Nostalgic Woodsy Wedding

This California wedding from Kate Harrison is like stepping into a woodland dream — moss and birch details, frilly flora, and of course, a knockout couple of newlyweds! Bride Whitney shines in a stunning Jenny Packham frock, which inspired much of the feel of her wedding. The couple’s inspiration also came from their incredible venue, Nestldown, and it’s easy to see why!

From the bride, Whitney: Our style was very much inspired by Nestldown, our venue, and for me, by the vintage-inspired dress that I had chosen. I was looking for elements that were rustic, vintage, and timeless. As we were planning, my biggest worry was that all our disparate elements wouldn’t come together as a whole, but it really did turn out wonderfully well. Everything was very fun and very personal. Both Ted and I felt that the entire day was a reflection of our personalities.

We wanted everything to be classic, vintage, and rustic. We went with white and black for our main colors, with green as well to reflect the outdoor setting. Our florist did a great job making our centerpieces natural and non-traditional. A friend of ours had cut a tree down in his yard and we incorporated slices of that tree into our centerpieces.

For our guestbook, we had an old-timey photo booth from Photo-matica, whom I can’t recommend enough — they are awesome. They printed out two photo strips, one for our guest book and the other for wedding favors for the guests. We had some wooden photo strip frames made through a vendor on Etsy.com and we painted them ourselves.

We also had three bars during cocktail hour — one for wine, one for beer, and one for mixed drinks. We made our own signage for the bars using large picture frames that Ted and I got from a flea market / antiques fair and used chalkboard paint to make huge framed chalkboards. I did the writing on the signs myself.

See Also

A Tuscan Inspired Wedding with Pastel Hues at California’s Filoli Gardens

Any advice for brides planning their weddings now? Make sure you keep your wedding plans personal, and remember that weddings are a celebration — it’s all about having fun with the people you love! Also, the day goes by in a flash, so be sure to stop for a moment and savor it all.

Wedding Music:
Pre-ceremony: J. S. Bach Goldberg Variations – Sally Christian, Piano
Processional: The Alchymist: Sarabande – Bouree by Handel
Bride’s Processional: The Alchymist: Prelude – Minuet by Handel
Recessional: Water Music Suite No. 3 in G Major – Presto followed by Water Music Suite No. 3 in G Major – Country Dance both by Handel
During cocktails and dinner we played songs by Benny Goodman and the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
First Dance: Over the Rainbow and What a Wonderful World sung and played on the ukulele by one of our groomsmen

Wedding Vendors (Campbell, CA):

Wedding Venue: Nestldown / Wedding Photographer: Kate Harrison / Event Planner: Downey Street Events / Event Designer: Eventscapes / Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham / Wedding Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Bride’s Veil: Sara Gabriel / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Priscilla of Boston / Makeup: Maria Lee Makeup / Groom’s Tuxedo: Gucci / Wedding Flowers: Isabella Sikaffy of Florabella Studios / Wedding Caterer: Thomas John Events / Wedding Cake: Studio Cake / Musicians: All-Star Jukebox / Photobooth: photo-matica / Invitation Printing: Dependable Letterpress / Transportation: Deep Limo and Corinthian Parking