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Stress levers were a little high on the morning-of for winemaker bride Niki who was throwing her wedding at her childhood home, and the family’s stunning property on their Wente Vineyards estate. “There is nothing quite like throwing a wedding in your own home,” says the bride, but during the first look when she saw her “husband’s face and all the stress melted away.”  The relaxed elegance of the details and florals can be credited to the mastermind, planner Blue Daphne Events and the day was introduced by lovely invitations by Blanche Paperie. The stunning property played a major role in the day and photographer Blue Note Weddings captured Niki and Nick in super special locations like  the olive lane that was there before Niki’s family bought the land in the late 1800’s. The day was breathtaking and the images are stunning and you can check it all out below!

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What made the wedding special and unique?

I am a huge fan of dessert, specifically cake! One of the most unique things to our wedding was that we had cake as the first and last course during the reception! A strawberry and champagne petite four paired with the Wente Vineyards Sparkling Brut was the first course and our wedding cake was the final course. Four layers and every one of them was delicious! Cookie crumble cake on the base and top, port and figs cake in the 3rd layer and devils food with raspberry on the 2nd layer. YUM! We also did the cake cutting at the very beginning of the reception, right after we were introduced.

Our wedding was incredibly special to me because it took place at my childhood home. My great grandfather built the house in 1928 and my father moved into the house in the 1980’s per his grandfather’s wishes. I was born and raised in this house and it has been a huge part of my family for many years which makes this a very special location for me!

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I found my gown at Kinsley James Bridal Boutique in Walnut Creek, CA. I actually had thought that I already found my dream dress in San Francisco at a different bridal shop and just wanted to check out a couple other stores because you only get to do the whole bridal fitting thing once in your life! I went in to the day totally thinking I was just doing this for fun with my sister, my mom and a friend. It was a trunk show for Rita Vinieris that day which ended up really working in my favor! As soon as we got to Kinsley James my mom spotted my dress and suggested I try it on. It was definitely the style I was going for, I loved the lace detailing so I agreed with her it was a good choice! We chose a few others and I began my fitting. As soon as I put this dress on and walked out of the fitting room my sister started to tear up and was just saying “that’s the one! that’s the one!” It helped that the dress fit me perfectly without having any clipping so we could actually get the feel for how it would look on the big day. It was a little out of our budget, but thanks to the trunk show if we bought that day we would get a discount so that pretty much sealed the deal!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

I am a vineyard manger and wine maker by trade, so we included a couple of the wines I have made throughout the day. We offered a welcome wine called “Niki’s Pinot Noir Rose” for our quests upon arrival to the ceremony, and during cocktail hour and dinner we have the 4 + 5 Sauvignon Blanc that my father and I made together. As part of my job I also grow and maintain olives as well. We send the olives off yearly to be milled and processed into olive oil. Our attendee gift was a small bottle of this handcrafted estate olive oil, set at every attendee’s seat. Nick and I both chose a signature cocktail that you can find us drinking whenever we are not drinking wine, old fashioned for him and tequila highball for me. And did I mention all the cake?!

We also were able to get a lot of photos around super special areas; Nick and the guys at my cousin’s house, me and the gals at my aunt and uncle’s house, our first look at an olive lane that was there before my family bought the land in the late 1800’s, and finally sunset photos in the hills above my father’s house. It sounds like this is a lot of personal touches that are special to me – but this is where Nick and I really got to know one another, where he got to know my family, and where he became a part of my family and I became a part of his. He loves this land as much as I do, which makes it all the more special to me.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The most memorable part of my day was the first look hands down! I am not going to lie, I was a little stressed in the morning. There is nothing quite like throwing a wedding in your own home and I was projecting my mom and dad’s stress right up until I saw my husband’s face and all the stress melted away. Seeing him was the breath of fresh air I needed to remember why we were doing this, what makes it such a big deal and why we wanted all our friends and family there to witness us promising forever. After I saw him I was so calm, happy and excited for the rest of the day and frankly for the rest of my life! The entire wedding was a dream, from the spectacular speeches, to the incredible band and dance party and even our sunset picture escape with the most amazing photo and video duo – every part was so special and such a good time. But I always just go back to the feeling I felt when I saw Nick, and nothing will ever compare to that!

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Alex and Zach’s Florida Gulf Coast wedding at Watercolor was a ‘perfectly Southern’ affair. The venue’s coastal community local set the tone and the couple embraced the scenic backdrop with an outdoor ceremony and tented reception. Details and a color palette of dusty blue, slate and white complimented the natural foliage of the surrounding and subtle tropical accents in the and florals by Myrtie Blue and stationery by Prim + Pretty Prints tied it all together. Our friends, The Happy Bloom, were on hand to capture all the beauty in these gorgeous photographs.

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How was your wedding perfectly “Southern”?

I think it starts with the location. Watercolor is a coastal community on Hwy 30A in Florida. Many of our guests stayed in beach houses and were able to ride bikes or golf carts to local seafood joints, to the beach, and to many of our events. That was so fun for us because all of our friends and family were centralized in one area and you never knew who you would see out on a morning run or getting a muffin from Modica Market.

Our rehearsal dinner was at the Perfect Pig, which is a BBQ restaurant on 30A that my family has enjoyed going to for many years now. We had a grouper and a pork & gouda grits dish for all of the rehearsal dinner guests to choose for their entree. After the rehearsal, we went to the beach for a bonfire “post-toast” that all of our wedding guests were invited to. We were apprehensive at first about the bonfire plan but were very pleased with how fun it turned out to be. We roasted s’mores and had drinks on the beach with all of our friends and family under the stars with some acoustic guitar and singing. On the day of, the weather was gorgeous as both wedding parties got ready in their beach houses before pictures. The boys were in white dinner jackets while the girls wore a blue slate dresses. White dinner jackets was one of the first decisions we settled on after getting engaged because I loved how they looked in pictures I had seen. Our arrangements featured lots of palmettos, garden roses, and ranunculus. Myrtie Blue did a great job with emphasizing that coastal feel we were going for. After the ceremony, we had delicious food from Fish Out of Water and danced the night away to Musical Fantasy, a great band from Mobile, AL.

What was your vision for your wedding day? What made you choose certain colors or decor?

Our ceremony and reception were both outdoors, so we chose decor and colors that complimented the natural foliage of Watercolor. Our flowers were all white with small tropical greenery accents and the bridesmaids’ dresses were a slate blue both of which played well with the background.

 

What is the moment you remember most about your wedding day?

I know the first look is special for so many people, and I would agree that it was the same for me. Finally seeing Zach on our wedding day after building up with all the events of the week was the best part!

 

What’s next for you and your husband?

We have moved into our house in Memphis, TN. We have been settling in, decorating, and focusing our weekend time on getting our backyard ready to be enjoyed on many a summer night. And we are hoping to get our first crop of tomatoes in a few weeks!

Photography: The Happy Bloom // Planning: Lisa Childers // Florist: Myrtie Blue // Invitations: Prim + Pretty Prints // Venue: Watercolor // Hair + Makeup: Halo Salon // Bride’s Dress: Anne Barge // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids // Shoes: Sam Edelman // Videographer: 22 Magnolias // Ceremony Music: WMP Quartet // Cake: Confections on the Coast // Suits: Jos A Bank // Bridal Shop: Maggie Louise Bridal // Reception Music: Musical Fantasy // Catering: Fish Out of Water // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Lisa and Lee’s wanted an intimate wedding, but the bride had never attended a small wedding and had a few reservations about it so she enlisted the expertise of Millie at Matthew Oliver Weddings and never looked back. Their big day was filled with beautiful surprises—including Il Salviatino, their Florentine Villa venue which they never even set eyes on prior to their wedding day! With complete trust in their planner, the couple celebrated on the meticulous historic grounds of the property with a garden ceremony and delightful courtyard reception. Fabulous garden floral arrangements are by Fluida Design with stationery by Meticulous Ink and menu by Papier. Lucky for us, Ben Yew Photography was on hand to capture the beautiful day in these stunning film images.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

It was a mixture of so many things. We wanted a small intimate wedding but I had never been to a small wedding before – so I had some reservations of what it would be like. On the day it was perfect, utterly romantic, intimate & beautiful. This was due to a mixture of the venue, the setting and what our wedding planner, Millie, had put together, it was totally unique to us as a couple and captured the essence of our relationship. It couldn’t have been more perfect! What also made it unique was the fact we didn’t view the venue until our wedding day! I love surprises and I totally trusted Millie; everyone thought we were nuts, but it was the best decision I’ve ever made, other than marrying my husband!

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I found the gown at a shop called Tilly Mint in Fleet, Hampshire. It was the first gown I tried on and my Mum cried, I knew right then it was the one! I bought it that day without going to any other shops!

Aislinn and Jon’s wedding married multiple cultures and families living across the ocean from one another, so the couple figured if everyone was going to travel—make the destination one that everyone would want to vacation to. Enter Villa Medicea di Lilliano, a historic Tuscan villa overlooking the hills of wine country with a view of Florence in the distance. Event designer and coordinator, Super Tuscan Wedding Planners, brought in florist Flowers & Living to help create a stunning rooftop ceremony and Grey Collective member Art De Vie travelled with the couple from New Orleans to capture all the love and details in these beautiful images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

We decided on Italy as our destination wedding, since we were trying to marry multiple cultures and families living across the ocean from one another. We figured if we were making everyone travel, we should at least find a location people would want to come to. Our mutual favorite wine is also a Chianti Classico, so getting married in a Tuscan vineyard full of such wines was a dream! We didn’t have the opportunity to travel to Italy before the wedding, so we had to land on a venue and make all associated decisions without ever visiting the Villa in person. That made the revealing of the grounds the day before the wedding extra special! We were blown away by the beauty of it all – the pictures we had seen online really didn’t do the Villa justice. The aspect of our wedding most unique to us was that we had people from 7 countries and 6 different states – most of whom didn’t know each other before the wedding – come together and connect as if they were all old friends. Most of the members of our families (with the exception of our parents) had also never met beforehand, so it was quite special to see how well the group meshed and how much fun everyone had together.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

It was a Martina Liana fit and flare gown with a high neckline, sheer back with delicate lace details and pearl buttons. The dress had several layers to it, with ivory embroidered lace and stone tulle over a moscato-color gown and porcelain tulle illusion. I found it at Town and Country in New Orleans the week my parents came to visit for Thanksgiving from the Netherlands. It was the first time they met Jon’s parents, and I wanted to have at least one opportunity to go dress shopping together with my mother, and Jon’s mother and sister – so it was quite meaningful that I was able to find THE dress during the one day I had everyone with me!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We determined early on that we wanted someone we knew to perform our ceremony, and eventually decided to ask Aislinn’s Irish uncle who was also coincidentally an honorary Senator of the state of Louisiana – neatly representing both the Irish heritage of the bride and the Louisiana heritage of the groom! We tried to incorporate various elements from our different cultures in the wedding. We decided on a sit-down dinner in keeping with most European traditions, but we treated the speeches during dinner as most Southerners do the night before at the rehearsal – anyone who wanted to speak was invited to stand up and say a few words. Since our wedding was quite small (56 people), it made it very personal to get to hear from some of our dearest friends and family, without feeling like we had to limit the speech time. The party afterwards too incorporated both European and Southern elements – the dancing went on until 1:30 in the morning with your typical wedding music, interspersed with Irish tap dancing, Dutch folk songs, and the LSU Tigers marching band anthem. Our party favors were both a memento from the region (local olive oil and Limoncello), as well as Mardi Gras beads we had brought over from our home in New Orleans. We truly tried to mesh our separate backgrounds and experiences, making the wedding feel like it was anything but standard.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Walking up the stairs to the rooftop terrace overlooking Tuscan wine country – and in the distance, Florence – where everyone was gathered for the ceremony. While the surroundings were unquestionably stunning, the only thing Aislinn remembers seeing as she walked down the aisle was Jon’s emotional face, and that she couldn’t stop the sudden onslaught of tears. It was a very touching moment because it just felt so surreal to be in the midst of that gorgeous environment, getting to say ‘I do” to each other, surrounded by so many of our favorite people who had traveled such a great distance to be there with us.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met at Aislinn’s work, where Jon would regularly come to visit clients. Aislinn was sitting in her friend Mary’s office when Jon walked in to discuss matters of business with Mary. Before long, the conversation took a personal turn, and Aislinn wanted to know where Jon was from. He thought the answer of ‘north Louisiana’ was self-evident enough, but when Aislinn thought that meant somewhere near Kentwood (the home of Brittney Spears – which, as a newcomer to Louisiana, was really the only place outside of New Orleans that Aislinn was familiar with), Jon decided to draw a map on the whiteboard and explain the geography of Louisiana to the poor ignorant foreigner. He was, in fact, from a town nowhere near Kentwood. Mary – who would later be the Matron of Honor at our wedding – shrewdly observed the chemistry between us in those short 45 minutes, and quietly conspired with a friend of Jon’s to set us up on a group date. That group date ended in everyone else leaving well before midnight, and the two of us staying out together until 2 a.m. (on a Monday evening). We became engaged 2 years later while on vacation on the Greek island of Santorini. Jon proposed on the balcony of our room, with a bottle of wine, overlooking the Aegean sea. We then went out to celebrate and ended up partying with the locals until 6 a.m. We may have missed the vineyard tour we had planned for the next day, but it was worth it!

Photography: Art De Vie // Event Design/Coordination: Super Tuscan Wedding Planners // Florist: Flowers & Living, Wedding & Decor // Venue: Villa Medicea di Lilliano // Bride’s Gown Designer: Martina Liana // Bride’s Gown Store: Town and Country // Hair: Claudia Messeri // Makeup: Claudia Messeri // DJ/Band & Lighting: Alma Project 24/7 Entertainment // Catering, Cakes, & Rentals: Ciabatti // Wedding Rings: Adler’s // Groom & Groomsmen’s Attire: Joseph A. Banks

 

More than half of Brittany and Jack’s guest list were traveling from Texas– and the couple “wanted a wedding that was classic and sophisticated, but brought some San Francisco flare.” Old St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral and James Leary Flood Mansion gave them just that. Every Elegant Detail designed and planned the day that included classic details like the custom crest and stationery by Aerialist Press and towering white and green reception florals by Amy Burke Designs. Photographer Melanie Duerkopp was on hand to capture all the lovely details in these beautiful images.

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How did you meet and get engaged?

Mutual friends introduced us/ “set us up”. The first time we ever met was going to a USC – Stanford game at Stanford with said friends. Brittany went to USC for undergrad and Jack went to Stanford for undergrad. Despite the college rivalry, and the fact that USC beat Stanford, they liked each other and the rest is history.

Jack had the ring for a few months. He was waiting for the right opportunity to propose. He decided he wanted to do it up in the Oakland Hills overlooking the San Francisco bay – the area where their relationship had strengthened. But, he wanted it to be a surprise and needed to find a way to keep it from Brittany. She is very plan oriented and hard to surprise! The day of, Jack told Brittany he needed to buy a new camera for work. Which made sense, because he had just started a new job as a Public Relations Manager, and he did need a camera to take good pictures for the company website. So they went to Target and bought Jack his new camera. Later that night, Jack had fully charged up the camera and suggested they go to the top of the Oakland Hills to see the skyline and take some pictures with the new camera. Brittany went along with no hesitation – it made sense to her that he would want to test out his new toy. At the top of the hill, they took some pictures of the beautiful skyline – it was a perfectly clear night in the bay – and then Jack popped the question! Brittany was completely surprised and caught off guard, but elated and obviously said yes!!

What did you like about your venue?

More than half the guest list was coming from out of town – mostly from Texas – and we wanted a wedding that was classic and sophisticated, but brought some San Francisco flare. When we first walked into Flood Mansion, the fact that our guest (and that WE!) could see such an amazing, sweeping view of the bay just took our breath away – who wouldn’t want to see such a picturesque view of the San Francisco bay on their wedding night, in the city that brought them together and nurtured their love for one another!? That was a huge selling point. The other was simply how gorgeous the venue was. The cocktail hour was stunning in the brick courtyard, the formal sit down dinner with long tables instead of round in the dining hall, and the set aside dance room where people could go crazy dancing! Flood Mansion is really just perfect, we were so excited it was available for us, and we are over the moon that we had such a fantastic wedding reception there!

What did you like about your wedding planner?

It wasn’t hard to find a wedding planner, since Brittany’s mom had been a wedding planner with Every Elegant Detail for 6 years by the time Brittany’s engagement came around. Even though it wasn’t really a choice, Every Elegant Detail was the perfect wedding planner to work with. Janece and Lori stay true to the name – they care about every detail and they will make your wedding the most elegant event you have ever attended! We were blown away by how organized and on top of things they were throughout the entire process. Additionally, when there were tough choices that had to be made, they were there to advise us and guide us through it all. Fast forward to the wedding night, we had a spare moment before we joined the party, we walked into our reception and Brittany just cried. They saw her vision, they added the Every Elegant Detail flare, and they made our reception venue the most perfect place in the world that night. We have never seen a room prettier than Flood Mansion on our wedding night, and we highly doubt we will ever see one better! Janece was cool, calm, and collected the entire day and got us all from point A and point B seamlessly – she even carried my phone and chapstick the whole night! I owe her and my mom nothing but gratitude for bringing to life the night of our dreams!

What was your favorite part of the day?

Jack – “ I actually can’t decide. Every moment of our wedding day was perfect! From seeing Brittany walk down the aisle for the first time, to cutting the cake with my new wife, to dancing the night away with my friends and my new family. It was all my favorite!”

Brittany – “My favorite party of the day was after the ceremony, we did some family pictures inside the church, and while we were doing that we asked everyone to stay on the front steps of the church to wait for us so we could take a group photo. When Jack and I walked out to the top of the steps and we saw all our friends and family that were there because they love us, that were so happy for us for just getting married, that were so excited to celebrate the rest of the night with us, and that were just outpouring love to us, it made me cry and it made me feel all the feels and it was my favorite part of the whole day. Feeling everyone support us and love us – I will never forget it, and I will keep that with me throughout our whole marriage – we have a team that is cheering for us and wants us to succeed.”

What was the most memorable moment of your reception?

Brittany and her Dad’s choreographed Father Daughter dance to Hot in Here and Bye Bye Bye was such a surprise to Jack he will never forget it, and so much fun to do that Brittany will never forget it.

What did you learn from it all?

Forget about all the planning, and just have the time of your life!! It is your day, your love, your friends and family. You are a little celebrity for one day. Embrace it and just enjoy it! It won’t happen again! Also, drink water – major dehydration can occur when you are trying not to pee in a huge wedding dress.

A wedding is a really momentous occasion – it literally moves mountains and changes lives, and it is a huge life decision. It brings two families together and makes them one, and with that brings a lot of emotions, both as a couple and with your respective families. But you know you are with the right person when throughout the whole process you have someone that supports you and just loves you. And you know your families are going to be okay when you see them having the best night ever on your wedding night. Engagement and the wedding was the best time of our lives and the most emotional time of our lives. People don’t talk about how emotional it all really is.

From Janece at Every Elegant Detail:

Brittany and Jack are one of those couples that exude elegance and fun all at the same time. These two wanted to have a chic, San Francisco wedding that also felt intimate for their closest family and friends. Jack grew up in the South and Brittany in California so having a wedding that brought all of their traditions together was a dream. The wedding party arrived at Old St. Mary’s Church in cable cars as friends and family arrived from across the country.  Brittany had chosen a timeless wedding gown from Anna Maier and Jack was equally well-dressed in a black tuxedo. The reception venue was an elegant mansion with stunning architecture that allowed guests to enjoy a cocktail hour with lounge furniture to encourage mingling with pops of French blue linens to accent the stone courtyard. Bringing together a color palette of neutrals, greens and blue worked well with the natural beauty of the Flood Mansion. Working with Amy Burke Designs to bring together the floral accents with tall arrangements filled with ample greenery and candles while guests dined at long tables. A sweet surprise was placed at each guest’s plate, a duo of French macarons from Pretty Please Bakeshop to end the meal. Brittany and Jack gave a heartfelt toast to guests prior to the cake cutting followed by some high energy dancing for the rest of the evening.

Wedding Planner: Every Elegant Detail // Photographer: Melanie Duerkopp // Florals: Amy Burke Designs // Invitations, Menu, Seating Chart And Personalized Crest: Aerialist Press // Wedding Venue: Old St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral // Reception Venue: James Leary Flood Mansion // Video: Andrew Hsu MSV Studios // Bride’s Gown: Anna Meier / Marina Morrison // Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Earrings: Designer Nadri // Necklace: Tiffany // Bride’s Hair and Makeup: Sarah Dean of Liner and Lace Beauty // Groom’s Tux: Hart Schaffner Marx // Grooms shoes: Florsheim // Grooms watch: Rolex // Rings: Padis Jewelry // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box // Bridesmaid Dresses: Dessy / Bella Bridesmaids // Groomsmen attire: The Black Tux // Flower Girl Dress: Bella Bridesmaids // Catering: Melons // Bar: Smith’s Beverages // Cake & Favors: Pretty Please Bakery // Officiant: Fr. Tom Tavella // Rentals: Bright Party Rentals // Linens: La Tavola // Lighting: Got Light // DJ: Big Fun DJ // Wedding day tailor: The WeddingdeTailor // Honeymoon Planner: Katie Lee Travel Co.