Jenny and David’s wedding day at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, California is a classic stunner. Planned by OUI Weddings & Events, the details are gorgeous including champagne with a lavender sprig garnish, a balcony reception with long linen-draped kings tables, pops of vibrant blue like in the calligraphy escort cards byHan Cao and timeless white florals by Loop Flowers. Lucky for us, photographer Jesse Leake was on hand to capture it all in these beautiful images. Enjoy!
From Oui Events: Upon arrival, guests were greeted with glasses of champagne with a lavender sprig garnish. The wedding party processed to a string trio playing a song composed for the couple by a close family friend. The Jewish ceremony was held under an elegant floral chuppah. It was officiated by a former law professor and Dean at Stanford Law School, a close friend of the bride’s. Guests gathered in Villa Montalvo’s fountain courtyard where they listened to the trio play lively music and enjoyed delicious cocktails and tasty hors d’oeuvres. Long linen draped kings tables with green foliage and candlelight were set on the Villa’s balcony for the dinner reception. Pashminas were passed to guests as the evening cooled. Following the formal dinner, guests gathered in the ballroom for dancing, cookies, and gelato from the couple’s favorite local dessert shops.
What made the wedding special and unique?
We wanted to make our wedding personal and “us”. We lived in Los Gatos and loved bringing our families and friends to enjoy all of our favorite places. The rehearsal dinner was at our favorite winery and the after party at our favorite outdoor bar. Neither of us are cake people, so for dessert we had a gelato cart from the shop around the corner from us, and platters of our favorite cookies (peanut butter cookies with peanut butter in the middle dipped in chocolate) from the best bakery – no one complained! It was also very important for us to include our dog Duke, so we got to have him in our pictures after the first look.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
I had less than 10 months between engagement and wedding, so I chose my dress after a total of three days and three stores. I was drawn to the shape and detail of Matthew Christopher gowns, putting them on immediately made me feel special. I also really enjoyed the experience at Nordstrom – where the same person who helped me pick the dress was there for every fitting to troubleshoot and make sure everything was perfect. When I found the specific dress at a boutique, she had it special ordered from a different store for me to try when I brought my girlfriends.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
So many! My dad’s best friend from grad school is a music teacher and composer, and composed the music that David and the bridal party walked out to. We didn’t like the idea of someone we’d never met officiating our wedding so we asked my cousin who knows us well to do it, and he did an incredible job. We also wrote our own vows which we felt was important. The matchboxes we had out on the bar had the Madrid symbol on them to symbolize trips we’d taken and David’s home for two years. I also had my mom’s sash from her wedding dress around my bouquet.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The whole day was so incredible. The most intense moment for me was watching from the second story of the villa when our special song started playing and David walked out with his mom and grandma, it was so surreal and it really hit me that this was happening.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
One of David’s best friends from college happened to be the older brother of my close friend and medical school roommate. Even though we went to UCLA together, we didn’t know each other at the time. When I was a second year resident, David moved back to the bay area from Madrid and my friend’s brother gave him my number – it took him a solid month to call me because he didn’t want to have our first date right before Valentine’s Day!
David proposed on a Friday afternoon that we both had off, and insisted that we take our dog for a hike. We walked to our favorite view point above the house and were having Duke run back and forth between us when all of a sudden David yells that I need to get the leash on right away. By the time I grabbed Duke’s collar and realized there was a shiny ring attached, David was on one knee popping the question. I was so happy and shocked that I have no idea what he actually said.
Planner: OUI Weddings & Events // Photographer: Jesse Leake // Florist: Loop Flowers // Invitations: Aerialist Press // Venue: Villa Montalvo, Saratoga, CA // Calligrapher: Han Cao // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box // Catering: Le Papillon // Bride’s Dress: Matthew Christopher, Nordstrom Bridal SF // Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Groom’s Suit: Armani, Nordstrom SF // Hair and Makeup: Kelly Jones Makeup // Ceremony & Cocktail Musicians: Music To Go String Trio from SF Conservatory of Music // Reception Music: DJ Cams // Wedding Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / La Tavola Fine Linen Rentals // Wedding Desserts: Dolce Spazio Gelato / Icing on the Cake Cookies
planner @oui_events // photographer @jesseleake // florist @loopflowers
ring box @the_mrs_box // bride’s dress @matthewbridal // hair and makeup@kellyjomakeupandhair // reception music @djcams