Wedding Week: Our Look
June 11th, 2012
I’ve been so touched by all of the interest in our wedding and I’m thrilled to share some of the moments that made up our special day. I’ll be covering a different aspect of the wedding each day this week (as well as providing links to the vendors we hired), starting with: our look.
I didn’t start looking for my wedding dress until we decided where we’d be getting married. We went back and forth half a dozen times on the location: Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, L.A., Napa. The list went on. But when my parents mentioned the Ralston White Retreat, a turn-of-the-century mansion nestled among the redwood trees in the town where I grew up, we knew we had found the place. And since it had such an vintage feel, I wanted my dress to reflect that same vibe. My list of requirements were simple: I wanted to be comfortable – so that I could eat, dance, and breathe and I wanted to feel pretty. I tried on a handful of options at different stores, but when I slipped on the dress, by Claire Pettibone, it simply felt right. It’s full of little details – scalloped edging, a lacy, low-cut back, and delicate beading throughout. The experience of finding it made it even more special. It was a brisk November morning and I met my cousin at Gabriella New York Bridal Salon in New York. The boutique was so charming and sweet – with an immaculately curated selection of dresses, shoes, and accessories (including the birdcage veil I bought).
During our engagement, I didn’t read one bridal magazine. The idea of flipping through pages of fairytale weddings intimidated me since I was so fickle, so I stuck mainly to Pinterest, where I could search for specific inspirational items. It helped me narrow down my beauty look – I wanted a romantic, unstructured chignon paired with a smoky eye, dewy skin, and light pink lips. My favorite make-up artist, Tammy, with whom I’d worked on several occasions with Estée Lauder, executed the look perfectly. Anya, a hair stylist in Mill Valley, gave me the exact style I had hoped for, with little twists on the sides, a bit of volume on top and a soft bun at the nape of my neck.
On the day of the wedding, I was surprisingly calm. I got ready at my parents’ house with a few close girlfriends (we chose not to have bridesmaids/groomsmen) and we sipped champagne and listened to music. Geoffrey ran errands with my dad and then they went out for lunch and drank beer. It’s funny how dissimilar our afternoons went, and I loved thinking about what he was doing and if he was nervous. I had already seen his entire look – a sharp navy blue tux (pronounced “nah-vy blue tux-ahdo” for those also obsessed with Father of the Bride) that fit him like a glove. Driving up to the location, my arms felt tingly and I could barely wait to see him.
Photographs: Max Wanger
Bride Details:
Dress: Claire Pettibone (purchased at Gabriella New York Bridal Salon)
Veil: Sara Gabriel (purchased at Gabriella New York Bridal Salon)
Flowers: Gayle Nicoletti of Bloomingayles
Shoes: Miu Miu
Make-up: Tammy Slider for Estée Lauder
Hair: Anya Pfeiffer from Salon 171
Groom Details:
Tux: Burberry Prorsum (purchased at Mr. Porter)
Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo (purchased at Bloomingdales)
Next up: Wedding Week – The Ceremony
