranged on Infinity Hill at Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection, encircled by a colossal Mobius strip. The Mobius strip serves as a symbol of unity, signifying the profound connection between two individuals in love and embodying the ultimate union and fusion of their love.

Special Detail #3

Even with heavy rain that day, it added a misty beauty to the on-site setup, and the final result amazed everyone! Everything was wonderfully harmonious – just as Ivy said: rain or shine, both are God's blessings.

Couple Portraits