Reception set up on the lawn with string lights

Zohe’s Eye:

Late October in the Santa Ynez Valley is my absolute favorite time of year for an outdoor wedding — and this one is exactly why. The days are just right. Not too hot, not too cool. The sun sets a little earlier in summer, and when it goes? The sky turns completely ridiculous — pinks and purples that look like someone spilled a bottle of rosé across the horizon. You cannot plan that. You just have to choose October and trust the Valley to deliver. And deliver it did.

Now let's talk about this wedding, because there is A LOT to discuss. The 10-foot charcuterie spread — YEOWZA. I'll just leave that there. The deep green linens paired with magenta florals that matched the table numbers? Very autumn, very intentional, very stunning. The mix of round and rectangular tables creating that interesting, layered reception layout — yes, always yes.

The disco balls suspended over the dance floor in the barn added exactly the right amount of pizazz to what could have been a cavernous, empty ceiling situation — smart. But my absolute favorite detail? Those disco balls matched the bride's grand exit dress. A silver sequin moment that tied the whole evening together like it was planned from the beginning. (Maybe it was. Either way, I'm stoked.)

From the Couple:

For our wedding, we really wanted to focus on the idea of bringing our people together, both blood-related and found family throughout our lives. We’re both from the South, so backyard barbecues were a thing growing up, and we thought it would be a great idea to bring the South to Southern California. We started referring to our wedding as an elevated version of a backyard barbecue. We like the juxtaposition of men in tuxes and women in long gowns/dresses while they ate comfort foods like mac and cheese and pulled pork. We also knew that we’d have half of our guests flying in from the other side of the country, and we wanted them to know how special they were to us and how much it meant. This led to us handwriting everyone a note and using it as their place card.

We chose the Santa Ynez Valley because we knew that family and friends from the East Coast were likely to never have been there, and we wanted a spot for our LA peeps to feel like they were getting out of town. Our unique style came together as not only elevated but also moody and modern. We wanted to dine alfresco and choose colors that aren’t traditional for fall — blush, lavender, chartreuse and mix those in with those deeper purples like eggplant, alongside burgundy and darker shades of pink. The beauty of California is that it feels like summer for most of the year, so we capitalized on that.

We wanted a mashup of our LA life (like hiring a former KCRW DJ to do the music for our wedding) and our Southern roots (like hiring High on the Hog to create a family-style menu fit for Georgians and North Carolinians). Hilltop Guest Ranch was the perfect place to be slightly more out of town and provided a blank canvas oasis that we were eager to make our own. Glenna Joy’s florals really nailed that moodier vibe we were going for and paired well with the natural wine we brought up from a great spot in LA called Silverlake Wines. We also knew we wanted film photography for a touch of nostalgia, and Monique Bianca really delivered on that vibe for us. All in all, our vision for a moody, modern, and elevated backyard barbecue came to life with a touch of funk!