WEDDING BLOG

We love when foodies plan a wedding because you end up with the most epic reception vibe like this one at Sogno del Fiore! Niki and Mark focused on food, fun, and authenticity for their wedding day and the result was nothing short of stunning. Their boho style was apparent from the very beginning, with Niki rocking an intricate Rue De Seine gown, Mark looking handsome with floral-print details, and pampas grass accentuating very nook and cranny of the gorgeous winery resort. This crafty bride styled and designed all the boho details, and Vanessa Noel Events helped bring the dream look to life on their special day. (Seriously, just wait ’til you see their sweetheart table!) From the couple’s sweet first look to their heart-melting photos with their Corgi groomsman, Nicole Leever Photography totally captured the pure joy and excitement of this California wedding!

The Couple:

Niki and Mark

The Wedding:

Sogno del Fiore, Santa Ynez, California

We wanted to make sure we planned the most epic party of our lives. We made sure to incorporate all of our favorite things that are personal to us. If there was a wedding tradition we didn’t like, we threw it out the window. Staying true to ourselves and what we enjoy was very important to us.

We also wanted our wedding day to not only be about us but our family and friends that traveled from near and far to celebrate with us. Pleasing our guests was a top priority for us. Whether it be the transportation we provided from the local hotels to a wide food and bar selection to cozy blankets, heaters, and fire pits burning to keep guests warm once the sun went down. We wanted to nail all of the details to ensure everyone enjoyed themselves!

Our first look before the ceremony was definitely the most memorable part of the day. Seeing each other was a huge rush of excitement and an overload of emotions. Mark couldn’t stop staring and I couldn’t stop smiling. That moment really felt like the beginning of our beautiful adventure!

We read our own vows to each other which was one of our favorite parts of the day. They were very personal, passionate, funny and heartwarming. Our 2-year-old Corgi, Harvey, was also a groomsman in the wedding. He walked down the aisle with one of the bridesmaids and stood with the groomsmen (or actually, laid down in the grass) during the ceremony. I also surprised Mark by walking down the aisle to “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty. He is one of Mark‘s all-time favorite musicians and 2 weeks before our wedding we were at his last show at the Hollywood Bowl right before he passed away. I already planned on walking down to that song, but it had even more meaning after Tom Petty’s passing.

Our best wedding planning advice would be to include each other in all decisions and know where to compromise. We were lucky that we have very similar taste and interests but it is definitely important to include elements that are important to both of you. And don’t stress if everything does not go exactly how you envisioned. Your day will turn out perfect because it’s your special day, and no one knows if something turns out different than you planned.

One of my bridesmaids helped DIY the table numbers and wood signage around the venue. For the table numbers, she cut raw wood into squares, stained them dark, spray painted house address numbers bronze and attached them to the wood. They turned out exactly how we wanted! For the wood signage, she took decals created by our invitation designer and attached them to different raw wood pieces, some stained and some natural.

Our wedding day menu incorporated all of our favorite foods. We are self-proclaimed foodies and wanted to create a menu that you would find at a cool, trendy restaurant in LA. Finding Field to Table Events & Catering was a dream come true! They were so easy to work with and helped us create our dream wedding food. We wanted to stay away from traditional wedding fare and have all of our favorite things.

Congratulations to Niki and Mark and a special thanks to them for sharing their wedding day at Sogno del Fiore with Junebug! Love these boho vibes as much as we do? This Flying Caballos Ranch wedding is a rustic boho dream that you won’t want to wake up from!