Swenson & Silacci Flowers Archives

Jessica and Jeff’s vineyard wedding at Folktale Winery in the Carmel Valley was straight out of a fairytale. The winery boasts 15 acres of organically farmed vineyards and is reminiscent of an early century French chateau. Jessica and Jeff invited their entire family and close friends to join them for a fun weekend getaway.

Day Before Portraits in Carmel

The day before their wedding, we ventured to the coast of Big Sur for some intimate couple portraits. Firefighters shut down Highway 1 to the public because of the Soberanes Fire. We settled on Garrapata State Park, which didn’t feel much like settling at all. After a fun evening together, I was excited for the wedding day.

Wedding Party Photos in the Vineyard

After Jessica and Jeff’s first look, the wedding party met up with us for some portraits in the vineyard. Every one was in the best mood on this sunny summer day.

Outdoor Ceremony

Jessica planned everything perfectly down to the last detail. The ceremony was held in the courtyard of the winery. Swenson and Silacci arranged classic red rose arrangements for the bridal party bouquets, arch, and table centerpieces.

Lawn Games & Cocktail Hour in the Vineyard

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed wine tasting and lawn games. We used the opportunity to sneak away for some intimate portraits of Jessica and Jeff inside the beautiful lobby area. Meanwhile, the vendor team was hard at work turning the barrel room into a magical reception atmosphere.

Barrel Room Reception

One of the coolest surprises Jessica and Jeff planned for their guests was a one-take music video during the reception. Each table was assigned a song to dance, complete with a prop box. The video set the mood of the entire evening and everyone found their way to the dance floor! At the end of the night, Jessica and Jeff were sent off with a dramatic sparkler exit.

Congrats you two! Here’s to many more happy years together!

The Vendor Team

Caterer: Classic Catering // Cake: Parker Lusseau Pastries // Day of Coordinator: Kaitlin Ford, Pocketful of Plans // Dress: Allure Bridals // Florals: Andrea, Swenson & Silacci Flowers // Officiant: Brian Lyke, Life Celebrations // Photography: Paige Nelson, Second Shooter: Jamie English // Venue Coordinator: Nina Sherrill // Venue: Folktale Winery // Videography: The Cub Team, Arthur & Daniel

Be sure to check out Jessica and Jeff’s day before session in Big Sur at Garrapata State Park. If you love this wedding, I also recommend browsing through Stephanie and Richard’s Dawn Ranch Lodge wedding.

Jessica and Jeff’s Day before wedding portraits in Garrapata State Park provided the best of both worlds. On Labor Day weekend, I drove up to Carmel to photograph this lovely duo.

Jessica and Jeff knew they wouldn’t have enough time to explore the central coast on their real wedding day. Instead, they opted for a day before portrait session in their wedding clothes to take advantage of the Big Sur scenery.

Day Before Portraits at Garrapata State Park

The evening before their wedding, we ventured to the Big Sur coast for some intimate couple portraits. The Soberanes Fire still burned fiercely, forcing firefighters to shut down most of Highway 1. Garrapata State Park near Carmel was one of the only parks that remained open to the public.

Jessica donned a beautiful BHLDN wedding dress she didn’t mind getting a little dirty before the wedding, along with a pair of maroon booties. (Rest assured, the wedding dress bootie combo will always make your photographer a happy camper). Her wedding florist, Swenson & Silacci Flowers, also created a special bouquet and flower crown for the occasion.

We quickly discovered how underrated and truly otherworldly Garrapata State Park is. With all the chaos that comes from wedding planning, I think this special time together before the wedding was exactly what Jessica and Jeff needed without fully realizing it.