Filoli Gardens Wedding //Filoli Gardens Wedding Photographer // Bay Area Wedding Photographer

Every inspiration shoot starts with the vision. For this editorial, our team set out to blend elegance with old world charm, the perfect setting for the bride who loves timeless architecture, beautiful details, and European ambiance.

Nestled in Woodside, California, the lush grounds of Filoli gardens brought our Tuscan vision to life. Filoli was built in the 1920’s and eventually donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It has became a botanical haven for California horticulture. In just the last two years, it has now become the perfect wedding venue.

During our venue walkthrough, we felt as though we had left California and had been whisked away to the Tuscan countryside. At each turn there we were met with perfect little alcoves to admire the picturesque views. To complement the lovely earthy tones and enchanting gardens, we chose a romantic pastel color palette, embracing the rich hues of antique yellows, delicate pinks, soft creams, and hints of blue.

For our ceremony vignette, we featured one of Filoli’s most iconic spaces: the stately brick Garden House. Keeping the design unique and effortless, Melissa from Le Bloomerie created an elegant rose-covered half arch. Choosing to use Honey Dijon and Koko Loko from our color palette, she brought together the earthy and romantic colors with creamy yellow Romantic Antike Roses, Golden Mustard Roses, Light Apricot Crocous Roses, and Italian Ruscus Greenery. The autumn leaves softly danced around our bride and groom as the sunlit Santa Cruz Mountains created the perfect backdrop for our ceremony.

Susan from Bohemia Ranch Events styled the reception table-scape with elegant place settings and dusty blue accents, which draws the eye up to the beautiful centerpieces by Le Bloomerie as the focus of the table. We chose rustic elements for the reception vignette, pairing wooden cross backed chairs and a wooden farm table with luxurious textiles from Party Crush Studio. Susan provided the glamorous antique brass candle holders and vintage goblet glassware. The addition of berries gave our design a little extra touch of Tuscany. Our final touch was to place a dusty blue suede menu card at each setting, which contrasted beautifully against the earthy tones of the table-scape.

For the dessert table we chose details which perfectly complemented Filoli’s ancient stone facades: brass candle holders with long stem candles for a touch of romance. Niloofar from Emma Cakery provided a stunning custom wedding cake, gorgeous and sculpted to perfection. The stationery designed by Cara Couture Invitations added a lovely soft touch, with torn edges, mixed colored paper, and elegant script lettering.

The bride meandered gracefully through the gardens in a stunning Wtoo by Watters chic ivory gown. The floral lace pattern cascaded into a delicate tulle. The look was both soft and feminine, yet still formal. Our hair stylist, Shea from Shea Styles, gave our bride an elaborate side braid that was accented with an intricate hair piece from A Bit of Love. The bride wore long, dangly earrings that added a subtle sparkle to the overall look. The groom was dressed in a chic classic Italian slim black tuxedo from Generation Tux.

We wanted to created an overall look and design that can transcend seasons to appeal to couples year-round.