As we prep for yet another Boston snow dump, I can’t help but dream of whisking away to a warm Sonoma pretty fest just like this. I’m talking a lavender and dahlia filled “I do” and a million sun-drenched captures from miss Caroline Frost. It’s exactly the kind of day that makes us wedding bloggers gush, and you can find every moment sitting right here.
From Caroline Frost Photography… This romantic, rustic, homespun wedding was one of my favorites of the year by far. Not just because the bride and groom and all their friends were gorgeous and perfectly attired in nude bridesmaid dresses and the groomsmen in grey with the coolest feather boutonnieres. And not just because the flowers by Willi Wildflower were perfection, but because Mikey and Iona’s love really radiated in every picture.
They are just completely at rest in each other’s presence and it was a beautiful thing to behold. They tied the knot at the Sonoma Mission and the reception was in her parent’s backyard under twinkling lights and willow trees as a full moon rose over the wedding. I loved their rustic cake covered in olive branches. It was so simply beautiful and unique. They did the first dance to Bob Marley’s “One Love” under the willow tress, seriously could they get any cooler? Couples like Mikey and Iona make my job so easy. I had a blast photographing their day.
From the Bride… When Mikey and I first discussed our vision for the wedding (9 months prior), we agreed that we wanted the intimate feeling of a backyard party with an elegant twist. My mom and stepdad live in Sonoma, CA in a home with gorgeous views of the Sonoma Valley which made choosing a reception venue easy. From there things just fell into place. We chose the Sonoma Mission for the ceremony because we both liked the historical feel and the style of the mission architecture. We did not have a wedding planner but my mother, Penny, and Mikey’s mother, Patty, were a huge help with everything! We made an excellent team and had a great time planning. The day of the event we had a family friend and professional wedding planner assist with coordination. Tricia and her assistant did a fabulous job helping to bring everything together!
I didn’t really want to choose a dominant color for the wedding. I wanted the backdrop of the valley and the beautiful willow trees to be the focal points. I did know that I wanted to incorporate lavender into the flowers so if I had to use color anywhere, I chose lavender. Julie Martin, our good family friend and expert florist, was the perfect choice for the flowers. She took our vision and created a look that was just perfect for the day. The bouquets were gorgeous and she even added a personal touch of duck feathers to the boutonnieres (Hunting has been a tradition in Mikey’s family for generations). For the bridesmaids’ dresses, I knew I wanted something different from the norm and I wanted the girls to look and feel their best. It was my MOH, Molly, who suggested neutrals and I thought it would blend perfectly with everything. I gave the girls a neutral color scheme and showed them some looks I liked and had each choose a dress. It was fun seeing everyone’s personal style come together on the big day and how great the look turned out!
We wanted to have lots of personal touches too. We asked Mikey’s mom, Patty, an excellent baker, to bake our cake and make our jam for one of our party favors. We liked the idea of a dessert table and added our favorite chocolate chip cookies along with bags of lavender my mom created as another party favor. Our red wines at the wedding included a cabernet made by my mom and stepdad and a sangiovese made by Mikey’s parents. The stationery was designed by Mikey and me with the help of Traction Press in Los Angeles. I heard about Traction Press through a friend of mine who had used their services at her own wedding a couple years earlier. I loved the look of it and the creativity and personalization involved. Our photographer came highly recommended from a friend of the family and we could not have been happier with Caroline’s creativity, sweetness and professionalism. We loved spending the day with her and her work speaks for itself, amazing!
I haven’t mentioned that we awoke to rain on Saturday causing a bit of a panic for all of us! Throughout the morning everyone kept telling me how rain on your wedding day is good luck. I imagine there isn’t much else you can say to a bride when it’s raining out! Fortunately, I soon learned that Mikey and I were extra lucky because we had half a day of rain and half a day of perfect clear skies. By the time the bridesmaids and I boarded the limo bus for the ceremony the sun was out and the sky was blue. The remainder of the night was dry, gorgeous and absolutely perfect!
Photography: Caroline Frost Photography | Floral Design: Julie Martin Of Willie Wildflower | Cake: Mother Of The Groom, Patty Machado (flower Décor By Julie) | Invitations: Traction Press | Shoes: Kate Spade | Bridesmaid Dresses: Variety Of Designers | Catering: Park Avenue Catering | Hair: Tina Kwak Of Acabello Salon In SF | Lighting: Wine Country Party & Events | Band: SugaDady Band | Favors: Strawberry Jams By MOG | Assistant Photographer: Cherie Murashige | Day Of Planner: Tricia O’Brien | Dessert Cookies: Chocolate Chip Cookies By Tricia O’Brien | Dress : Monique Lhuillier | Groomsman Attire: Joseph A Banks | Groom’s Shoes: Al’s Attire | Makeup: Raina Rombeiro | Party Favors: Bags Of Lavender With Personalized Stamp Made By MOB | Pocket Square and Tie: Brooks Brothers | Suit: Bespoke via Indochino.com | Venue: Sonoma Mission
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