Redwoods Retreat Wedding | Waterfall Lodge and Retreat

A & A’s redwoods retreat wedding weekend is the perfect event to feature this fall!

For their wedding, A & A envisioned a getaway wedding retreat for themselves and their guests in the forest and mountains. We worked diligently months prior to plan all the details and logistics for the weekend. Guests arrived on Friday afternoon and checked into their lodges. We started the weekend’s festivities with a forest bath, followed by a low-key welcome party with great drinks, tasty wood-fired pizza, and heart-warming speeches and performances.

The next day, the bridal party gathered in the morning to get ready while guests enjoyed a breakfast spread of pastries, breakfast burritos, and fruit, and a craft coffee bar. A & A shared an intimate first look and it was off to the Ceremony.

The weather and setting were absolutely perfect - it was a very warm and sunny weekend in the Santa Cruz area, but we were able to find reprieve in the cool shade of the redwood trees. It was important for A & A to fully embrace and experience the forest by walking barefoot into their Ceremony. Tea also played a big part in their relationship, so we made sure to feature tea and tea leaves throughout the wedding day. Beneath the majestic redwood trees, we celebrated A & A’s union with sweet vows and a Unity Tea Ceremony, in which the couple shared their first tea drink together. As the couple walked out, guests playfully tossed bubbles into the air.

For the reception, A & A thoughtfully prepared a DIY tea bar for guests to enjoy an assortment of tea flavors and toppings. Tables were decorated with rustic elements of greenery and earth-toned florals. We dine on freshly-cooked paella on hammered gold plates.

At the end of the night, A & A closed out the wedding day with a well-choregraphed mix performance for their First Dance. Guests danced the night away in the barn.

It was such a sweet weekend, celebrating with A & A and their loved ones. Congratulations again and Happy Anniversary!

Venue: Waterfall Lodge and Retreat

Photography: Kate Elyse Photography

Planning & Coordination: Made by Connie Designs

Classic Summer Winery Wedding | Thomas Fogarty Winery

The last few weeks of summer are upon us in the Bay Area and we’re finally sharing details and snaps from I & K’s classic and modern summer winery wedding!

We worked with I & K in the final months of their wedding planning journey to tie up all loose ends and take over all logistics, details, and communications to ensure a smooth wedding day. We started the Wedding Day with a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony, honoring both side of the family. We then whisked the couple away for an intimate First Look in their Western attire. After a sweet Ceremony, we ushered guests to a greeting line to greet the Couple and take a photo with them - a great way to make sure the Couple got to spend time with each guest in attendance.

Guests enjoyed a fully outdoor Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, and Reception in the most perfect Summer weather. We kept decor simple, minimal, and clean - with soft pink romantics and gold elements. We also lucked out on the most amazing dusk lighting, which highlighted the natural rustic charm of the winery venue.

It was such a sweet day, celebrating with I & K and their loved ones. Congratulations again and Happy Anniversary!

Venue: Thomas Fogarty Winery

Photography: Helena Wong Photography

Planning & Coordination: Made by Connie Designs

Timeless Modern Garden Estate Wedding | Park Winters

Finally sharing details and snaps from K & O’s timeless, modern, romantic estate garden wedding!

It was such a privilege to design K & O’s wedding. We leaned into the vibe of the estate venue and focused on minimalistic, light, clean, and earthy elements. Colors included natural shades of ivory & beige, mauve, and sage green. Building out the reception tablescape and layout was such a fun experience. We worked hard to acquire samples of all the linens and napkins to make sure that the color palette complemented with our floral and candle selections. The florals were arranged in gorgeous ceramics and the candles were neutral in color while the holders shared gold accents. K & O share an adorable dog in Oatly so we just HAD to subtly incorporate her into the details (namely: the signature drinks and stirrers) and in part of the wedding weekend.

Guests enjoyed a fully outdoor Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, and Reception in the most perfect warm Spring weather. And then, we partied the night away in the dance barn.

It was such a sweet day, celebrating with K & O and their loved ones. We wish K & O many more years of love and happiness. Congratulations again and Happy Anniversary!

Venue: Park Winters

Photography: Zha Zha Photography

Planning, Design & Coordination: Made by Connie Designs

Bright and Colorful Spring Wedding | Bridges Golf Club

Bay Area weather has been warming up and has inspired us to share details and snaps from A & S’s gorgeous classic spring wedding!

It was a joy to work with these two thoughtful, detailed, and down-to-earth folks! We worked with A & S in the final stages of their wedding planning journey, helping them tie up every loose end and focusing on all the big (and little!) logistical details to ensure a smooth wedding day.

A & S’s wedding was romantic and elegant, featuring gorgeous pink spring florals. The colorful palette was a huge highlight from their special day! The bride and groom started the wedding day with a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony to honor both sides of their families. After the Tea Ceremony and lunch, we headed to the venue for the couple’s First Look in their Western attires. A & S were both so gorgeous and dashing in their classic outfits! We scored with some amazing sunny and warm weather this special Spring day. Guests enjoyed a sweet outdoor Ceremony, Cocktail Hour with appetizers and bar, and dinner with dessert & dancing.

What a privilege it was to be a part of A & S’s wedding celebration. We wish y’all many more years of love and happiness. Congratulations again, A & S!!

Venue: Bridges Golf Club

Photography: Anna Wu Photography

Planning & Coordination: Made by Connie Designs

Modern Industrial Spring Wedding | Blanco Urban Venue

Another spring wedding to feature! Today, we are excited to share more details and snaps from C & M’s gorgeous modern-and-industrial spring wedding!

Both C & M shared modern and industrial aesthetics, so we decided to move forward with clean and modern themes. One of the first steps of our planning was to secure the perfect venue for C & M. We searched high-and-low across the Bay Area for a “warehouse-esque” venue. Our criteria included: 1) a venue that was spacious enough to hold their larger guest count, and 2) the freedom to design an open-modern warehouse however we wished.

…And freedom to design, we did! We planned a beautiful wedding, featuring special elements that were meaningful to the two of them (such as: basketball, beige and black colors, and boba!). We noticed that the Bride loved the look of dried and preserved florals. Perfect! As budget was an important priority to C & M, we decided to go with a more sustainable and budget-friendly route in our wedding florals by coordinating the rentals and purchases of centerpieces that carried both modern black elements and preserved flowers. We also found the most gorgeous dried arrangements for the bridal party bouquets and corsages. The Bride totally rocked her dried bouquet!

As we worked on C & M’s reception design, we found that their sweetheart table would have a white blank wall for a backdrop. Newlyweds sharing their first dinner at their sweetheart table is a special post-Ceremony moment, so it felt rather anti-climactic to us if there were nothing to fill the space behind them! We decided to fill this space with special backdrop lighting! C & M loooved the soft lighting (and they looked great sitting in front of it too!). The special lighting really elevated the ambience in the whole room. Rather than break the budget and bring in tons of one-time-use decorations and florals, again — we went a more sustainable route and this turned out to be one of our BEST design decisions!

Now, a wedding in the first three months of the year meant that we had to be prepared for all sorts of weather. We were ready for various weather conditions (a clear tent was put up for the outdoor ceremony). But thankfully, we enjoyed one of the warmest spring days that month! With their wedding in the heart of Downtown San Jose, we got to enjoy picturesque snaps of San Pedro Square!

It was such a sweet day, celebrating with C & M and their loved ones. We wish C & M many more years of love and happiness. Congratulations again and Happy Anniversary!

Venue: Blanco Urban Venue

Photography: Kat Ma Photography

Planning, Design & Coordination: Made by Connie Designs