Rustic Elegant Wedding in Sonoma County

Did you catch the mini announcement yesterday? Well today, we have another one. There’s going to be more Utterly Engaged! What does that mean? Everyday we get submissions of incredible weddings, styled shoots, or our team comes up with really creative wedding ideas that we can’t possibly put it into one magazine, so we’re going to be sharing it here for a daily dose of Utterly Engaged. We’re excited to finally have our little blog blossom to become a place of resource for you as you plan your wedding day and beyond. Are you excited about this? We’re definitely are!

Let’s start with this beautiful elegant affair captured by NY Photographer, Casey Fatchett. Erica and Pat lives in New York, but decided to have a destination wedding in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County. Since most of their guests were flying in, it was really important for them to create a day that was memorable. They created a wedding that spoke to the guests five senses by transforming four different spaces. It was a truly beautiful day!

We’re in love with her Olivia gown by Wtoo of Watters.

How did you & Patrick meet?

At a Passover Seder hosted by mutual friends. Although neither of us is Jewish, we celebrate Passover each year as the anniversary of our meeting

How did he propose to you?

Patrick proposed on a summer evening by the fountain near the arch in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, which was near to where we were living at the time.  Now we live in Brooklyn and have a view of the arch in Grand Army plaza, which reminds us of the neighborhood where our relationship began.

Wedding details from the bride:

The guiding aesthetic principal was that of rustic elegance and our venue had four separate spaces allowing us to do a number of interpretations of that.  The specific concepts and designs for each space developed organically, growing out of a specific piece of furniture our planner found or some music we were considering for the ceremony.  Everything started with a light fixture we found at an absinthe and oyster bar in Williamsburg.  We took a photo of the fixture and sent it along with a stream of consciousness email to our planner, Julie, about the fixture, clocks, and steam punk aesthetic, which, fortunately, she totally got.  We actually attribute much of the success of our wedding to selecting strong vendors and giving them the latitude to be creative and make decisions based on their experience.

Our floral designer, Maria, went above and beyond, creating 18 unique table designs for the dining tent, many housed in terrariums, the inspiration for which was collections evocative of a Victorian garden party.

The beautiful cake was served in the “speakeasy” barn, Alison, our baker, was inspired by a photo of people creating a floor “tiled” out of pennies. She rendered the design in fondant, which allowed the pennies to really stand out in relief, which riffed nicely with the empty space of the rest of the cake, representing the incomplete floor.

In the end things were better than we could have imagined.  Each time our guests and we moved (from the ceremony to the patio to dinner to the barn), there was a clear but elegant shift in décor.  At the end of the night, we received reports that the speakeasy barn was so authentic that some guests had waited at the door to be seated.

Most memorable moment of the night:

Our DJ, Bob Duskis played “You are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne as our last song and all of our friends and family gathered around us for our final dance. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Advice for future brides:

Remember to be present in the moment on your wedding day.

CREDITS
Photographer: Casey Fatchett Photography
Caterer: Sage Catering
Event Planner: Julie Atwood Events
Floral Designer: MARIA PHILBIN FLORAL DESIGN
Musicians: The Royal Society Jazz Orchestra
Reception Venue:  Julie Atwood Events
Cinema and Video: Weddings on Film
Dress Designer: Olivia Gown, Wtoo by Watters
Other: Best Beverage Catering
Cake Designer: Pretty Please Bakeshop
DJ: DJ Bob Duskis, 6 Degrees Records,Sound Expressions
Lighting: Twilight Design
Linens and Coverings: Classic Party Rentals,La Tavola Fine Linen
Equipment Rentals: Wine Country Party Rentals,Blueprint Studios
Makeup Artist: Betten
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Transportation: California Wine Tours,Classic Convertible Wine Tours