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A Wine Country Wedding With Filipino and Japanese Traditions Woven Throughout

June 11, 2026 | justine


Ailyn and Jonathan wanted a wedding that felt elegant without being overly formal. They envisioned a celebration where Filipino and Japanese traditions could blend naturally with colorful florals, great food, family heirlooms, and the relaxed atmosphere of Napa Valley. Their wine country wedding at Brindare Napa brought all of those elements together in a way that felt personal and welcoming.

Their story began through a mutual friend while planning a birthday party. Ailyn was helping organize her college roommate’s celebration, and Jonathan happened to make the guest list through that same friend group. What started as playful banter quickly turned into something more once they met in person. Over the years that followed, they navigated graduate school, long distance, moving in together, career changes, and the loss of loved ones. Through every season of life, they discovered the same thing: there was no one else they would rather experience it all with.

What We Love About This Wine Country Wedding:

  • The Filipino cord, veil, and coin ceremony incorporated into an outdoor Napa celebration
  • Ikebana-inspired florals that honored Jonathan’s Japanese heritage
  • Vintage silver pieces thrifted and curated by the bride
  • A “love stories” display featuring wedding photos from family and friends
  • Food-inspired wedding favors designed with traveling guests in mind

Why a Smaller Guest List Ended Up Being the Right Choice

From the beginning, Ailyn and Jonathan knew they wanted a more intimate celebration. As they toured venues throughout Napa Valley, they quickly realized that many spaces felt too large for the experience they hoped to create.

Everything changed when Ailyn’s hair and makeup artist from their San Francisco City Hall civil ceremony recommended Brindare Napa. The venue checked every box on their list. It offered beautiful outdoor spaces, in-house catering, and an experienced team that could help simplify the planning process. “As soon as we toured it, we knew it was the place we wanted to get married,” Ailyn shared.

Keeping the guest list smaller allowed them to focus their budget on the parts of the experience they felt guests would appreciate most. Food, florals, transportation for out-of-town guests, and thoughtfully designed stationery all rose to the top of the priority list.

Honoring Two Cultures Without Overcomplicating the Day

Cultural traditions were an important part of the celebration, but Ailyn and Jonathan wanted them to feel naturally integrated into the day rather than separate from it. Ailyn, who is Filipino, always knew she wanted to include the traditional Filipino cord, veil, and coin ceremony often seen at Catholic weddings. Being able to share those customs with friends and family made the ceremony especially meaningful.

Meanwhile, Jonathan’s Japanese heritage was reflected in the floral design. The couple worked with a florist whose organic style aligned perfectly with their vision while also incorporating ikebana-inspired elements throughout the arrangements.

The overall design embraced a fall color palette with a California twist. Because wine country remains relatively warm during September and October, the couple leaned into vibrant shades of pink and green with touches of wine red, orange, and purple.

The result felt colorful and welcoming rather than overly seasonal. Vintage silver pieces that Ailyn carefully thrifted and collected added character to the tables while complementing the florals.

Why They Were Glad They Said Yes to a First Look

Like many couples, Ailyn and Jonathan went back and forth about whether to have a first look. In the end, they decided to do one, and it became one of their favorite moments from the day.

Away from the crowd and wedding-day timeline, they had a chance to see each other, take a breath, and soak in what was about to happen. Their videographer captured the moment, giving them a memory they know they’ll revisit for years.

The ceremony itself was equally meaningful. Jonathan’s best friend Steven served as officiant, bringing warmth and humor to the ceremony while still honoring the significance of the occasion. Violinist Rose Crelli performed some of the couple’s favorite love songs as guests gathered and during the processional.

After exchanging vows, the newlyweds walked back up the aisle surrounded by the people who had supported them throughout their relationship. The recession quickly became another standout memory from the day.

Finding Time to Actually Enjoy the Wedding

One piece of advice Ailyn and Jonathan would give other couples is surprisingly simple: spend as much time together as possible. Between greeting guests, staying on schedule, and making sure everyone is having a good time, it’s easy to spend a wedding day moving from one thing to the next. Some of their favorite memories came from the brief pauses in between.

They loved watching the sunset while taking portraits around the property. Another favorite moment was the quiet time they shared in the venue’s bridal cottage before joining everyone for dinner.

“Spend as much of the day with each other as you can,” they advise. “Everyone will want to visit with you, but remember to be present with each other as well.”

Choosing Details That Actually Meant Something

Some of the most memorable design elements came from items the couple already loved or collected. Ailyn spent months thrifting silver dishes and decorative pieces for both the welcome display and sweetheart table. She also created a “love stories” table using novels from her personal library alongside wedding photos of family members and friends. The display celebrated the many relationships that helped shape their own story and gave guests another glimpse into their personalities.

Food also played a role in several personal touches throughout the day. Knowing many guests had traveled to Napa for the celebration, the couple created DIY wedding favors featuring tins of Maldon flaky sea salt. Vintage silver dishes were also filled with individual servings of Liquid IV and Lactaid for guests to grab as needed.

Featured Vendor:
Alison Renee Photography

Ending the Night With Good Food and a Packed Dance Floor

Once dinner and speeches wrapped up, guests headed to the dance floor while the celebration carried on late into the evening. One of the reception highlights came later in the night when Brindare served sliders and truffle fries, a welcome snack after hours of dancing.

Ailyn and Jonathan spent months thinking about how they wanted guests to experience the weekend. That’s what inspired everything from the smaller guest list and welcome dinner to the transportation, thoughtful favors, and focus on food. By the end of the night, they had exactly what they were hoping for: a celebration where people felt welcomed, well cared for, and genuinely connected to one another.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Alison Renee Photography
Event Planning – Ysabel Lifestyle
Venue – Brindare Napa Valley
Floral Design – Priya Mistry
Cake – Fear the Feast
DJ – AMS Entertainment
Live Music – Rose Crelli
Videography – Jasmine Mullen
Invitation Design – Aerialist Press
Makeup Artist + Hair Styling – Jasmine Yin
Wedding Dress – Lovely Bride
Bridal Accessories – Anthropologie
Custom Alterations – Angelica’s Custom Tailors
Groom’s Apparel – Pioneer’s Tailors & Alterations
Rings – Tiffany & Co.
Rentals – Encore Events Rentals
Transportation – Beau Wine Tours

 

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A Vibrant Indian-Jewish Wedding Weekend at NIZUC Resort & Spa in Cancun

June 10, 2026 | justine

Annie and Rishi met through mutual friends during a night out in Brooklyn. Years later, they found themselves planning a wedding weekend that would bring together Punjabi and Jewish traditions, family history, and guests traveling from New York, San Francisco, and beyond.

They knew from the beginning that they wanted more than a single-day celebration. Their vision was a luxury destination wedding weekend where every event felt distinct while still reflecting who they are as a couple. After choosing NIZUC Resort & Spa, they began designing three days of celebrations that blended vibrant cultural traditions, meaningful family moments, and plenty of opportunities for everyone to connect.

What We Love About This NIZUC Resort & Spa Wedding:

  • The surprise performances that turned the Sangeet into an unforgettable kickoff celebration
  • Annie changing into her mother’s wedding dress for the reception
  • The chuppah featuring Annie’s late father’s tallit
  • The sunset jet ski portraits on the beach
  • The live saxophonist and CO2 guns that kept the dance floor packed all night

Featured Vendor:
Pink Balance Weddings

Starting With a Celebration That Brought Everyone Together

The weekend began with an Indian Sangeet that immediately set the tone. Friends and family surprised the couple with performances throughout the evening, creating a celebration that felt personal from the very beginning. Between the music, dancing, speeches, and incredible food, guests from different parts of Annie and Rishi’s lives quickly found themselves celebrating together. The night ended with fireworks over the water, giving everyone a memorable start to the festivities ahead.

Planning a Weekend With More Than One Main Event

Once they secured NIZUC Resort & Spa, Annie and Rishi began thinking about the wedding less as one event and more as a collection of experiences. “We worked with Mango Weddings as our planner. Once we chose NIZUC Resort & Spa as the venue, we started thinking about how we wanted each event to feel. We pulled inspiration from everywhere and created a vision deck for the weekend, then built in the big pieces like food, music, rentals, and decor down to the smaller personal details that made it feel like us.”

Their goal was for each celebration to have its own atmosphere while still feeling connected to the larger weekend. Some events leaned into colorful Punjabi traditions, while others embraced a more refined resort-formal style. Throughout it all, they focused on creating a celebration that felt welcoming, personal, and fun for their guests.

Blending Two Cultures Together 

Because the wedding combined Indian and Jewish customs across multiple days, choosing the right vendor team was one of the couple’s biggest priorities.

“Because our wedding blended Indian and Jewish traditions across multiple days, finding the right team was incredibly important to us. We looked for vendors who not only had experience with destination and multicultural weddings, but who also felt collaborative, creative, and genuinely excited about our vision.”

That same care extended to the ceremonies themselves. During the Indian ceremony, family members actively participated in traditions and rituals that connected both families to the celebration. The Jewish ceremony included several meaningful heirlooms and family touches. Annie’s late father’s tallit was woven into the chuppah, while the Kiddush cup from her Bat Mitzvah became part of the ceremony as well. Their personal vows added another layer of emotion, creating one of the most memorable moments of the entire weekend.

 

Letting Wedding Fashion Tell Different Stories

For the Indian events, Annie embraced bold colors, embellishments, and traditional attire. Shopping for many of the outfits alongside her mother-in-law became one of the most meaningful parts of the planning process. “I went shopping for many of the Indian outfits with my mother-in-law, who played such a huge role in the planning process and helped guide us through so many meaningful traditions and style choices.”

For the Jewish ceremony and reception, the couple shifted to a resort-formal dress code that felt elegant while still fitting the tropical setting. Annie found her gown through Mexican designer Nadia Manjarrez. “I also fell in love with Nadia Manjarrez because she’s a Mexican designer, which felt especially fitting for our wedding in Mexico. The moment I tried on the Paulina floral dress at Kleinfeld Bridal, I immediately knew it was the perfect dress.” She also encouraged her bridesmaids to choose dresses that felt true to their own style, asking them to stay within a palette of green, blue, yellow, and gold tones.

One of the biggest surprises came later in the evening when Annie changed into her mother’s wedding dress from her wedding 32 years earlier. “The moment she saw me in it was unforgettable—her reaction was priceless. It made it even more fun that the dress was this amazing, sexy, beaded 90s gown that still felt stylish today.”

Adding Details Guests Would Discover Throughout the Weekend

Some of the most memorable details weren’t the largest ones. The couple named signature drinks after their hometowns: “The Fremont” and “The Murray Hill.” During the reception, they also served Honey Deuces inspired by the signature cocktail at the US Open, a tournament they attend together every year.

Custom “Bar Bhatia” matchboxes paid tribute to their favorite restaurant in Brooklyn, Bar Blondeau. Reception place card holders were shaped like elephants as a nod to Indian traditions, while embroidered linen napkins featuring their initials added another personal touch. Guests kept discovering little references to Annie and Rishi’s story throughout the weekend.

 

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Finding Ways to Bring Everyone Into the Celebration

Once the reception started, the energy never really slowed down. Their DJ understood exactly what kind of atmosphere they wanted and kept guests dancing throughout the night. A live saxophone player performed alongside the music, adding another layer of excitement to the party.

Then came one final surprise. “Our lighting and sound team brought out CO2 guns during the dancing. Everyone went crazy for them.” The reaction was immediate, turning an already packed dance floor into one of the most talked-about moments of the evening.

While the celebrations spanned multiple days, family was never far from the center of the weekend. Parents, relatives, and friends played active roles throughout the ceremonies and celebrations, while heirlooms and traditions passed between generations found new life during the festivities. Alongside the music, dancing, and packed dance floor, those moments became some of the memories Annie and Rishi carry with them long after the weekend had ended.

The Wedding Team:

Photography + Videography – Pink Balance
Venue + Catering- Nizuc Resort & Spa
Floral Design – Pistilo
DJ – Entertainment Legendary
Makeup Artist + Hair Styling – Zoe Elizabeth
Wedding Dress – Nadia Manjarrez
Bridesmaid Dresses + Groomsmen Attire – Frontier
Groom’s Apparel – Empire Custom Tailors
Groom’s Accessories – Stuart Weitzman + Tod’s + Cartier
Rings – Etsy
Rentals – Pistilo

 

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An Impossibly Romantic Stonepine Estate Wedding in Carmel Valley

June 8, 2026 | justine

Bridget and Courtney’s love story started at a Lady Gaga-themed drag show at a queer bar in Austin, Texas. Their friend groups happened to overlap that night at Cheer Up Charlie’s, and Bridget asked Courtney on a date the very next day. They’ve been together ever since, building a relationship filled with laughter, great food, and memorable experiences.

The biggest challenge wasn’t deciding on colors or decor. It was finding a way to bring together the people they love most. With friends and family spread across the globe, they wanted more than a single evening celebration. They wanted a full weekend where everyone could slow down, spend time together, and actually get to know one another.

After a long search, they found that at Stonepine Estate in Carmel Valley. With its Tuscan-inspired villas, lush gardens, and sprawling grounds, everyone could stay in one place and enjoy the kind of wedding weekend Bridget and Courtney had imagined from the start.

What We Love About This Stonepine Estate Wedding:

  • The couple personally welcoming every guest as they arrived for the weekend
  • An Irish ring warming ceremony that included every loved one present
  • Florals designed to encourage conversation instead of blocking it
  • Signature cocktails named after their beloved pets
  • A chef-curated menu inspired by personal memories and favorite foods
  • A small guest list that made a 450-acre estate feel surprisingly intimate

Featured Vendor:
Apollo Fotografie

When A Single Day Doesn’t Feel Like Enough

“We wanted a small wedding that wouldn’t just last an evening. Our friends and family are spread across the globe, and this was our opportunity to get everyone in one place and let them truly get to know each other over a whole weekend.”

That idea guided nearly every planning decision. They wanted a venue where guests could stay together, spend time together, and create memories beyond the wedding day itself.

That’s what drew them to Stonepine Estate. The property could accommodate all of their guests while providing the kind of atmosphere they had imagined from the beginning. Pairing a small guest count with such a grand setting created something that felt surprisingly personal.

The celebration began the moment guests arrived. Bridget and Courtney greeted everyone with music, hugs, and help getting settled into their accommodations. Once guests had explored the grounds, everyone gathered for a welcome dinner at the Paddock House.

Their caterer, Carlo Espinas of Linger Longer, served Mexico City-style street tacos and light bites, while Craft Collective mixed pineapple margaritas that quickly set the tone for the weekend ahead.

Trusting The Venue To Speak For Itself

One of the reasons the couple chose Stonepine Estate was because it already felt beautiful without requiring extensive decor. “We wanted the wedding to feel timeless and like we didn’t need to add much to its natural beauty.” Inspired by the property’s Tuscan character, they embraced a design approach that highlighted the surroundings rather than competing with them.

Expressions Floral Designs created reception arrangements featuring locally grown calla lilies, spring green hydrangeas, and draping tulips. The couple wanted the reception to feel like the best dinner party imaginable, which meant avoiding towering centerpieces that would get in the way of conversation.

For the ceremony, they kept things equally restrained. The Reflection Pond provided a naturally peaceful backdrop, so they opted for just two floral ground arrangements framing the ceremony space. The design never competed with the setting. Instead, it highlighted what was already there.

Bringing Their Personal Style Into The Celebration

Fashion offered another opportunity for Bridget and Courtney to bring their personalities into the wedding weekend. Courtney found her dream gown in her hometown of Toronto. She chose Jenny Yoo’s Charlotte gown, pairing the drop-waist silhouette with lace gloves and a cathedral-length veil.

“On my hunt for wedding dresses, I gravitated towards the drop waist look, wanting to achieve an elongated appearance while maintaining the whimsy that comes with wearing a ball gown. As soon as I tried on the Charlotte, I knew I had to say yes to the dress!”

Bridget worked with designer James Ford to create a custom suit and shirt tailored specifically to her vision. “My custom suit and shirt were designed by James Ford, accessorized with a continental tie from Bode and Prada loafers.”

Building A Team That Understood The Assignment 

While Courtney spent plenty of time on Pinterest narrowing down color palettes, styling ideas, and design inspiration, the couple quickly realized they needed partners who could help bring everything together. After securing the venue, planner Andrina Lopes of Confetti & Cocktails became their next major decision.

“Our concept was a little untraditional, and Andrina was an incredible partner and advisor. From the beginning of the planning process through to the whole weekend, Andrina made everything feel easy, fun, and if anything went wrong, she handled it and we weren’t aware.”

The couple found both Andrina and photographer and Junebug vendor Liv Rhodes of Apollo Fotografie through Reddit. Their caterer was already a close friend. Most of the remaining vendors came through Andrina’s recommendations.

“We were looking for people we really got along with and really understood our vision of the weekend we wanted to host.” That approach helped create a vendor team that felt more like collaborators than service providers.

 

Deciding What Was Worth The Investment

Like many couples, Bridget and Courtney had to make choices about where to focus their budget. For them, the answer was simple: a venue that could accommodate guests for the entire weekend, photography and videography, and exceptional food.

Food, in particular, carried a lot of meaning. Their menu was created by Carlo Espinas, who Bridget had known for more than a decade after working together at a restaurant in Santa Cruz. Carlo designed a dining experience inspired by the couple’s favorite treats, personal stories, and seasonal ingredients from California’s Central Coast.

The personal touches continued at the bar. The Mr. Avocado, a cucumber gin gimlet, was named after their cat. The Lola, a pineapple margarita with a tajín rim, honored their late dog.

For dessert, they skipped tradition in favor of flavor, choosing a seasonal Devil’s Food cake with coffee diplomat and brown sugar buttercream from Good Luck Bakery, a queer and immigrant-owned Bay Area business.

Finding A Way To Include Everyone In The Ceremony

Courtney’s mom introduced an Irish tradition that ended up becoming one of the most memorable parts of the ceremony. To honor Bridget’s heritage, the couple incorporated a ring warming ceremony led by their close friend and officiant.

Because of their intimate guest count, every guest had the opportunity to hold the rings before they were exchanged, offering blessings, well wishes, and quiet moments of reflection. “We thought the idea was a wonderful way to slow down, stay present, and bring our wedding guests into the moment with us.” The tradition echoed the reason they planned a weekend wedding in the first place. They wanted guests to feel like active participants in the celebration, not simply observers.

Early in the planning process, Bridget and Courtney decided they weren’t interested in creating a wedding that lasted only a few hours. They wanted a weekend where the people they love could spend real time together. Between shared meals, late-night conversations, and several days under one roof, that’s exactly what unfolded at Stonepine Estate.

The Wedding Team:

Photography + Videography – Apollo Fotografie
Event Planning – Andrina Lopes
Venue – Stonepine Estate
Floral Design – Expressions Floral
Catering – Carlo Espinas
Cake – Good Luck Bakery
DJ – DNA Entertainment
Wedding Dress – James Ford
Rings – Identity Diamonds

 

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