Earthy Neutrals of Stone, Ivory, Caramel Are a Match Made in Heaven at Hummingbird Nest Ranch
Playing to the couple's song from Dan & Shay that reminded them of each other, we created a space that married classic modern romance with earthy, elegant touches that organically worked and built upon each other like concrete, stone, and flora. Playing to design that echos the subtleties of “till death do us part” we balanced masculine and feminine, where James Bond and a black tie affair met a grounded minimalist Zen garden vibe as a resting place with marble veins of gold inlay, growing greenery, sophistication, raised platforms and a stairway to heaven all within a stunning Neurtal + Moody palate.
Cocktail hour consisted of various trays passed hors d’oeuvres such as mini carne asada tacos, mini braised beef short rib, mini fried chicken sandwiches, spicy tuna tartar over rice cake, and tomato bruschetta with specialty cocktails like Kiss of Death whiskey sour, The Tombstone (an old fashioned,) and Meet Your Maker Moscow mule).to sip on. Followed by a three-course dinner via Tres LA catering and mixology "Stairway to Heaven" bar with Brick & Brass cocktails paired with desserts via Hey There Cupcake during reception. Pairings like Fading Fast (Espresso Martini with mini Brownie), Good and Gone (old-fashioned with salted caramel cheesecake), and Beyond the Veil (shot of tequila with cotton candy) were to die for!
Modern, black tie elegance meets warm, zen garden. Playing to the Stairway to Heaven design concept, we created a bit of a sunken marble dance floor feel with stairways and raised platforms for the VIP tables that surrounded the space. Vessels and candle holder selections demonstrated clean lines that were placed with bud vases of blooms nestled among broken slate. Giving a nod to tombstones, we used stone place card holders and created custom table numbers upon gathered rock with floating numbers. White garden florals en masse with greenery above added a wow factor above the head table that was a custom-built tilt stairway landing, while touches of caramel tones brought in warmth and softness to the bold black and white palette. Clusters of concrete pendants hung above the entry as well as onyx and ivory taper modern chandeliers that added a focal point above the tables.
Dessert bar via Hey There Cupcake, no wedding cake. See above.
The groom entered to Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis, and the bride chose to enter to the classic Canon in D The recessional song was You're the Reason by Calum Scott. The grand entrance song was At Last by Etta James, and their first dance was I Will Wait by Matt Johnson, which was appropriate as they had to reschedule their wedding a few times due to COVID. Matt danced with his mom to Hey Mamma by Kanye West.
Printed custom cocktail napkins as a surprise from the bride, which held Matt's love notes in his handwriting that he often left around the house for Devin.
To play to the lyrics of their song "From the ground up" by Dan & Shay that reminded them of each other, "Someday we'll wake up with thousands of pictures" we created a pathway of oversized pictures of the couple printed in black and white on fabric that lined the grass before guests entered the structure accented with overgrown flowers and candles! It was such a wow moment as guests entered!
{Find your resting place} A large-scale faux stone stairway to heaven held different-sized pots with guest names to direct them to their seats. Floral moments accented the pots and grew organically up the step, inviting guests to find their place to rest for the evening before taking to the dance floor.
