Rustic Woodland Wedding: Karen + James

Happy New Year everyone! And big welcome to all our newly engaged couples. :) We have so many amazing weddings already lined up to share with you all this year starting with a gorgeous woodland wedding…

Karen + James’ beautiful, rustic woodland wedding incorporated some of our favorite things here at GWS: king protea, airplants, chocolate cake – and the color green! Because the couple met in a beautiful redwood forest in Northern California (so romantic, right?!), the most important detail for them was to have their wedding outside, in a gorgeous, natural setting. The Hideout in Kirkwood, California fit the bill big time, but the weather in the area tends to be totally unpredictable. Luckily  Karen + James are a laid-back, go-with-the-flow kind of duo and they weren’t going to let a bout of bad weather ruin their day! When it was all said and done, it only added to the beauty + excitement of the celebration! Here’s a bit more about it all from their talented wedding planner Kate of Kate Whelan Events:

An unexpected deluge of rain hit at the tail-end of guest arrival, right as the ceremony was set to start. As I passed out umbrellas to the guests, the sudden rain storm turned to hail the size of golf balls and we quickly shuttled out guests up to the saloon for the cocktail hour while the storm passed. After we wiped everything down, we moved the guests back down to the woodside ceremony. Karen, James + their guests handled it incredibly well – later thanking me for the hailstorm show and laughing about it like it was just a part of the entertainment for the evening!

Thanks so much to Sarah Maren for the lovely photos!

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I’m super in love with Karen’s gorgeous bouquet by Flourish, which contains the perfect mix of textures + colors!

Karen + James worked with Kate Miller Events to incorporate some of their favorite things into the design. How amazing is their ceremony backdrop, composed of handcrafted dream catchers in various sizes? So whimsical + pretty!

After the ceremony, Karen + James led their guests to their reception, set under market lights, mason jars and the starry night. Tables were accented with grapewood hearts, vintage bottles + lanterns, as well as king protea, pheasant feathers and textural natural blooms. An organic faux bois chocolate cake was accented with more king protea and their cake topper – two miniature trees – reflected the couple’s love of nature. The party continued into the night with The Blank Tapes performing on the stage under the stars, with guests warming up via the many firepits or the massive hot tub built into the rockside.

Love their pretty paper goods too, which were also crafted by Kate Miller Events!

From the bride, Big thanks to Kate Miller Events. Kate took our vague ideas about what we wanted our wedding to be and transformed them into the most beautiful magical event. This wedding would not of happened with out her creativity, talent, and hard work!

Congrats to Karen + James on a beautiful day and best wishes from all of us at GWS! :)

photography: Sarah Maren // venue name: The Hideout, Kirkwood, California // event design: Kate Whelan Events // planning: Kate Whelan Events // wedding dress: Jim Hjelm Bridal purchased and fit at Jin Wang Bridal // hairpiece: Shannon Cosgrove-Rivas, Flourish // bride's shoes: Kork Ease // bridesmaid dresses: chosen by bridemaids in various shades of green // hair stylist: Hello Glam // makeup artist: Hello Glam // groom attire: Etro // paper goods: Kate Miller Events // catering: Beth Sogaard Catering // cake: Coracao Confections // music: The Blank Tapes // floral design: Shannon Cosgrove-Rivas, Flourish