THE WED 2025 Trend Guide

Vendors

Venues

Magazine

Guides

Home

Magazine

Real Weddings

An Elegant Wildflower Wedding with Majestic Ocean Views

An Elegant Wildflower Wedding with Majestic Ocean Views

A harmonious blend of nature and elegance on California’s coastline

An Elegant Wildflower Wedding with Breathtaking Ocean Views

Madison and Matthew’s wedding at Sea Ranch Lodge in Sonoma County was a breathtaking union of natural beauty and modern elegance. Held on a serene hilltop, surrounded by wildflowers and sweeping ocean views, their ceremony was a perfect balance between wild, untamed nature and a sleek, contemporary aesthetic. Madison was a vision in two distinct gowns – for the ceremony, she wore a delicate, flower-embroidered dress that flowed effortlessly against the wildflower-dotted hillside. Later, she changed into a chic white mini dress with gold accents – an effortlessly stylish look that perfectly complemented the evening’s relaxed and intimate atmosphere. The day felt as if it was woven into the very landscape of Sea Ranch Lodge – a celebration of love that, like the setting, felt both eternal and breathtakingly real, guided by our talented member, wedding planner Roque Events.

An Elegant Wildflower Wedding with Breathtaking Ocean Views

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

We met in February 2016 when I was working in Manhattan and Matthew was a law student at Columbia. I lived in Brooklyn, and he lived on the Upper West Side. It was freezing in February, so I picked a bar that was a 7-minute walk from my house. He took the subway all the way there (about an hour) just for the date! He spent the next year “commuting” to me.

^Proposal

We drove upstate and quarantined in a cabin for the first week. Once we were able to go out, we decided to drive up to Mohonk Mountain House because I wanted to see where the TV show Upload was filmed. We took a small impromptu hike around the grounds. When we were at the top of the trail overlooking the lake and gardens, he proposed. I just cried, and he said, “Is that a yes?” We got back to our car, we realized we were very close to Beacon, which was our go-to weekend getaway when we lived in New York. We drove into town and had dinner at our favorite restaurant and made it to our favorite candy store just before closing. It was so special that such an important day was spent in a place that was meaningful to us – and even more so because it all sort of just “happened.”

^{The Engagement Ring}

We had always known that we would go through the process together, so it was a really exciting time for both of us. It was important to both of us that the diamond was lab grown, so we designed it with Ada Diamonds in San Francisco. We went in person to pick the stone and nail down the general vibe – timeless with a pop of unique detail. Matthew then worked with Ada to confirm the details and finalize the design. It is a round princess cut with spaced diamonds on the band, which matches a diamond bracelet my parents gave me for my 21st birthday.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

We wanted to find a happy medium between wild and natural, and sleek and modern. I think the words I first used for our planner were “ethereal and cool girl.” It was also very important to us to have an aesthetic that flowed seamlessly into our venue, so we prioritized local flora, textures, and colors that blended into the natural landscape. Similarly, we chose a typography style for invitations, signage and menus that complimented the architecturally modern lodge. The venue itself was so stunning, so our goal was to create an environment that emphasized and enhanced what was already there.

Aside from the aesthetics, we wanted the weekend to be very intimate and very “us.” We’re not huge dancers, so we didn’t focus on a dance party. We wanted our guests to feel relaxed and unpressured, so we had a low-key welcome dessert party on Friday and optional grab and go breakfast on Sunday. Our friends and family all focus our lives around food, so we made sure that we only offered the best of what we could find. We pitched it as a “family dinner with amazing food and a bit of dancing.” Our ultimate vision was just a weekend with our favorite people.

An Elegant Wildflower Wedding with Breathtaking Ocean Views

^{Our Team of Vendors}

I loved my planner, Raquel Bickford at Roque Events, so much that I saved her for last during my dinner “thank you” speech (even after our parents). Both of us had very demanding jobs and cared more about the overall vision than the specific details, so I spent a long time searching for someone who had the confidence and experience to effectively design an entire wedding from a mood board, and without a ton of strong input. She was willing to make decisions on my behalf when our answer was “we’re neither here nor there about it” – which was very often. I trusted her implicitly. She engaged vendors that would work well with my style of leadership…or lack thereof. I didn’t have any “requirements” for any vendor, and I gave total deference to our florist, videographer, photographer, and baker. I wanted to trust their expertise and give them the flexibility needed to make something that they were also really proud of. It was the best decision I made, because we ended up with vendors who were enthusiastic about the project and eager to go above and beyond for the vision that they helped create.

Beyond Roque Events, I spent the most time choosing a photographer. Sea Ranch is so architecturally significant and naturally beautiful, so we wanted a photographer that was interested in highlighting those aspects of the wedding. We knew Samantha was the one when we saw that she had architectural photography in her portfolio. She has a very classic and natural photography style, but often contrasts and highlights it with modern angles and light movement - this complimented the ethereal yet modern vibe we were going for in a beautiful way.

An Elegant Wildflower Wedding with Breathtaking Ocean Views

^Location

We were married at Sea Ranch Lodge in Sonoma County. When we lived in San Francisco during the pandemic, we used to go on these long drives along the coast, listening to audiobooks and stopping anywhere we could find a treat. Sea Ranch felt like an intimate nod to a time in our lives that we cherish dearly. Sea Ranch, a fairly famous and architecturally significant planned community, felt like fate in many ways.

Soon after we were engaged, I ran into my middle school history teacher, Michael, on the street in my hometown when I was visiting family for a weekend. Michael was one of the most influential adults during my childhood, but we had largely lost touch over the years. When I saw him, I immediately invited him to the wedding. I found out that day that he lived part-time in one of the Sea Ranch homes, and he suggested looking at it as a venue. We hadn’t thought about it prior, but it was perfect – it was both a nod to my dad, an architect, and Matthew’s mom, who had visited previously and loved it so much that she had multiple books about it. We had toured around 10 venues by that point, and knew we found the place as soon as we saw the ocean. At Sea Ranch, guests could choose to reserve one of the 17 rooms at the lodge, rent one of the stunning Sea Ranch houses, or stay at other outside bnb’s in the nearby town. We loved that there was an option for everyone at any price range: the families and friend groups loved staying in the houses together, while my parent’s couple friends preferred the all-inclusive feeling of the Lodge on site.

An Elegant Wildflower Wedding with Breathtaking Ocean Views

^{The Ceremony}

The ceremony site was on a peninsula jutting into the ocean a short walk from the Lodge. It was absolutely freezing, incredibly sunny, and windier than anything we’d experienced before – and it was perfect. While waiting to walk down the aisle, my parents hugged me from the front and behind to keep me warm; my teeth were chattering and we were laughing the entire time. That is a moment I will never forget.

Both of us have always felt like marriage is a bit more of a “presentation” than we would like, so we focused on prioritizing what we wanted rather than what was traditional. I walked down the aisle to an acoustic version of Blackbird by the Beatles, and we ended with Love you Madly by CAKE. My best friend (and the person who knows us most as a couple) officiated for us. We both wrote our own vows, and kept it short and sweet. We didn’t include religious overtones, save for stepping on glass as an ode to my mom and our Jewish heritage. At the end, our officiant pronounced as “partners for life.” It was a moment that felt uniquely us.

An Elegant Wildflower Wedding with Breathtaking Ocean Views

^{The Reception}

The reception kicked off with our first dance, which we’d practiced under the guidance of a real dancing instructor…and promptly forgot immediately as soon as we were in front of the crowd. We laughed our way through it and friends later told us that they couldn’t tell we weren’t following a practiced routine, so either they were just being nice or we both have some hidden talent as dancers. Since we had a pretty small group of friends present, and we knew that it wasn’t a huge traditional “party” crowd, we wanted to have some other fun touches besides just a dance floor, like Mike the sketch artist (below).

We did have an excellent open bar, including Pliny the Elder on tap which all of Matthew’s beer loving friends couldn’t stop raving about, and we included two specialty cocktails that were developed by a close friend who couldn’t make it to the wedding. Music was by The Class Band, who also provided the ceremony accompaniment, and they did an amazing job of keeping the energy high and playing danceable versions of some of our favorite songs. Everyone had a great time, and no one was too worse for the wear on the windy drive back to San Francisco the next morning (well, some were).

An Elegant Wildflower Wedding with Breathtaking Ocean Views

^{The Special Touches}

Our favorite touch was the sketch artist, Mike Williams, who painted 5-10 minute watercolor portraits during our reception. Since we’re not big dancers, we wanted to offer an additional, unique activity that would bring people together. I actually met Mike that prior fall at a mutual close friend’s wedding. I had been looking for an artist for months and had yet to find anyone. When I found our table, Mike was already sitting there. He was sketching the couple. I complimented his work and he showed me a book full of sketches from the ceremony and cocktail hour. It was fate! Not more than three minutes later, I asked him to fly out from the East Coast to paint at our wedding. Our guests took home their portraits as “party favors,” and Mike also sketched and painted throughout the entire day, so we had a chest of art to bring home with us. He offered such an intimate and personalized alternative to something like a photobooth or disposable cameras. I also made floral lollipops with flavors inspired by our garden for guests to take home for later.

Matthew loves to cook, and I maintain a kitchen garden in our backyard for fresh ingredients, so we used a cookbook as our guest book. Our guests picked the recipe that they thought sounded the best and wrote a note to that page. Now, if we pick a recipe that a guest chose, we send them a picture of the finished dish. It’s a fun way to discover ours, guests’ notes, and surprise them with a thank you long after the wedding has passed. Everyone wore something sentimental. I gave all of my bridesmaids' poppy barrettes from Lelet NY (and a vintage poppy lapel pin from Van Cleef for my Co-Man of Honor). Even though they live around the world (Geneva, Washington DC and New York) we are all from California, so the poppy was sentimental. Matthew gifted all of his groomsmen handmade wood and brass lapel pins that he sourced himself from a Spanish artist on Etsy. The pins were inspired by the Bauhaus and were a nod to the modern architecture of the venue. I gifted Matthew a vintage yellow gold lapel pin to wear for the ceremony. Matthew gifted me a pair of diamond earrings that I wear every day. Lastly, my dad gave Matthew a set of his cuff links, and my mom gave me my grandmothers' anklet (described below). It really made us feel connected to each other.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

From Matthew: My moment was Madison’s reading of her vows, which was both extremely well written and deeply moving, and put my own (which I was pretty proud of before the ceremony) to shame. They really weaved together wide-ranging personal and emotional moments with a clear central theme in a way that I was not expecting. From me – probably the speeches. Matthew and I both had our childhood best friends speak during dinner. They know us so entirely and intimately, from every stage in our lives. They were there when we met each other. Being next to the love of my life while listening to his best friend gush about him as a child was incredibly beautiful. It was a perfect reminder of how lucky I am to be a part of his life.

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

I wanted looks that felt true to the various aspects of my personality while also fitting the venue. My mom came down to LA, and we spent the entire weekend looking for a dress rehearsal outfit. I really admire her style and confidence, so she was the perfect companion. We chose a dress from Christopher Esber and sage green shoes from Valentino. I must have tried on 40 wedding dresses over four different days and 10 stores. I finally found it at a sample sale in Venice. The dress barely needed altering, it was in near perfect condition, and it was 25% off. If my mom taught me anything, it’s that you can never pass up a good deal! We ended up altering the dress to make the sleeves removable; I wore the sleeves for the first look and bridal portraits, and then removed them for the ceremony. It was great to have two different vibes, and I absolutely loved watching Matthew’s reaction when I took them off!

On the morning of the wedding, my mom gave me my grandmother’s anklet that my grandfather gifted her when they were teenagers. She also gave me her own wedding band to wear on my right hand. My grandparents were together for their entire lives, and my parents are coming up their 45th anniversary. Wearing such sentimental pieces was such an honor and blessing. I wanted something really different and fun for a party dress, especially since I decided not to bustle my wedding dress. I wanted something comfortable, with shoes that I could really run around in. I chose a dress from AREA that gave me Schiaparelli vibes, with fun kitten heals from Gianvito Rossi.

^{The Groom Looks}

Matthew wanted something completely classic and timeless, with a little pinch of unique energy. We went with a custom-made Ralph Lauren tux with a black velvet jacket, which had a lining that matched the bridesmaids.

^{Our Bridesmaid’s Looks}

It was really important to me that the bridesmaids wore something they were comfortable in. I started by looking at the suit color options for my Co-Man of Honor. Once I found one I liked, I just sent a few inspiration pictures to everyone for color. They all chose whatever they wanted for the dress, hair, and makeup. At the end of the day, I only cared that they felt good. The most beautiful thing is confidence!

^{Our Groomsmen’s Looks}

I only cared that they matched. The groomsmen came into town one day, and they all went to The Black Tux together and chose everything on their own. Matthew also bought lapel pins from Etsy for each groomsman as a keepsake.

Our Advice

^{For The Planning Process}

The best thing I did was not care too much. My mom thought I was dangerously unaware of what was going on during the process, but I just trusted my planner. Aesthetically, it worked because that flexibility allowed my vendors to highlight their expertise and showcase their art. It made for a beautiful day that was almost as much a surprise to me as everyone else. Beyond that, it made for a largely stress-free day. I went through every bad scenario beforehand and asked myself, “Would I really care if it rained?” “If it’s so windy that we have to change ceremony sites, would that be a big deal?” If the answer was ever “Yes,” I was sure to check myself and remember what I truly cared about: marrying Matthew. So I went into the weekend thinking that there was nothing that could happen that would ruin it. Of course, things absolutely went wrong: We had to use recorded audio rather than a live guitarist because it was too windy at the ceremony site. One of my best friends tested positive for COVID the morning before the wedding. I had a canker sore, and it hurt to speak. It wasn’t perfect. But the absence of expectations allowed me to focus on the beauty of every minute.

An Elegant Wildflower Wedding with Breathtaking Ocean Views

^{For On The Day}

Focus on enjoying yourself, rather than making sure everyone else is enjoying themselves. It doesn’t matter if people aren’t dancing, or if they have to wear their jackets outside, or if no one really ate the cake. Your guests are going to love the wedding, because they love you. They just want to be there to witness your pure joy - so you better make sure you’re having fun.