Sandy and Mike met through Facebook, but not in the usual way! Both were working for the tech giant at the time, and were introduced at the company holiday party, where they spent the night dancing in each other’s arms. Two years later, Mike proposed on a romantic trip to Sweden, in a cozy greenhouse lit with twinkling candles. Their wedding – beautifully captured by KURT BOOMER – was just as magical; an al fresco celebration at VILLA DEL SOL DORO – a European-style villa in California, filled with personal details. The design was inspired by the juxtaposition between old world charm and modern elements, incorporating raw materials, soft textures and dusty natural hues, and pairing them with matte warm metallics, minimalist type, simple ceramics, and delicate modern glassware. But most important was the love – as Mike says: “We wanted our guests to remember our wedding not only for the thoughtful details, but for how they felt. We wanted the day to radiate warm and sincere love, and to be a celebration of true and utter happiness.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WEDDING STYLE? Old-world meets new-world. The design inspiration stemmed from my love for the juxtaposition of old and new – mixing old charm with modern elements. We wanted to highlight all the property’s inherent details, so I pulled ethereal and fine-art inspiration from the opulence and elegance of the Villa using raw materials, soft textures, and dusty neutral hues. I then mixed in matte warm metallics, minimalist type on our paper goods, simple ceramics, and delicate modern glassware to elevate and bring polish to the overall aesthetic.
Mike and I were eager to create an intimate, romantic, and tasteful experience where we could break bread al fresco and drink our favourite wines with 134 of our favourite people. We wanted our guests to remember our wedding not only for the thoughtful details but to forever remember how they felt — we wanted the day to radiate warm and sincere love, and to be a celebration of true and utter happiness.
“We went with organic and unruly, yet polished florals in neutral muted hues with pops of deep autumn tones, inspired by the Villa’s stonework and season. Me and my gals had the most exquisite bouquets – each was coordinated but unique from the next, and mine had a hand tied silk ribbon that moved effortlessly in the wind.
Our first dance was to ‘Real Love Baby’ by Father John Misty which we love for the lyric: “I’m a flower, you're my bee.” We used this as inspiration and a recurrent theme, with bee and flower adorned invitation liners, flower seed packet wedding favours, and an engraving in our wedding bands.
I loved the setting and intimacy of our al fresco reception. It felt picture perfect and as if time stood still, dining amongst the twinkling bistro lights and candles of the courtyard. The tables were topped with gauzy taupe runners and low arrangements of these big, graceful cream and mauve amaryllis, sweet peas, and roses. Each place setting featured simple ceramics, matte rose gold flatware, and delicate modern stemware paired with a gorgeous French linen napkin monogrammed with an elegant cursive ‘W’ for my new surname. I just adore those linen napkins! I use them every time we host dinners and it always brings me back to our reception. I hope to pass them on to our children one day.
Our wedding was the most touching and beautiful day of our lives – every detail felt so personal. It was truly magical to have our nearest and dearest there to witness our vows, and support us in this journey as husband and wife. We honestly wouldn’t change a thing. We are so grateful for all our loved ones who travelled near and far, and our incredible dream team of vendors who made our day unforgettable.”
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