We have two lovely weddings to wrap up Pink Week, starting with this pretty country club celebration from eLLe photography…

The gents wore white dinner jackets, playing up the classic look of the wedding.

Colleen wore her mother’s wedding dress, with a few updates: “It was such a special thing for the two of us to share. My parents have the most loving, supportive, and healthy marriage that I have seen and their marriage is a model for what I hope Matt and I will share. When it came time to buy a wedding dress, I asked my Mom if I could wear hers. She studied merchandising and textiles in college, has made a lot of amazing clothes over the years (including my Senior prom dress), and she even considered becoming a fashion designer at one point. Thanks to her great, timeless taste the first time around, I didn’t need to do a ton to update the dress. That said, there were definitely changes we made – her dress had puffy sleeves circa 1980 and a full hoop skirt. I ended up cutting out one of three panels of fabric, to update the skirt, and the sleeves had to go as well. I used some of the extra lace as a wrap for my bouquet.”

From the bride: “It was so special for us to have all of our nearest and dearest with us to share and support us as we promised a lifetime of love, support, and commitment to each other. It was a sentimental, spiritual, and amazingly fun celebration.”

How about this funny detail: “My personal trainer, Rose, doubles as a baker/pastry chef by night and weekends, and we hired her to bake our cake,” says Colleen. “Who better to make your wedding cake than your personal trainer?! She made us a delicious gluten-free dark chocolate devil’s food cake with cherry buttercream.”

SEE THE FULL GALLERY FOR MORE SWEET DETAILS FROM THIS PENINSULA CLUB WEDDING.

 

Why did you choose this location for your wedding?  We were committed to having a really great, fun party. We wanted it to be classic, sophisticated, and romantic. We wanted it to be comfortable for our guests, which included great atmosphere, service, and food and drink. We happened to look at the Peninsula Club as the first possibility, and found ourselves comparing every other option to it. It had amazing light and a beautiful ballroom. We also loved Susie, their Events Director, who was really easy to work with. We thought it was a great value, they made the planning and logistics easy, and the day was stunningly beautiful and our guests enjoyed it.

What inspired you when you were planning your wedding?  I’ve always loved the idea of a timeless, classic wedding, but not one that’s stuffy or old-fashioned, and luckily Matt agreed with me! When we talked about our wedding day, we decided that our plan would be to keep things classic, simple and romantic. Once I decided to wear my mother’s dress, the classic theme took off and we decided that the guys would wear white dinner jackets to complete the look and feel of a wedding from any era rather than one that was very “now.”       

What was the best advice you received as a bride?  Take off the planning hat and savor the day. There are so many special moments that you will want to remember. Take breath and enjoy!

What advice do you have for other couples planning their weddings?  Hire outstanding vendors and trust them. I don’t mean the most expensive (we certainly worked within a budget), but the ones that are 100% committed to make the day a great experience for you. The ones that are great listeners and take pride in their work. Trust your vendors to do what they do best. Ask for their advice – you don’t have to know all the answers or have an opinion about everything. After all, they have seen more weddings than you will ever see. Also, pick your battles wisely. There are so many things to do and so many opinions to weigh. Don’t spend the whole time fighting with your nearest and dearest. It’s about a celebration of your love and commitment to each other. It’s about bringing two families together.  Start from there.

Photographer: eLLe Photography / Church: St. Charles Church / Reception: Peninsula Golf & Country Club in San Mateo, California / Dress reconstruction: Fashion Tailoring, (650) 591-4081 / Stationery: Marian Sosnick of Checkerboard Ltd. (650.578.9215) / Floral Designer: Millefiore Floral Design / Hair: Salon Vivo / Makeup: Diane DiBiaggio, La Belle Day Spa / DJ: Sound in Motion  / Cake: Sweet Cheeks Cake Shop