Planning a Wedding in the Santa Cruz Mountains … The Newlyweds Tell All

It’s been two months since Kyle and Melody’s wedding.

It was a magical evening.

Bride Groom & Parents

I’ve shared quite a bit of wedding stuff previously.

Mostly around what I and other weddings guests wore.

You can read about it here, here and here.

And I wrote about hosting the engagement dinner and wedding wine tasting.

Today I’m excited to share some of the wedding planning details with you.

I interviewed the newlyweds about planning their big day.

With a record number of weddings happening this year.

And probably next year as well.

I thought it would be fun and possibly helpful.

The wedding vendors and sources are included.

AND THE OFFICIAL WEDDING PHOTOS!

Bride and Groom walking up path

Lots and lots of wedding photos.

By Maya Lora Photography

Without further ado  … here’s what Melody and Kyle had to say about planning their big day.

Wedding planning photo

First, congratulations again not only on your marriage but on planning – and executing – the perfect wedding! 

🙂 <3

Tell us, what were your goals and priorities for your big day?

Melody: We wanted all of our friends and family to be entertained and have fun. We have been to many weddings and wanted, as much as possible, to spice things up! We tried our best to be unique with details like a champagne escort wall, voicemail guest book, parent entrances, and more!

One of my personal goals, as a type-A individual, was letting all of the hard work pay off and trusting vendors that were hand-selected for a reason to do their thing!

Wedding Collage wine wall and phone guest book

Kyle: Honestly my main goal was to enjoy the moment as much as I could and make sure everyone had a good time. We had been tirelessly planning (mainly Melody) this one day for two years. It was such a relief to see all of the hard work pay off and create such a unique and perfect moment.

You were engaged in early 2020, just before the pandemic lockdown. How did this affect your wedding plans? 

We got engaged the week of lockdown, March of 2020, and immediately knew that we wouldn’t be able to start the normal planning process and made peace with that. We decided to wait until the state of the world was a bit more stable to begin formally planning. We thought we would elope (won an Instagram giveaway) with close friends and family before being able to formally wed, but that was canceled due to travel restrictions in 2021. We began venue hunting after the first vaccine was publicly available! While still in a pandemic, we felt it was a bit more reasonable to begin planning with a calculated risk. All in all, a very anxiety inducing process up until the day of!

Brides Family

Melody & Her Family

Kyle & His Parents

When you were finally able to begin planning in earnest what challenges did you face in terms of venue and vendor availability, staffing and supply chain issues, increased prices, etc.?

The biggest issue we faced was our venue’s availability. We were dead set on Nestldown the moment we saw it (had an upscale rustic barn for Melody and greenery/ponds for Kyle) and also knew we wanted our wedding on a Saturday. Nestldown had one Saturday remaining for the 2022 year and we snagged it, despite it being off-season. Another risk. The beauty of Nestldown vastly remains with its outdoor offerings and if you end up with rain the day of, you’re forced to move everything inside to the barn and that’s just a risk we had to take due to availability. We were also told that if there was another lockdown or restriction preventing us from having our wedding on the day of, that we were not guaranteed another Saturday.

Some 2020 couples that paid for the higher Saturday rate ended up being moved to Monday-Wednesday dates in 2021 – WITH NO PRICE ADJUSTMENT; talk about a nightmare!

Otherwise, no issues with other vendors! We were told that substitutions would be made for our menu if there were supply chain issues with the caterer, but that didn’t end up happening.

Bride and Bridesmaids getting ready

Post Glam/Pre Wedding Taco Bell Feast

Groomsman before ceremony

No Taco Bell for Kyle & his groomsmen

Groomsman socks

You were married in the San Francisco Bay Area at the Nestldown. An enchanting venue that’s been hiding in plain sight. I can’t tell you how many people commented that they’d driven by hundreds of times and never known it was there. It’s truly a magical place. And it’s a hop skip and a jump from your parents’ home. I know you looked at many venues, including in the wine country. How did you settle on the Nestldown?

As a local Los Gatos-an (?) I can also say the same! I had no idea this venue was in my neck of the woods, nor did my parents! – Melody

I have always dreamed of a rustic barn and quickly learned that venues with barns typically have…well…livestock. Wasn’t really keen on the idea (or smell) of sharing my special moment with cows :p so we pivoted away from the barn idea. Kyle loved the idea of greenery or water and continued the search with those two parameters. Kyle toggled a couple filters on theknot.com and BOOM. We decided to schedule a tour and the rest is history! It was an INSTANT decision. All of the other venues we had to sort of convince ourselves we were okay with certain flaws/drawbacks, but this was the first venue we both felt an immediate connection to.

Will you share your wedding vendors?

Venue: Nestldown – Los Gatos, CA

Planning: BluBook Events (partial planning; two-three months prior) Most planning/all vendor selection/contract negotiation done by Melody.

Catering: Le Papillon

Wedding cake: Avocado & Co – Janay McCullough

Florals: Floral Luxe

Photography: Maya Lora Photography

Videography: Heartfelt Media

Champagne wall: Floral Luxe

Signage: DIY – various templates purchased from Etsy and designed/printed by Melody

Glam Squad: 

  1. Bay Area Beautiful
  2. Beauty by Hazel Skye

DJ: Los Gatos DJ

Other: 

Let’s look at some photos …

Ceremony & Cocktail Hour ~

Bride's entrance

Here comes the bride

Brides Entrance

Wedding vow booklets

Wedding ceremony outdoors

Bride and Groom leaving ceremony

Wedding cocktail hour

Cocktail hour arrival at the Apple Knoll

Let’s get this party started … here come the parents ~

Wedding reception

Wedding reception table setting

 

Toast Time ~

Everybody dance ~

Groom and mom dance

Wedding reception dancing collage

Let them eat cake ~

Wedding Cake

Cake by Avocado & Co – Janay McCullough

Bride and Groom Cake and toast

You held your wedding rehearsal the morning before the wedding followed by a luncheon (instead of the traditional rehearsal dinner). I thought this was so smart and worked out beautifully. How did you decide to make this a morning / luncheon event?

We tried to be respectful of time! We were already asking our bridal party to attend the rehearsal the morning prior (time selected by Nestldown) and figured we’d all need to eat lunch afterward – so why not do it together?! We wanted to allow folks to have an earlier night if they wanted to ensure everyone was well rested! For our remaining out of town guests, we decided to do a casual/drop-in meet up for drinks/snacks in the evening. We wanted to provide the opportunity to spend some time with them since that wasn’t necessarily guaranteed on our special day.

If I may channel my inner Joan Rivers, who were you wearing? Dress, shoes, veil, etc. 

    • Dress(es): Lovely Bride and Trudy’s (this was a last minute find for the elopement and I ended up wearing it as my second dress for dancing/after-party)
    • Shoes: I originally purchased Jimmy Choo’s and decided, day of, to roll with my backup Steve Maddens for height/stair purposes!
  • Veil: HA. Personally, not a huge fan of veils and was on the hunt for a super minimal cathedral length veil to match my dress train length. All of the veils I found at bridal stores were around $200-1k and I couldn’t bring myself to pay that for roughly 10-15 mins (I immediately took the veil off after the ceremony). Therefore, I bought my veil off…drumroll…AMAZON!
  • Earrings:

Wedding Gown

And Kyle’s suit?

Kyle’s suit was custom made by Indochino.

And the bridesmaids and groomsmen attire?

Bridesmaid dresses, groomsmen bow-ties, father ties and pocket squares all purchased from Revelry in the color Cinnamon Rose.

Groomsmen suits and matching shoes were rented from Friar Tux.

Your aunt conducted the ceremony, which was spectacular! You also had a Persian ceremony; can you tell us about that?

Yes! Persian weddings typically include a wider range of traditions, but in an effort to combine the Western ceremony as well…we hand selected our favorite pieces of the cultural ceremony.

Wedding ceremony

We opened the ceremony with esfand (incense) which symbolizes the burning of any negative energy/past as the couple moves towards a bright future.

We focused on the sofreh aghd. The aghd is the ceremony portion of the wedding in which the bride and groom sit in front of an assorted sofreh (or table) full of items that have meanings behind them. The pieces, together, all represent prosperity, sweetness, and reflection for the couple.

Then comes the “I do” portion of the Persian ceremony. The officiant asks the groom for his consent, and he quickly accepts (“baleh”). Then the officiant asks the bride, three times, for hers. A friend chants funny sayings in between each ask about how the bride is off/busy doing things like clipping flowers. The bride stays silent the first two times she’s asked for her consent and accepts on the third attempt. The purpose of this is to show the groom’s journey of earning his bride’s love.

We also fed one another honey post-ceremony to symbolize the idea that we would feed each other sweetness as we begin our lives as one.

Persian Wedding Ceremony Elements

Sofreh

You opted for an open bar in addition to champagne and wine. What were your signature cocktails?

Wedding reception bar

His: Old fashioned.

Hers: Jalapeno margarita with a tajin rim (a must).

Photo Collage of Wedding Signature Cocktails

How did you keep things traditional and how did you add your own modern twists?

We tried to keep the main traditions alive, but with a twist! Kyle had both parents walk him down the aisle, we entered the reception before our bridal party, conducted a competition for our bridal party entrances, and did a silly father daughter dance. All traditional elements, just elevated!

Detail Collage

Tell us about your telephone guest book. I saw this again at a wedding last weekend. Is this something new and how did it work out?

YES! This is a Tik Tok craze. The rotary phone is awesome and user friendly – all the couple/planner needs to do is flip a switch before go-time. Guests simply pick up the phone and the system is automatically recording (in one long audio file). Then you ship the phone back within 72 hours and the team at After the Tone sorts through the audio, breaking up each message with a tone in between, and sends back the audio file digitally. You can also opt in for a vinyl for an additional charge!

Looking back on the day, what really stands out for you?

The unique and intricate details and the overall use of Nestldown’s property. We did our first look at the Koi Pond, moved from the chapel to our upgraded cocktail hour at the beautiful Apple Knoll and concluded in the barn. All of these locations brought a new vibe/feel and made for such a wonderful day!

Bride & Groom First Look

First look at the koi pond

Did anything go wrong?

SURPRISINGLY NO! We were both shocked. We read how, on average, three things go wrong with every wedding. Now this ranges from details only the bride and groom know…to the obvious (like your cake falling over). We were prepared for little hiccups, and we were insanely surprised that everything went according to plan!

Did anything work out better than expected?

In all honesty…the Persian ceremony! The Persian ceremony has a lot of details involved. We had a separate officiant for the Persian ceremony and the day prior when we were rehearsing, had a lot of hiccups (also due to a few members of the Persian ceremony not yet in town) and somehow on the day of…it all came together! We think there was some behind the scenes practice the night prior :p

Persian Wedding Ceremony

Sofreh Aghd

If you could turn back time, is there anything you’d do differently?

The day went by SO fast and dancing/drinks after dinner felt a tad rushed. Nestldown’s standard rental is for 9 hours (but 11pm is the absolute cut-off due to noise ordinances – so last dance is at 9:30pm and everyone has to be off the property by 10pm). If anything, I think we’d pay for an extra hour or two before our start of 2pm to elongate the day!

You went on a mini moon a couple of days after the wedding. Tell us about your honeymoon plans?

For our mini moon we went to Boon Hotel and Spa in Guerneville. That hotel holds sentimental value to us, and it was so special to get away for a few days. Due to the uncertainty and anxiety that still remains with extended international travel, we plan to wait until our one-year anniversary. This is actually a pretty big trend for newly-weds! We plan to go to Bali, Japan (city not yet finalized), and Australia (city not yet finalized).

Bride and Groom at Reception

So, there you have it.

Straight from the mouths of the newlyweds.

If you have questions, leave me a comment, and I’ll do my best to get answers.

Need more?!

Here’s Kyle and Melody’s gorgeous wedding video.

By Heartfelt Media

I’m a little bit sad to hit publish.

Like the wedding itself, I didn’t want it to end.

There was so much love and joy surrounding Kyle and Melody.

It was magical in every way.

And that’s what all couples deserve on their wedding day.

As always, I appreciate your visit and welcome your thoughts in the comments below.

Parents of groom at wedding

Cheers from Snowberry!

 

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  • It was so lovely to read about the whole day and the planning. I enjoyed reading about the Persian traditions – so beautiful that they mixed the cultures together. The setting was fantastic and I am so glad it didn’t rain. All the special touches to make the day truly their own perfect. Thank you for sharing such a special day for your family.

    • Thanks, Crystal … we were very lucky that it didn’t rain … and was actually quite warm. Learning about the Persian traditions was one of the best parts of the day. And it was a feast for the eyes as well. I love weddings, as you probably know by now, and this one was extra special! xo

  • What a wonderful day full of making memories! I loved reading all about it. And my favorite part? The veil!! I guess you can get anything from Amazon!

  • Juliet,
    What an amazing day!Kyle and Melody, first, congratulations! And second, what a gorgeous wedding. I loved all of the details and the Persian traditions. The venue is stunning, the bride too! Thank you Juliet for sharing all of the beautiful details, photos and your enthuasium for “all things wedding.” I think you need a new category, WEDDINGS! You are so great about sharing the sources, details and people that make not only weddings, but showers, etc so incredible special.

    • Haha … Elizabeth, I think you’re onto something. A wedding category if definitely in order. I’m having so much fun in this year of the wedding, I never want it to end. Maybe I can become a professional wedding guest?!!! Happy day! xo

  • Thank you for sharing our special day! I wish saying I want to do it again wasn’t taboo let’s just throw another party for vow renewals

  • Oh what a memorable day! Everything was special and beautiful. Just the way it was supposed to be.

    I got a kick out of the fancy socks on the guys… every wedding needs a bit of fun.

    • Thanks, Karen! Melody and Kyle did an amazing job planning their big day. My aunt calls those ‘happy socks!’ xo

  • It all looked beautiful Juliet! I love the interview of the newlyweds. Such great insight & sources. A wonderful idea indeed.
    Many blessings for this lovely couple.
    ~Scarlett

    • Good morning, Scarlett … I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I learned a lot from the newlyweds responses too. Now I wish we could do the wedding over again and see it all through fresh eyes. It was such a wonderful day … but a bit of a blur. Ahhhh … how I love weddings! xo

  • Hi Juliet, your blog is so beautiful, just like you. Thank you for sharing all of the beautiful wedding pictures and details. I especially love the phone book idea, so cute.

    Congratulations!

    Wendy

    • Good morning, Wendy! Thanks for stopping by … you are the sweetest. Yes, the phone book idea is unique and fun … and apparently quite on trend. Who knew?! Have a wonderful week! xo

  • Juliet, Thank you for sharing such an important day in the life of your family! Such a great idea to interview the happy couple! I enjoyed reading all the details and seeing the stunning pictures! One more beautiful than the next! This post should be in a magazine!!! Take care, Donna

  • What a beautiful wedding! I loved the his and her cocktail choices. So many fun pieces making a day full of wonderful memories!

    • Thanks, Kim. Weddings are a lot more involved these days, right? We didn’t have signature cocktails back in the day. But we should have! xo

  • Juliet!! What a fantastic post. Good thing I didn’t do my makeup yet as I’m bawling after that video. They are the most darling couple and what a dream,y wedding!! I would love if one of my children had a ceremony there. It’s so California under the redwoods and the barn so pretty, I loved the special details. The names on the place settings and what is the champagne wall about?? I need more details. I am saving all of this and sharing with my local peeps as well as on the page! This is a hidden Los Gatos gem and I am ashamed to say I had no idea how magical it is, as a fellow Los Gatan!
    I’m so happy for them that everything went well after the years of waiting and planning. They did great and your interview is so helpful and good to read alongside the beautiful photos for perspective on making this happen!
    Well done Kyle and Melody and you too Juliet! xx Kim Wishing them much happiness!

    • Oh, Kim … can you believe that Nestldown has been there all this time and we’ve been oblivious?! It’s an absolutely amazing setting … and so much more wonder not shown in the photos. I’d sure love the opportunity to be a guest there again. Melody and Kyle worked really hard to create the perfect day and I’m delighted they let me share it. And, thank you for sharing it too. xo

  • Juliet,
    What an amazing recollection of Kyle and Melody’s wedding. You superbly captured the essence and magical wonder of the day, meeting new friends and reuniting families. And the way you coordinated ideas and wardrobe with spectacular photos in such an elegant way with personalized verbiage. The home chapters was so fun seeing your cleaver ideas and renovations. You are very creative. I cant wait to see more of your talents and ingenuity.

    • Linda, that is so sweet, thank you. It was a beautiful wedding … and weekend. So many happy memories we’ll all treasure forever. xo

  • Such a beautiful wedding and so many memories. I particularly like the photo of the socks. We often get so caught up in the drama of a beautiful event and forget that we need to enjoy the small moments.

    • Carol, that is true enough. I was caught up in the excitement, the emotion and being surrounded by so many family and friends, and I feel like I missed many of the day’s details. Thank goodness for the photos and video to remind me. And to see some things, like the fun socks, for the first time! xo

  • I really enjoyed this post. Reading about the Persian tradition and loved the groomsman socks.

    Such a gorgeous venue and an exciting trip planned for the one year anniversary.

    They will enjoy it even more I think because they won’t be exhausted from the wedding.

    I can’t imagine planning a wedding during the time of COVID lockdowns.

    Such a beautiful couple and you looked beautiful too!

    Congratulations to all and may you love, respect and listen to each other always.

    • Absolutely stunning. The garden area where the ceremony was held…
      breathtakng.. An enchanted forest. Every detail on this day was seen to and executed with such style. Best wishes to the newlyweds as they begin their lives as husband and wife. My compliments for such a lovely post about this splendid day, Juliet.

      • High praise coming from you, Shelley Welley! It truly is a magical setting … a real hidden gem. I will ‘Cher’ your best wishes to the newlyweds! xo

    • Thank you so much, Cindy! The Persian ceremony was a real highlight. And the details were so beautiful. You know, I didn’t see the groomsman socks on the wedding day. Thank goodness for a good wedding photographer. I will pass on your excellent advice to the newlyweds! xo

  • It was truly magical and one of the nicest, most unique weddings I’ve attended. I enjoyed reading the inside scoop! But above all, the bride and groom were so gracious and welcoming to their guests!

    • It was so fun to have you guys there to share this special day! I learned a lot from the interview too. Needless to say, I’m even more in awe of Melody’s planning skills. Ah … weddings … I love them and look forward to many more in the future. Wink. Wink. xo

  • Juliet, your post is a whole experience! I can’t even imagine how magical the actual wedding must have been. All I can say is WOW! And congratulations to the lovely couple! May they have a lifetime of joy together .

  • PERFECTION!
    NOT MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE SAID!
    I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION!
    WAS THAT CAKE AVOCADO GREEN?IT LOOKS BLACK TO MY EYES………….
    HOW DIFFERENT IS THAT!LOVED THE FLOWERS AND HOW THEY WERE POSITIONED……….
    THE VOW BOOKS CAUGHT MY EYES AS WELL……….I still have a little scarp of paper stuck in my wallet with mine as they were in ITALIAN and I was terrified I would say it all wrong!
    XXX

    • Contessa! The bride says the cake was olive green, a stone/concrete look, with a gold lining! I’m concerned for your little scrap of paper and wonder if it needs to be moved to a more secure and protected location?! I’m sure you recited your vows with perfection! xo

  • Loved seeing this beautiful wedding. Thanks for sharing details. We’ve been parents of the bride once and twice of the groom. What a difference but wondeful to have been part of each pre-wedding and the big day too.

    • Oh my, Linda … your wedding cup runneth over! I hope they were well spaced so you could recover your emotional composure. Weddings are such a joy! xo

  • That entrance to the ceremony, wow! That’s a dream I didn’t know I had. What a beautiful wedding. Congratulations.

  • It all looks and sounds like a fairy tale!! I feel like I was there! What a perfect description of the wedding !!
    You looked stunning yourself !

  • Hi, I’m Juliet … welcome to Make Mine a Spritzer where we talk about all things home décor, classic style and more! I’m so happy you’re here!

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