Chic and Playful Wedding at the Groom’s Family Farm in Sonoma

The Planning
Design / Vibe / Vision

From Lauren: The primary colors were deep plum and lilac, with supporting blues, greens, and taupe. I wanted an event palette that felt fresh and modern, and wasn't too matchy matchy. I spent a lot of time in Google Slides trying to put the perfect palette together, but ended up changing it all the time. Ultimately, I learned that while having a few key colors to build off was helpful, it was important to stay flexible along the way. Different materials all render colors differently - different shades work better for digital, print, floral, or fabric, and sometimes you go down a rabbit hole with foil press samples, and fall in love with a holographic foil for your invitations that you won't use anywhere else, but f*ck it because you love it.


The vision was a "chic & playful wedding at a family farm." We knew right away that we wanted to get married at Sam's family farm in Sonoma. I wanted to create some contrast with the idyllic setting of the family farm, so I didn't lean fully into pastoral vibes. I incorporated some edgier, big city styling choices, and also went with more modern designs for invitations, website, and table settings. Meanwhile, the botanical florals and classic Italian menu blended nicely with the long farm grasses and beautiful oak trees. I think the resulting tension was a nice reflection of my (okay, a little flashy) LA sensibility mixed with Sam's more down-to-earth East Bay vibes.

Proposal Story
From Lauren: As was evidenced by my 70 page wedding planning slide deck, I can be a little Type A. I told Sam not to worry about the surprise, and just plan us a nice weekend away where he could propose somewhere special. A few weeks later, I had a calendar hold from Sam for a weekend away. It was a decoy! He ended up proposing to me in Sonoma, while we were out wine tasting. I was hungover from the night before, wearing jean shorts, and had left my phone at home. When he got down on one knee, it took me a few seconds to process what was going on. I love that he threw my instructions out the window and made it a surprise. Even though we had discussed it before, the shock of not knowing made the moment more memorable and emotional. Sometimes what you think you want is not what you actually need. I feel lucky to have a partner who intuitively understands that.
The Fashion
Wedding Gown
From Lauren: I tried on over 60 dresses in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. I figured, you might only get one opportunity (or maybe a few, no one's counting) in your life to try on wedding dresses, so I went all out. I decided on a simple square neck, A-line design by Blue Willow from Anne Barge for my ceremony dress with a 3-tier wedding cake veil from Toni Federici. I loved the 80s drama of the veil and the slightly reflective sheen of the mikado silk dress. For the reception, I went full party vibes with a sequined column dress adorned with ostrich feathers from Varca Bridal. I'm a platform girl, so I loved wearing my chunky Nodaleto heels all weekend long.
Bridesmaid Dresses
From Lauren: The brief was main character energy. My bridebabes did an incredible job styling themselves in unique looks that complemented each other and let their personalities shine. Shoutout to my bridesmaid Jenny who scoured the internet for every purple dress under the sun. The girls wore satin Nicholas dresses. The boys went above and beyond with custom suits tailored for them in Mexico City by infante (@infante.ift). My man-of-honor, Win, hand carried his own plum-colored twill from Joanne's Fabrics to Mexico. Seeing their looks come to life was one of my favorite parts of the wedding.
Groomsman Attire
From Lauren: The groomsmen wore matching navy suits from The Black Tux.
The Details
Food & Drink
From Lauren: Sam's mom's side of the family are Italian American, so we really wanted simple, authentic Italian food. We went out on a limb and asked this Italian deli in LA called Ceci's (@cecis_gastronomia) if they would cater a wedding in Sonoma. Francesco and Francesca, a young Italian couple, chef and business manager duo, were amazing. We had no notes at the tasting. They knew exactly how thin to slice the prosciutto for Sam's Italian grandmother, Paola.
Florals & Decor
From Lauren: One of my favorite details was the custom signage designed by my man-on-honor, Win (winmixter.com). He's a talented illustrator and graphic designer. He drew illustrations of Korean, Italian, and Jewish foods, which we used as table signage, and designed the menus, and seating chart. Max Gill (@maxgilldesign) did the florals. He was an incredible creative partner, a true artist in his own sense. I gave some notes on color & vibe, and he just completely nailed it. He sat with me patiently during our table mock up and seriously considered the pros and cons of two different shades of blue linen napkins that I deliberated for at least 15 minutes. My amazing wedding planner Sarah from Kate Whelan Events managed all the decor. I didn't have to think about the logistics once during the wedding.
Wedding Cake
From Lauren: We skipped cake and did bomboloni (Italian donuts) from Ceci's instead. Francesco hand-filled them with buttercream and hazelnut chocolate filling on-site. By then, we were dancing up a storm!
Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs
From Lauren: The procession started with I Only Have Eyes for You by The Flamingos. I walked down the aisle to James Blake's cover of Godspeed. For dinner, I made a playlist of Italian pop and disco songs from the 60s and 70s. Our first dance was to Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You with a segue into Rock With You by Ashanti. My friend Trent DJ'd the reception - the vibes were immaculate.
Special Detail #1
From Lauren: Photographer: Another special shout out to Michelle, our incredible photographer from St. Chelle. I wanted a photographer with a distinct point-of-view. I loved that Michelle's style was more photo journalistic, that she captures nature in such a wild and ethereal way, and shoots only on film. Ever since we got the photos, all my memories are through her lens, and what a beautiful way to remember the best day ever.
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Photography: Michelle Pullman of St. Chelle Photography | Floral Design: Max Gill Design | Wedding Shoes: Nodaleto | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Nicholas the Label | Catering: Ceci’s Gastronomia | Lighting: Illuminate Events Inc. | Transportation: Pure Luxury | Rentals: Encore Events Rentals | Staffing: Napa Phoenix Staffing | Rentals: The Water Cottage | Rentals: Theoni Collection | Reception Dress: Varca Bridal | Rentals: Zephyr Tents | DJ: Trent Wolbe | Beauty: Samee Tatu | Officiant: Will Butler | Wedding Venue: Private Estate, Sonoma County