“If music be the food of love, play on.” Shakespeare
Avid music lovers - she’s a singer, he’s in the events industry - McKenna Mitchell and Guy Capanna met
while working at the Coachella Music Festival, where on a fateful evening amid a sea of 90,000
spectators they arrived at the same stage, at the same moment. To the notes of Such Great
Heights by the Postal Service, Guy smiled and said, “I knew I’d find you during this song” - and
they were married 18 months later, knowing that music must play a significantly symbolic role in
the planing of their special day.
100 guests arrived at the storied Santa Margarita Ranch, where the festive spirit of hundreds of years of past
fiestas is palpable, and found their seats in the garden while a string quartet played amongst the
ruffled tea roses. After a recent trip to the Palace of Versailles, McKenna was inspired by Marie
Antoinette and chose a color palette of pastels, french blue, and gold. The theme was infused
into every exquisite detail, from McKenna’s barely blushing pink and cream lace gown to her
custom beribboned and beaded Marie Antoinette heels. Vows were said beneath the arms of a
sprawling oak tree, under an arbor festooned with flowers. The bridesmaids’ dresses were
reminiscent of the antique silver grey found at the palace, and the Juliet roses in the bride’s
bouquet and throughout the wedding were the same roses blooming at Marie Antoinette’s idyllic
hamlet.
With a nod to their Celtic heritage, the bride and groom provided guests with Irish bell wands to
wave and ring as they walked down the aisle. After the ceremony, a bagpiper paraded guests to
the reception in the barn as the sun set with a rosy glow. Inside, tables were laden with vintage
china, gold flatware, and petal pink glassware. The bride’s personal collection of vintage
teacups was filled with flowers and were charmingly sprinkled throughout the space, while a
stunning collection of sparkling chandeliers hung from above for dramatic impact, striking just
the right balance of grandeur and intimacy.
Playful features created a perfect duet of elegance and celebration into the night, from a
bubbling champagne fountain replete with custom mixers like fresh berries and elderflower
cordial, to an offering of signature cocktails - the bride’s blackberry and gin Madame du Berry,
and the groom’s bourbon and cider Noble Steed. A decadent dessert table was brimming with
delicious French treats, with an ornate pink and gold wedding cake that was topped with antique
figurines in the style of Marie Antoinette and Mozart. Parting gifts for the guests were CDs of the
couple’s favorite songs - including the one that brought them together at Coachella - enclosed in
chic envelopes adorned in satin ribbon, sealed in wax, and with a poignant quote from Mozart:
“Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.”
