Bride Ideas: Family Ties

Reviving the past was the ideal way to start the future for bride Laurie Ellen Park, who styled her fall wedding based on her great-grandparents’ wedding over a century ago. With generations of Californians on her mother’s side, Laurie Ellen was moved to use tableware dating back decades as an homage to her family history. After settling on a smaller event because of the uncertain nature of the pandemic, the couple decided to fully embrace the intimate nature of a microwedding, using a family property as their venue and modeling the event after the wedding of Laurie Ellen’s ancestors.

Converted into a wedding venue by Laurie Ellen and her dad, the Greenhouse at Plantenders Nursery in Orange County provided the perfect backdrop for her own big day. Formal chairs and tables that had been passed through generations of Laurie Ellen’s family were prominently displayed during the intimate sit-down dinner that followed the ceremony, and additional furniture was reupholstered to match the décor. Using the same china, crystal and silver from her great-grandparents’ wedding, Laurie Ellen and her mom worked to create individualized and eclectic place settings. With their wedding taking place only days after Thanksgiving, the couple decided to take inspiration from the recent holiday for their reception menu, which featured mouthwatering farm-totable dishes. The curated event embodied family traditions spanning decades and set a firm foundation for Laurie Ellen and Ryan’s future.