My Dream Wedding
People love wedding stories. Every single time I’m in a group setting and someone asks about my job, a person from the group gets a little glint in their eye as they move closer to me, and I instantly know that they’re gonna want the tea. One common question is:
What would you do if you were planning your dream wedding?
I loooove this question. I know they’re likely expecting me to say that I would go all out and do something over-the-top, so when I tell them the exact thing that I know I’d do given the chance (*to be clear: there are zero contenders for marriage in my world at the moment and I have a whole story about how I bought myself a green, emerald cut engagement ring a few years ago, so this may never come to pass unless I marry myself) they’re always like, “Really? You’d keep it that simple?”
Yes, yes I would.
So, this one is for the little glinty-eyed strangers out there wondering what a wedding planner wants for her own day.
Just as every couple is unique, so is every planner, and while I absolutely LOVE beautiful design, good style, gorgeous florals, and love going all-in for clients, in my personal life, I’m all about timeless style, delicious food, and my best people and I would want to walk away from my wedding with a full heart and probably some delicious leftovers.
So here it is, the super simple way I’d choose to get married:
First of all, October.
I’d want a simple early-evening ceremony on the lawn outside Sonoma City Hall in the autumn when the light is gorgeous, the air is a tad crisp, and the leaves are changing. I’d want a super small group, like 25 people: my kids, my best friends, my closest family members, my partner’s closest people, and that’s it. It would be a short but heartfelt ceremony and last like 15 minutes so standing together on a lawn for a wedding in my favorite little town feels great to me. I think my partner and I would walk down the aisle together as a symbol of our commitment to our shared lives.
Outfit: white suit (as seen in Elle), gold necklaces (as seen on Insta), gold earrings, gold shoes, leather clutch, easy hair (we love Cate Blanchett!), PASTEL CALLA LILIES (which I think might only be available in the Spring so it’s possible I’ll need to rethink either the time of year or type of flower, but I love these).
After the ceremony, everyone would walk over to El Dorado Kitchen for dinner:
Dinner at El Dorado Kitchen is the best.
I’m a bit of a regular here. I always sit at the bar, order food and drinks, chat with locals and make friends, it’s the best! But for my imaginary wedding dinner for 25-ish, I’d want a special menu. I mean, don’t you want to eat these things and drink delicious wine?
The Menu:
Starters (To Share):
Wild Hackleback Caviar
Daily Oyster Selection
Steamed Mussels
Roasted Fig Salad
Beet Salad
Truffle Fries
Entrees:
Pork Chop with polenta, greens, roasted peaches, whole grain mustard sauce
~or~
Pan Seared Salmon with bacon, arugula, cherry tomato, cucumber, corn, onion, tomato vinaigrette
~or~
Veggie Risotto with spinach, wild mushrooms, truffle oil, parmesan
Dessert:
by Flour & Bloom (my favorite baker in Sonoma!)
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting *my absolute fave! Gimme allllll the chocolate.
Fig Reduction for a seasonal touch, plus, figs are sexy. ;)
Espresso
For the afterparty, I’d swap out my heels for some Vejas with blue accents (hiii something blue!) and walk everyone over to the Swiss Hotel for a drink so my favorite bartender, Tonya, can say my favorite words, “Hi Jen! Whiskey-soda?” and I’ll say “Yes.”
After that, we’d head to this Airbnb where our closest (and most fun) guests would be staying as well so we could have a champagne and peanut m&ms pajama dance-party followed by a chill movie night.
The next morning, we’d wake up at the AirBnB and have a delicious poolside brunch catered by the girl & the fig, which would be so special since I work with them on the catering side of the business, followed by afternoon spa services at MacArthur Place, which would also be super special since we’ve done quite a few weddings at their property and love their staff.
Estimated all-in wedding weekend budget for 25 guests (including attire, spa services, etc.) $28,000.
I haven’t totally decided if I’d want a photographer or if I’d want to hand out a mix of Polaroids and disposable cameras to guests and just let them go wild. When I decide, I’ll let you know. If I did decide to work with a photographer, it would be in a very particular editorial style and would probably run $7-10k above that $28k estimated budget, above. Something to keep in mind.
And there you have it, my simple little dream.
Here’s to all you dreamers! I hope this offers a little inspo for those of you who want a wedding with big heart and minimal everything else so you can maximize the experience and the joy of the moment. In the end, weddings, and life, are all about love and moments with your people.
Xoxo,
Jen