After two years of dating and a seaside proposal at their favorite beach in Malibu, Ashton and Nicholas invited 120 of their nearest and dearest to witness their union in one of their favorite getaway spots: Napa Valley. Invitations created by Ceci New York consisted of sprigs of olive branches secured with twine in small, moss-filled boxes, evoking the couple’s shared love of nature. To distinguish welcome festivities from the formal fete and using the duo’s extensive travels as a launching point, Sarah Drake of Cole Drake Events and florist Meredith Law of M. Design took inspiration from a variety of sources that included the lush surroundings, the French Riviera and the verdant gardens of King Arthur’s kingdom.
Ashton’s Uncle Larry, a minister who also married her parents in 1985, performed the ceremony. Nick’s uncle recited a love poem he wrote in honor of the pair. The welcome bag provided supplies for a winery picnic, including a jar of triple berry jam made by the groom using his grandmother’s recipe, and dried mangoes represented the bride’s Filipino heritage. Guests sipped Nick’s father’s homemade passionfruit brandy as an after-dinner drink.
The reception, with its soft color palette and whimsical lighting, was designed to establish a “dialogue with the landscape.” Small glass orbs of flickering light dripped down over long communal tables from aliving chandelier. Eschewing standard paper placecards, Anne Robin Calligraphy personalized beautiful agate slices with golden metallic script that matched the table numbers and menus.
