Love on Malibu's Mount Olympus: Opulent Romance in Styled Shoot at Stone Mountain Estates

Stone Mountain Estates, perched atop the Malibu Coastal Range, is well- known as a luxurious venue, with sweeping views, a shimmering pool and now, its newest garden space, Ephesus. Named after the ancient Greek city and built from rocks culled and hand-carved from the property’s own land—the space served as the muse for this romantic design by Vai x Co: an unrefined love story infused with an opulent air. Think of this as “a raw romance portraying moments of ‘carefree intimacy’ blended with a sophisticated lifestyle,” says designer Vai Tiare of Vai x Co. Contemporary details are interwoven with baroque styling, such as blooming white roses cascading down stone steps, melted candlesticks placed upon a gracefully draped velvet tabletop, all set against the garden’s textured Greek-inspired walls. Stolen moments captured in a dreamy haze overhanging the estate bring the love story to life. Ethereal and carefree, the bride sweeps the grounds in a luxuriously layered ball gown, with the groom accompanying her in a classic black suit and bow tie. “Intimate laughter, sitting in unexpected places, a penchant for vampire love or a sense of taboo love,” says Tiare. “I felt it was a way to transport ourselves into a fictitious world of love, where it feels appealingly dangerous.”