In Bloom

Lately I've been thinking about the peonies blooming in my mother's beautiful garden, and I just couldn't resist this gorgeously full bouquet. This is my favorite kind of posy–tight, round and mostly uniform in color, but I'm dying to hear–what kind of bouquet do you fall for? Cascades of roses and lilies, pomanders of carnations or a singular composite bouquet?


Image by Wayne Yuan, bouquet by Mille Fiori.

Laura and Nate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

Design minded and darling are the results of two student architects' wedding planning, wouldn't you agree? Just one week after a romantic Charleston proposal, this pair booked the Middleton Place Plantation and started planning a Southern celebration with an eye for both tradition and modernity.

Unsurprisingly, this visual pair splurged on graphics and papers, designing everything from invitations to welcome bags themselves, then collaborating with Superior Letterpress Company, Old School Seals and Paper Presentation to bring their vision to life. The bride chose a classic Carolina Herrera gown, paired with a Melissa Sweet veil and pink tulle Badgley Mischka flats. She also wore a pair of Alexis Bittar drop earrings and a three-strand pearl bracelet, a gift from her parents. Laura's bridesmaids wore Grecian-inspired gray column gowns from Melissa Sweet, while the groom and his guys wore tuxedos, Nate's from Calvin Klein and paired with a Mountain & Sackett bow tie, Acme Studio cufflinks and Hugo Boss shoes.

The pair was married in a sunset ceremony in the Octagonal Garden beside the Ashley River, with Spiritually Yours, a Charleston gospel choir, and Unwind Duo providing the gorgeous music. The reception featured heavy hors d'oeuvres and a singular sweets table by Duvall Events, and lush peony and garden rose arrangements that echoed the bride's bouquet were designed by event coordinator Out of Hand & Ooh! Events. Laura changed into a Tadashi Shoji column as Professors of Soul got all 115 guests on the dance floor, and the newlyweds headed to Nate's father's lovingly restored 1950 Studebaker under a shower of sparklers, beautifully captured by Harwell Photography.

What's your favorite detail of this Southern fête? I can't stop thinking about that beautiful veil, and the gorgeous matching table linens!

Sweet

There's something irresistible about the combination of pink tulle bows and a thatched wooden chair.

Image by Stephen Pappas.

Bow Tied

Happy Memorial Day, and hurray to the start of summer! The cool and cloudy weather in SF this weekend definitely marked the start of June Gloom, and to tell the truth, I just love it!

After a busy week and a pre-dawn alarm on Friday morning, I was so glad to have the weekend in sight. We ordered our customary Indian feast and giggled over I Don't Know How She Does It before falling fast asleep. After both waking up early on Saturday morning, we spent some time catching up with family–John shared a Mediterranean brunch with his cousin while I gabbed on the phone with my Mama and my dear friend Marge. After all that girl talk, it was time to tackle my closet–I can't get anything done when it's a wreck! Then I settled in with my laptop and the summer issue of Martha Stewart Weddings (I'm not the only one who reads it twice in one sitting, am I?) to soak up all the loveliness on offer this past week. 

John and I enjoyed a trip to our happy place, the gorgeous grocery store down the street, to pick up fresh fish and plenty of avocado for tacos–the perfect summer food, even if you find yourself eating them in a sweater! We curled up in bed to warm up with our favorite new reads, The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles and The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Roth, respectively. It was another early night, which meant John was up with the birds on Sunday–and working on such a wonderful surprise!

We'd fallen in love with the idea of bougatsa, a Cretan filo pastry filled with mitizthra, a not-too-sweet Greek cheese, and my mom sent us a scan of the recipe from our incredible Greek cookbook, printed on paper that's nearly transulcent from all the butter that's been flecked on it over the years. When I woke up, John was covered in flour from the filo and proudly putting his bougatsa in the oven! The results, enjoyed with espresso, were heavenly–and it was John's first experience with filo! I caught up on work while John practiced the accompaniment to my favorite aria at the piano and the new pieces he's learning on the guitar, and then we agreed that a little stroll was in order. I perfected my fishtail braid technique before throwing on a sweater and heading hand-in-hand to the beach; after what felt like hours sitting on the sea wall, we came home for hot cocoa and a little afternoon snack, and then enjoyed the most decadent activity of all–a nap! We woke up to the sounds of emergency vehicles and helicopters, and watched from the roof as firemen quickly put out a kitchen blaze down the block. Then we headed inside for a gorgeous Thai spread and a glass of bubbly, made all the more delightful with a rooftop fireworks display celebrating Golden Gate Bridge's 75th anniversary (and of course, today off!)

We're planning to spend the day at the California Academy of Sciences, enjoying empanadas at Nopalito and practicing a little yoga–what are you doing this Memorial Day?

Image by Lisa Poggi.

Tequila Fresa

Charles H. Baker Jr., loveable drunkard and certified bon vivant, traveled the world in search of a life well-lived. While some of the libatious adventures in The Gentleman's Companion should be avoided (I'm remembering a particularly disgusting morning emptying cachaça from coconuts buried in the front yard for a year), tequila fresa seems hard to beat! 

Find a 2-quart jar with a sealer top. Into this put 1 quart stemmed, washed, cut up, and crushed strawberries dead ripe. Pour in 1 bottle Tequila. Seal tightly, and allow to stand for 2 to 3 weeks. Strain through a double cheesecloth, and you will find a lovely thing, a rosy liquor with its rude sharpness blunted, yet with the kick of a mule. It may be poured over ice, sweetened to taste, and consumed as is, for a quickie, or as a julep over fine ice, or frozen with cracked ice in the Waring Blendor, with the addition of the juice of 1/4 lime for tartness, in tropical style a Daiquiri. Color, a lovely rose; flavor unique. 

Now tell me that doesn't sound delicious–cheers, and happy weekend!

Photo by Romulo Yanes for Gourmet. 

Color Block

Something about this invite has absolutely captured my imagination–can't you just see a backyard wedding in a beautifully restored Craftsman home, Louise wearing a colorblocked cotton shift and Thom passing out Aperol cocktails in highball glasses? Or maybe that's just me.


What kind of wedding do you think suits this suite?

Color Block wedding invite by Paper Dahlia at Minted.

Davina + Daniel: Puerto Vallarta

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe you remember Davina and Daniel's gorgeous Vegas elopement–I fell hard for their classic style, their sense of fun and their wedding plan–marry soon after getting engaged so that no matter the exotic locale where they ultimately tied the knot, they wouldn't have to worry about the legality of their union. Pragmatic problem solvers with exquisite taste? It's no wonder they had such a chic elopement, and a downright gorgeous wedding!

The pair stumbled on their venue, the magnificent Casa China Blanca, without ever having put Mexico on their list of destination locations, and they teamed up with event planners Kristin and Michelle of The Dazzling Details to help coordinate a distance celebration that threw tradition to the wind. Davina and Daniel wanted to be married at sunset, but the villa had a strict rule against loud music after 11pm; faced with an unfavorably short reception, they scheduled dinner, drinks and toasts all before the actual ceremony would take place!

Davina wore a gorgeous Pnina Tornai gown purchased at Kleinfeld's and paired with a mix of vintage and J.Crew jewelry, while Daniel chose a slim-cut Zara suit and Reiss shoes. After their sunset ceremony, the newlyweds danced down the aisle to the dance floor, where they celebrated to the sounds of Minuit, Davina's father's band, until the venue shut down the party! Davina changed into a Tadashi dress and Christian Louboutin pumps for a sparkler exit with her sweetheart, the final frames beautifully captured by the couple's close friends, Ben and Erin Chrisman, who generously shared these stunning images with me.

Tell me, what's your favorite detail of this spectacular celebration? Or are you as single-mindedly focused on planning a Mexican vacation this summer as I am? To tell the truth, I just booked ours yesterday–we're headed to our favorite little home away from home, Hotel Secreto on Isla Mujeres!