Northern California Microwedding In A Sunken Garden
Janice and Daniel visited over 50 venues before finding their perfect match, and the insanely gorgeous Northern California microwedding that resulted is a testament to why it’s worth searching until you know you’ve found the one. Ashley Rae Studio‘s images draw us closer to the screen from the sunken garden ceremony to the lavender field portraits, as we marvel at all the creative design elements from Stephanie Teague Events that made this celebration uber special and uber J+D. From the geometric orb lights to the vintage gold memorial table to the marble coaster place settings, this day is nothing if not attentive to the details. The cherry on top was the statement blooms from Dixon Florist, weaving everything from drippy amaranthus to bold King Proteas throughout the various events. We can’t wait to show you this wonderful world in burgundy, gold and navy hues. So let’s get to it, shall we?
From the Bride: “As a couple, we’ve always appreciated the character of old things. We must have visited over 50 wedding venues but still struggled to find one that matched our personal style. When we found Park Winters, we immediately noticed the beautifully restored Victorian house, the impeccably maintained grounds and the modern farmhouse barn. The flow of the property was inviting and we could easily envision our wedding there. Although we had not yet landed the details of our wedding, the property had the flexibility to accommodate different layouts, party sizes, and the perfect blend of indoor/outdoor options. We could see our 160 guests walking the gardens, enjoying cocktails by the fire feature and dancing the night away with us in the event barn.
When the pandemic started, we had to evaluate pushing out our wedding or modifying our original plans. It was a decision that weighed heavily on us because at that point we had been engaged for almost two years and were really looking forward to the next step in life together. However, deciding to move forward with a wedding meant not being able to invite everyone we wanted and also managing the constant changing Covid restrictions and the safety of our guests. With the help of our amazing vendors and all the flexibility provided by Park Winters, we proceeded to have a micro-wedding of 30 people. In making that decision, we had to let go of some of what we envisioned, especially having all of our friends and family with us on our day. While it was a challenging call to make, we remind ourselves that there will be many more moments in the future to celebrate.
For the overall wedding, we were going for a rustic but modern look. Something refined, yet not overly formal. The farmhouse tables and cross back chairs laid the foundation for this look, and we added a hint of elegance with some dyed cheese cloth runners that I made in our backyard. We also added a few modern touches with gold geometric place mats and personalized hexagon marble name cards. The biggest hurdle was choosing a color palette that wasn’t overtly “Fall” but captured the balance between seasonal and timeless. Our florist did an amazing job pulling together the colors we wanted with hints of red/burgundy from the Amaranth and Proteas sprinkled throughout my bouquet and centerpieces. The green foliage was perfectly placed throughout all the arrangements, helping to give some whimsical flair. The white, creamy, light blue and yellow florals balanced out all the greenery.
We had our wedding ceremony in front of the sunken garden, a popular spot on the property because of its natural beauty (especially with the changing colors of Fall). For the rest of the wedding, we kept many elements we wanted from our original wedding plans, but we were able to add some more personalized touches. We made all of our wedding signs and provided our guests with masks and hand sanitizers. My husband built quite a few pieces that we are now able to keep and cherish in our home, such as the cake stand with left over marble from our home renovations and the sweetheart table using repurposed wood. I currently work from home using my sweetheart table and it reminds of the love that went into making it and the happy memories we shared that day.
Up until the week prior to the wedding, it was planned to be an entirely outdoor event. With weather turning in early November and more windy conditions than we anticipated, we were so lucky to be able to move our dinner into the event barn as our guest count was exactly 25% of the Covid capacity restriction. I was initially frustrated that we couldn’t have the dinner outside, but the interior of the event barn was gorgeous with chandeliers and decor that really rounded out the rustic and modern elements of our wedding. It was quite the moment to sit at our sweetheart table, look out into the beautiful space and see our closest friends and family enjoy the amazing dinner prepared by Park Winters. For them to be there with us despite everything going on, it meant the world to us. We were also able to walk around and spend time talking with our guests, something many couples say they aren’t able to do with larger weddings.
In the end, we didn’t get to dance the night away or be with everyone we wanted on our special day. However, we did get a very intimate and personal micro-wedding captured by our talented photographer Ashley, cherished time with immediate family and our best friends, and a delicious meal. After all that we had been through as a couple, that was all we could have asked for and we’re so grateful for it.” – Janice Huyn
We’re en route to heaven after seeing this Northern California microwedding with a spirit of resilience and above all, love, sweet love. If you’re feeling the amaranthus vibes after seeing its gorgeous use in these arrangements, see this Vermont wedding’s take next!
Wedding Vendors:
Photography: Ashley Rae Studio
Planning & Design: Stephanie Teague Events
Venue: Park Winters
Floral Design: Dixon Florist
Officiant & DJ: SJ’s Disc Jockey
Hair & Makeup: Shannon Le