Holy hydrangeas! Shannon and Matt’s wedding at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch is filled with an explosion of farm-fresh florals by Natalie Bowen Designs, and vineyard vibes designed by planner Rebecca Johnson Design. The pared-back white and barely-there-pink palette let the location shine and an overflowing dessert table in the same color scheme is the icing on the cake. Sheck out all the details in these lovely images by The Edges.
What made the wedding special and unique?
Our top priorities for our wedding weekend were good food and being able to spend time with all of our guests. We chose Farmstead because the farm-to-fork food is absolutely amazing and their venue allowed us to dine outdoors on farm tables under string lights on a beautiful Napa fall evening. Matt and I were determined to enjoy every aspect of the wedding we had planned. We had an amazing welcome dinner the night before at Beringer Vineyards where we had the chance to catch up with most of our out-of-town guests. On our wedding day, we did many of our pictures before the ceremony so we could take advantage of the entire cocktail hour, socializing and of course trying all of the appetizers. We stayed seated during most of dinner to actually enjoy our food. Then we literally danced the rest of the night to our live 80’s cover band.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
I originally was on a hunt for the perfect lace wedding gown. I went to five different stores in San Francisco, including Trish Lee. Trish’s store is cozy and perfect, high up in an old building in Union Square, with tons of natural light. Trish (the owner!) was assisting me during my dress appointment. I tried on several of her lace dresses, and she asked me if I would be willing to try on something that wasn’t lace. I reluctantly agreed – but the instant I put on the silk Angelina trumpet gown I fell in love! It has an amazing silhouette and is simply timeless and elegant.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
-succulent escort cards/wedding favors because our house is filled with succulents.
– the wedding “stage” was decorated unlike any other Farmstead wedding before us. I didn’t want the standard curtains that were offered – instead I wanted greenery and florals and sheer romantic drapery. Our florist Natalie made it happen, she was even up there on a genie right before the ceremony to get the greenery up to the peak, and it turned out perfect!
THE FOOD:
– a thick-cut candied bacon on a stick appetizer custom-made especially per my husband’s request (he loves bacon).
– all wedding food was cooked over a live-fire for guests to see, including a flayed smoked salmon and St. Louis ribs, and food was served family-style.
– I knew I wanted red velvet cake, but after our tasting we fell in love with so many of the cakes Sweetie Pie’s had to offer, so we had a “cake table” with an assortment of smaller cakes in all of our favorite flavors.
– literally the food never stopped: cocktail hour with amazing appetizers, live-fire family style meal, a wedding cake table with so many different cakes/flavors, beignets served with caramel sauce, wood-roasted s’mores over the live fire, and a late-night treat of pulled pork sliders, and of course to-go boxes for guests to take a slice of cake home.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The icing on the cake was the best man’s (Matt’s brother Mike) sabering of the champagne bottle at the end of his speech.
Tell us how you became engaged.
We got engaged in Half Moon Bay, one of our favorite California vacation spots. Matt and I are somewhat reserved, private people so it was fitting that he found a spot to propose on the beach, the beautiful cliffs behind us, not a soul around except our two pups running around in the sand.
Photography: The Edges // Wedding Planner: Rebecca Johnson Design // Florist: Natalie Bowen Designs // Invitations: Aerialist Press // Ceremony & Reception Venue & Catering: Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch // Dress: Trish Lee // Hair & MUA: Carrie Aldous // Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo for BHLDN // Cake: Sweetie Pies // Groom’s Suit: DKNY // Band: Notorious // Audio: Napa Valley Media // Ceremony Musicians: Lawrence Strings // Cocktail Musicians: Trio Paz // Rentals: Bright, Classic Party Rentals, and LaTavola Fine Linen // Transportation: Pure Luxury