Whimsical Winery Wedding in California

This is one wedding that never fails to make us smile, no matter how many times we look at it. How can we resist, with the vibrant sunflowers, jewel tones, and handmade touches? A crew of amazing vendors including Gideon Photography, When Pigs Fly Events, and Layers of Lovely made Ashley and Brian’s dream day a reality, and you may just remember the darling bride from when we shared her cookie decorating bridal shower a while back!

From the bride, Ashley: The minute we entered the driveway to Quivira, we knew we had found “the one.” Like the moment I met Brian, like the moment I tried on my wedding dress, Quivira was the same “a-ha” moment. In my mind, I pictured myself getting married surrounded by sunflowers. I grew up on a farm with horses, chickens, and pigs. I also own a company called “Road Apples” where I makes organic treats for horses, dogs, and pigs. My design team, When Pigs Fly Events, really took the personal details of my life and transferred that to a cohesive wedding scheme. I wanted everything to feel inviting like you were ‘coming home to the ranch for a big family dinner.’ At every turn you were greeted by smiling sunflowers and ranch inspired details like the vintage horseshoes that were stuffed into floral pieces, large overturned crates of apples, and buckets of wheat.

Bouquet recipe: Sunflowers, zinnias, sweet pea, anemones, thistle, ranunculus, kangaroo paw, lavender, maiden hair fern, explosion grass, and scabiosa pods.

My favorite part of the wedding day was dining in the vineyard with our friends and family. This was the truly magical moment of the day and when I felt like my vision of ‘a big family dinner’ came to life. We had a farm to table dinner under a gorgeous canopy of foliage and grapes – completely erected for our event. It actually looked and felt like it had been there forever. It was a magnificent setting and we loved the moment. Green and yellow were the dominant colors throughout the wedding. I asked all of my bridesmaids to choose a green dress that they loved. The sunflowers in our bouquets and the floral treatments provided that sunny pop of color that complemented the Quivira grounds and quaint yellow barn on the property so well. As an ode to the farm, we had a 5′ horse topiary made to welcome guests into the ceremony gardens. The cocktail hour had chickens and roosters in different areas including the “Get Yo’ Cocktail On” sign at the bar, on the custom made napkins, and the metal cork collectors.

Our after party at Barn Diva was an amazing way to end the night. As an entirely different venue, we wanted to change up the mood from the vineyard. We wanted some fantastical elements including unicorns and nods to the 80s. We had an ice luge in the shape of a unicorn from which guests took shots of martinis! And, the spiked milkshakes really hit the spot. I loved every moment of the day.

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Intimate La Valencia Hotel Wedding Editorial with a Garden Luxe Feel

Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? My biggest advice would be to make the day a reflection of you as a couple. Don’t be afraid to include some out-of-the-box ideas, inside jokes, and design elements. Make it about you. I wanted to give Brian a groom’s cake shaped like a steak because it’s a joke we share. He said that he decided to propose the night he did because “he just ate the best steak he had ever had and felt like the moment couldn’t be more perfect to ask me to be his wife.” I was also super excited to make my special homemade strawberry jam for my guests as a wedding favor! These are the details that you will remember forever. Beautiful can live in the same world as Unique. Also, let the day develop organically and don’t be afraid to throw control out the window and be surprised. You will be so inspired by the outpouring of love and thoughtfulness of the special people in your life if you encourage them to see the day as a platform for love.

Watch the video by NP Films:

Wedding Music:
We wanted the day to include music from all kids of genres. The day at Quivira included a lot of classic rock, country, and indie music, while the after party at Barn Diva started out with a strong 80s set list and ended with top modern dance tracks.
Bridal Party Processional: “Gimme Three Steps,” Lynyrd Skynyrd
Bride’s Processional: “Daughter,” Loudon Wainwright III
First Dance: “I Will Wait,” Mumford and Sons