This Big Sur wedding featured jaw-dropping string light installations
After 10 years together, Gavrielle and Robbie were beyond excited to celebrate their new chapter as husband and wife with their closest family and friends at Ventana Inn & Spa in Big Sur. The black-tie wedding was sophisticated and editorial-inspired, as the Sur Vista at Alila Ventana Inn faces a breathtaking backdrop of the Big Sur coastline - rolling hills, lush forestry, and saturated ocean waters. The formality and stylish elements of their event complemented this timeless, natural backdrop perfectly.
Keep scrolling to see gorgeous editorial photography by The Delauras, featuring florals by Big Sur Flowers, catering courtesy of Ventana Inn & Spa, and rentals by Chic Event Rentals. We promise you won't want to miss clicking here to check out the full gallery of photos, also linked at the bottom of this page! Keep scrolling to see how to build a champagne tower.
After the "I do's," both the bride and groom opted for late night outfit changes
Bride Gavrielle looked stunning in her ethereal wedding dress by the Australian brand Willowby by Watters. She donned the dress in ‘moscato’, a nude/blush version, and designed her own bow sleeve details during her final fitting. It was the ideal wedding gown for Big Sur - it effortlessly flowed with the coastal wind and complimented the tones of the towering redwood trees. She had a quick outfit change later in the evening during the dancing and late-night celebrations. For her second dress, she wore a tight, shoulderless white dress that was backless and tied with a giant bow. It was a nod to both old Hollywood glamour and up-and-coming Mexican designer, Alexia Maria. Groom Robbie looked dapper with his timeless Hugo Boss tux and classic black Dolce Gabbana black loafers. The groom also changed into a favored Hugo Boss smoking jacket as the party continued into the late hours of the evening.
Instead of rice, guests threw floral confetti wrapped in sheet music
The bride walked down the aisle to Jeff Buckely’s version of Hallelujah holding hands with both her father and mother. Traditional Jewish elements were intertwined throughout their vows with a double ring ceremony and the breaking of the glass at the end as their friends and family shouted Mazel Tov in celebration. After the ceremony, guests threw floral confetti delicately wrapped in sheet music as Gavi and Robbie walked back down the aisle hand in hand.
How to build a champagne tower
✨Step 1: Gather Supplies✨
• Champagne flutes: Determine how many guests and the space available. Typical champagne towers are 50 to 400 glasses.
*refrigerate the glasses for 10 minutes. This will prevent foaming.• Bottles of Champagne or sparkling wine• Champagne bucket• Large flat surface: to build the tower on• Non-slip mat or tablecloth: This will help stabilize the glasses and prevent them from sliding.
✨Step 2: Set up the base✨
• Decide on the shape of the tower: You can create a pyramid shape or a more elaborate design based on your preferences.• Place the non-slip mat or tablecloth on the flat surface.• Position a champagne bucket or cooler at the center of the base. This is where you'll place the first bottle.
✨Step 3: Start building the tower✨
• Take a champagne flute and gently hold it by the stem.• Dip the base of the flute into the champagne to create a seal. This will helpstabilize the tower.• Carefully place the first glass on the tablecloth or mat, upright and slightly tiltedtoward the center.• Continue placing more glasses around the first one, forming a circle. Make sure are touching each other but not too tightly.
✨Step 4: Build subsequent layers✨
• Once the first circle is complete, start placing glasses on top of the first layer, positioning them directly above the spaces between the glasses in the layer below.Continue building upward, creating new circles with each layer, gradually reducing the number of glasses as you move up to form the desired shape.
✨Step 5: Pour the champagne✨• Gently pour the champagne, and avoid creating too much turbulence, which can lead to excessive foam and spillage.
The groom surprised the bride with a luxury enclave of twinkle lights for the dinner party!
The groom knew how much his bride wanted a magical garden-themed dinner party, and as a surprise, he designed an enclave of twinkle lights that framed the 30-person seated dinner in one of the most perfect ways we have ever seen. The endless string lights with the starry night-lit sky against the Nor Cal mountains felt beyond surreal. The Ventana wait staff doted on their guests, bringing around blankets and cups of steaming carrot soup to complement the crisp fall air.
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Music was an important theme for the couple throughout each part of the wedding
Robbie & Gavi both share such a mutual love for music, referring to it as the “baseline” of their relationship. Gavrielle, a singer-songwriter, had her two best friends perform a lively hour set featuring songs that they had written and toured together throughout the years. The groom put together a Spotify playlist featuring all the songs woven throughout their special day for the guests in attendance.
So that they could focus and enjoy the day of, the couple opted for a "day-after" portrait session
Gavi and Robbie opted for a day-after session with their photographer in Big Sur. It was really important to the couple to be 100% present on their wedding day - to fully embrace time with their guests and enjoy the breathtaking wedding venue. As such, the post-wedding session was absolutely stunning! The photographers were able to capture some of the most gorgeous stills in the most luscious locations in California. They ventured through redwood forests, rugged cliffs, lush gardens, and sandy beaches. The bride even climbed up one of the tallest cliffs near the Bixby Bridge (in Cult Gaia heels, mind you!) to capture one of the most amazing portraits we've seen. It was one of the best decisions they made!
- Wedding Photographers: The Delauras
- Flowers: Big Sur Flowers
- Cakes & Catering: Ventana Inn & Spa
- Dress: Willowby by Watters
- Venues: Ventana Inn & Spa
- Rentals: Chic Event Rentals
- Hair Styling: Blush Monterey
- Makeup Artist: Makeup by Hailey Hoff