If you are staring at a blank page, wondering why the post is taking so long to load, one word: photos. Here’s a story of my daughter’s wedding. (All images: Melissa Ergo.)
The day began gray. The bride looked out over the place she’d be getting married in a couple of hours. My goodness. I will never not be surprised by how beautiful she is.
Pelicans cooperated.
Getting ready. I don’t think it occurred to me that Carly Wise’s hair matched my dress. Nor to anyone, probably.
The site was getting ready too, criss-crossed lights, microphone, chairs, and flowers galore. By Julie Martin of Williwildflower.
Some family arrived and hugged, happy to be together.
Meanwhile, the bride and groom had been swept away to a place on the cliffs, to see each other for the first time in their wedding finery, and say private vows.
Magic light. Cypress trees.
A few minutes later, we-the immediate family-joined them for photos. Here’s my son, his boyfriend, the groom’s father, my husband, the groom’s mother and I, smiling at and taking pictures of the unseen bride, groom, groom’s sister and brother-in-law. I wore my sneakers, gold heels in a plastic bag, as Sturdy Gals are wont to do. Happy moment, this. We were breathing in growing things.
Arriving back at the site, the venue–as I have learned to call a place for weddings–we were met by the sounds of a string quartet. Music: Bay Area Strings.
And suddenly blue skies. I walked my daughter up the aisle,
where her almost-husband waited. I feel so happy, looking at these images again.
My son officiated. Such a good job.
Hooray!
I was so starstruck I didn’t hand my daughter’s bouquet back to her until she said, “Mom.” Laughter ensued. Some things never change.
Cocktail time! More flowers.
We all gathered on the deck. Venue: Mavericks House. I have seen this look, and this sort of gesture, from my daughter since time immemorial. But now her husband’s by her side.
The sun, having obligingly come out, was gracious enough to begin to set and light the neighboring clouds.
Tables also set, albeit not by the movement of the universe. You can just see the centerpieces I made by stuffing all my random florist’s vases with feverfew. Why compete with scenery, and the few spectacular florist arrangements?
We put two menus on each table, to pass around. I designed them from the graphics and fonts the groom’s cousin, an actual designer, had created for the invitations. The groom’s family is Brazilian, hence the bird of paradise. You may now clap. It was a really fun project.
Once we were seated, in walked the bride and groom. A moment for true applause.
The bride and groom spent some time sitting amid all the flowers,
but most of their time here,
or here.
It grew darker.
And darker yet. The romance of bistro lighting, as I have heard it is called, and a distant radar tower, cannot be underestimated. Not to mention the flames of standing heaters required by Northern California coastal nights.
After toasts, here from the groom’s sister and brother-in-law,
we moved inside for the Brazilian sweets table. Gorgeous brigadeiros kindly provided by the groom’s family. Flowers, by my extended family.
Bem casados, which means, “well wed,” in Portuguese, and little fruit cakes, as wedding favors.
Not to mention dancing. One hundred thousand congratulations, you two.
And at the end of the night, the mother of the bride, now down to her slip, danced with the officiant as though she had nothing left to fret about.
Which was true.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
85 Responses
How utterly fabulous!
Thank you!!! A beautiful night all around!
What a special wedding. Your descriptions made me feel like I was there.
Oh thank you:). As you know so well, it’s an astonishing experience to see your child marry.
you are all radiating happiness: as it should be. congratulations.
Thank you! So much happiness:)
As well as your gorgeous daughter, the flowers caught my eye right away – just the right amount, in the right places! Congratulations to the two families, what a beautiful wedding! (I’ve been following your blog for, gosh, must be almost 20 years now.)
Oh thank you so much! Julie Martin, the florist for our ceremony and bar arrangements, is a genius. I don’t use that word lightly. We did Designer’s Choice with her, i.e. here our palette, generally, now work your magic. I NEVER would have guessed it would lead to a pale yellow and cream bouquet but once I saw it nothing else seemed possible.
Here’s my secret concept, secret because probably nobody noticed but me. Flowers began muted, and got more and more vibrant as the night progressed. From quiet romantic to raucous romantic;).
I love the muted tones of the flowers as well and had never thought of how the colors would seem to shift as darkness fell. That really is genius!
<3 ;)
Everything was just right, wasn’t it?
Bravo!!
Thank you, Sue. <3
What a treat to see all this love and beauty -thank you for posting.
You are more than welcome!
Aaaahhhhh…….
:)
Such a perfect day!! I’m speechless but will give words a try. This is so heartwarming and beautiful. You planned the absolutely perfect wedding. Congratulations to all!! <3
Thank you for sharing this lovely story and such breathtaking photos with us, Lisa, and for letting us celebrate with you. Seeing everyone's happy smiles has put a genuine smile on my face today. Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!
Oh, thank you! I’ll say, one of Kate’s friends did ask her for her wedding planner’s contact information:). It’s nice to know I did a decent job.
The flowers were wonderful.
It might seem like an odd combination, but your dress went very well with your daughter’s coloring and hair.
Wishing the couple a happy union!
Thank you so much! Can I ask, what might seem like an odd combination?
To my eyes, the Auburn of your hair color [while barely evident in your updo] paired perfectly with its “complementary color,” Green – a match made in Science.
Everything looks beautiful and everyone looks happy. Congrats and best wishes to the lovely bride and groom. Thank goodness there are so many stunning pictures to help you relive the day over and over….
Yes, it’s really wonderful. Thank you.
Loveliness! Everyone and everything ❤️
❤️❤️❤️
Down to her slip! I love you so much and am so happy for all of you. Hearty congratulations, my dear Lisa.
Down to my slip:). As planned, as one does. Thank you!!
Wowww! How fabulous! Congratulations to you and your family!
Thank you so much!
Absolutely perfect. Congratulations and much happiness to them!
Thank you!!!
SIGH! How very, very lovely.
I’ve been sighing all morning. Thank you:)
Perfect in every way. I wish them all the joy in the world!
Thank you so much! I am happy it feels perfect to you:)
Everyone looks stunning. Many congratulations all around! xo
Thank you xox
Glorious photos! What a beautiful day.
Thank you! The sun showing up was an excellent fillip of joy.
Congratulations to the newlyweds and their families! Such a pleasure to see people enjoying love, and life…Everything was just beautiful…noticed the lovely way your feverfew paired with the wildflowers.
Aw, I am so glad to hear you liked the feverfew/wildflower alignment:)
Beautiful wedding. Beautiful couple, now husband and wife.
The day was to perfection. Precision and much glamour. The flowers, lighting and settings are all outstanding.
Nicely done Lisa.
To have been both precise and glamorous exceeds my wildest hopes. Thank you!!!
The wedding looks beautiful and like everyone was having a very good time. Bride and Groom – handsome couple and look very much in love. You looked great too. Well done!
Thank you! They are very much in love, which is such a joy. The sense of fun, overall, was palpable.
Just gorgeous, all of it. The love shone through in the pictures of all of you. (And is this the first time we’ve seen your husband’s face?) What a wonderful celebration! Congratulations to all, and thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you! And yes, sharp eyes, that is the first appearance of my husband’s face:). For this occasion, he waived his invisibilty!
Wow! Just wow to it all! And congrats, of course!
Hooray!
Thank you for showing these. So many congratulations and well wishes!
You are so welcome!
So wonderful, Lisa! Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos of a beautiful day. Congratulations all ’round, once more xoxo
You’re more than welcome. Thank you for the many years of online (and IRL) companionship and creative inspiration.
What a delightful day!
OMG yes, thank you, it surely was.
Such a beautiful wedding…everything looks magical! Gorgeous flowers and the bride and groom look very much in love…congratulations!
Well done with the feverfew…and that green dress :-)) a fabulous choice.
Thank you for sharing these photos…
Thank you so much Leslie. Much appreciated:). You know I pondered the details, so it’s really nice to hear they worked out.
All this beauty and joy reaches right into my soul, thank you for sharing!
What a wonderful thing to say. Thank you. To reach your soul is an honor.
Simply spectacular!
Thank you ma’am!
What a perfect day. Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us. xoxo
You are so much more than welcome:)
Fabulous Post!
“Down to your slip”
Did you get wet??
Really Lovely!Loved the placement of the FLOWERS around their table!Loved the REMINDER “Mom” too♥️
Priceless time and SO MOVING FOR MOM‼️
Thank you! No, I didn’t get wet, I’m just highly sensitive to having to fuss with anything, and the silk organza sleeves and the bow-tied wrap just felt like too much! So I took it off. I always meant to wear the slip at the end of the night. It’s silk satin, also made by Kamperett, and I had a matching bra:). The flower placement was all our florist! And yes, so priceless xox
What lovely photos — thank you for sharing! A thousand wishes for happiness to the new couple ❤️
You are more than welcome, and thank you for the happy wishes!
What a lovely, perfect wedding! Fabulous photos! Congrats to all!
Thank you!!! I am sure everyone’s daughters’ weddings are the best weddings ever:). As it should be.
Absolutely beautiful! Loved your dress. Loved the sweet jacket you found for the bride. Stunning setting for a wedding. Congratulations to your entire family.
Thanks a million!!!
As we say in NY, Mazel Tov!
Ah! I didn’t know I was just waiting for a NY congratulations, but I was, and thank you!
No, I didn’t notice a blank page but you may have noticed heavy, heavy traffic on this post, to which I have contributed mightily! [I’ll admit to fascination over the How of MOG’s hair. We do hair here quite frequently, hence the mention.]
I have scrutinized every square inch of every frame, again and again. I too am “starstruck,” watching these two brain surgeons calmly take the stage for their exquisite ceremony. There’s an elegance in their Calm.
If you haven’t done so yet, Lisa – please take a moment to congratulate yourself for organizing, fine tuning and presiding over, this beautiful, magical evening. [We won’t forget you, pink silk barrel pants, but you would have been crushed and crinkled to bits on this night.]
Here’s to YOU! xo
Thank you so much, Flo. Your support does not go unnoticed:). The MOG’s hair was spectacular! I have been taking notes.
I suppose a life and death job might either break you or make you calmer in regular life xox
What a beautiful wedding. You and your daughter both look SO beautiful, and so happy. Congratulations to all.
Thank you very, very much:)
sending much love to your wonderful redhaired Kate!
Ah, red-haired Kates are gifts to the universe, are they not?
Thank you for sharing these beautiful images. Congratulations to the families.
You’re so welcome! And thank you!
An utterly gorgeous wedding! Love shines through in these photos. Thank you so much for sharing this unforgettable day with us.
I don’t often comment, but I have been reading your blog for many years.
Cynthia, so nice to see you, and you are so welcome. Thank you.
What a wonderful day this was, we are so happy to have been a part of the celebrations. The bride is absolutely gorgeous, elegant and beautiful. And you looked so happy and proud. The memories from this day will stay with us!