Before diving deep into wedding planning, Bryan and I were so blessed to be able to celebrate our engagement with close friends and family. I had always dreamed of having an engagement party with champagne and toasts, so we decided the fall was a perfect time to host a soiree. My sister (and lovely photographer behind T&H Photography) was on hand to capture the entire night!
Rather than wear white, I figured a red dress would be a great way to stand out as the bride at a fall engagement party! Bryan is styled up in a Ralph Lauren shirt and general cuteness that makes him so adorable. How lucky am I?
My sweet friend Melina Ruiz came to do my makeup and my good friend Dianna Lopez did my hair. I know I keep saying this, but I feel so blessed to have such sweet and talented friends.
My dear friend, Lauryl Lane, is a Botanical Stylist and she caught my vision of one HUGE magnolia leaf centerpiece. We draped the table with a vintage plaid Pendleton blanket, and served champagne in coupes! She also dripped all sorts of other elements with magnolia garland, and finished off our cocktail tables with jewel toned centerpieces. All of the gorgeous linens are from the ladies at Napa Valley Linens. Stuns, right?
Found Vintage Rentals brought some perfect pieces to compliment our rustic plaid Ralph Lauren inspired look.
Our dear friends from Room Forty killed it with crazy good catering. We had a fromage station (pic below) with tons of varieties of cheeses and fun accompaniments. Each person was served the perfect morsel matched to his or her tastes. Room Forty also served: pumpkin agnolotti with buerre fondue, smoked chestnut bisque soup shooters, porcini risotto croquettes with mascarpone and preserved meyer lemon, miniature philly cheesesteak with poached onion and provolone, and for dessert butterscotch pudding with thyme panna cotta and sweet potato brittle.
Plus, Steve (the owner of Room Forty) surprised us with s’mores–these little guys are served under a conche shell with smoke trapped in the glass. You get the full effect of having s’mores because you have the chance to smell the smoke before diving in. Delicious!
As favors, we let our guests fill linen bags with caramel and apples for a fall treat. We stamped our wedding date on the bags, but ended up having to change the date! So much for being prepared, right? Oh well!
Bryan’s youngest sister moved to Hawaii last year, so she surprised us by flying in for the party. We were so surprised and I totally cried! Here is a picture with his entire extended family–cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmother an all!
My dad has spent the last several months fighting (and beating) a rare form of cancer. I asked him to give a toast but he was hesitant at first because he knew it would be emotional. I’m so glad he had some time to prepare because he ended up making my night with his speech.
There are more wedding adventures coming! Later this week I’ll be revealing which designer I picked for my wedding dress! AHHH!!!