How To Have A Glamorous Midsummer Garden Wedding

Bride and groom sharing a kiss during their wedding ceremony

A color palette of blush and ivory and chic garden setting, does it get any more romantic than this? Our next real life and oh-so-glamorous couple tell us just how they planned this fabulous day right down to the smallest detail. We LOVE it!

Keep scrolling to here how the bride created her amazing theme, planned the menu and chose her flowers! Oh and as always be sure to check out the full gallery for more photos from the talented Kayci Decker.

Elegant bride in a white wedding dress in a beautiful outdoor scene

Bride and her mother sharing a loving moment at a wedding Bride holding lily of the valley bouquet at a wedding ceremony

Newly wedded couple sharing a passionate kiss on their wedding day

Wedding Style

I wanted my dress to be timeless and traditional but with a modern twist. I chose a blush long sleeve Monique Lhuillier dress with a plunging neck and open back. My shoes were ivory crushed velvet platforms from Giuseppe Zanotti. My engagement ring was designed by the famous designer Lauren B in New York, and my wedding band was designed by the famous Stephanie Gottlieb also in New York.

My husband wore a custom three-piece tuxedo from suit supply, a Tom Ford bow tie, and Boss shoes, then changed into Del Toro loafers for the reception. His ring was a gold band from Cartier.

The Bouquet

My name is Mougeh, which is French for Lilly of the Valley. My bouquet was a Lilly of the Valley bouquet with the flowers flown in from Amsterdam, as they are very hard to find in the U.S., especially during summer time.

Elegant outdoor wedding ceremony setup with floral arch

Floral wedding arch decorated with soft pink draping and flowers Wedding ceremony setup in a sunny garden with flower petals

Elegant outdoor tea party setup with ornate tables and decor

Elegant outdoor event decoration with vintage mirror and decor

The Planning

I am the bride. I designed and planned the wedding myself. I had the help of a planner who got involved three months prior to the wedding ( A Good Affair). They arranged all my contracts and made my timeline etc. They also attended my mock-ups with me.

My wedding took place on a beautiful summer day on a ranch in Simi Valley. I wanted an outdoor summer wedding with the reception to be amidst the trees under the stars ("midsummer night's dream). For my wedding theme, I wanted soft neutral tones with pops of color to honor summertime in California.

The Ceremony

My husband and I are both Iranian-American, so I incorporated a modernized version of the traditional Persian "Sofreh" for our ceremony. I designed a deconstructed Sofreh using various vintage side tables and coffee tables from Found Rentals and Archive Rentals, a mirror from anthropology, and antique crystal bowls and candelabras from the vendor who assembled my Sofreh on the day-of (Afsaneh Sargordan). Finally, a pair of lavender antique lanterns, which were used for my grandmother and great grandmother's Sofrehs were also incorporated.

I designed the ceremony arch and my florist (Jenny B) made it come to life. She built a large arch so that my Sofreh could fit inside of it. We draped it with blush chiffon fabric and added soft rose and blush colored flowers.

Bride and father walking down aisle together at a wedding ceremony

Outdoor wedding ceremony setup with candles and floral decor

Four tall, elegant cypress trees stand in a garden setting Elegant couple exchanging vows at a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony

Wedding ceremony in a garden, with bride and groom holding hands

Wedding ceremony under a floral arch with bride and groom Wedding ceremony: Bride and groom under a veil, wedding day

Newly married couple kissing under a floral wedding arch

Bride and groom sharing a kiss at their outdoor wedding ceremony

The Reception

For the reception , it was very important that my guests felt like they were dining and dancing underneath the stars. To play off of that idea, I added 300 braided lights to all the trees. These lights took two weeks to braid. Many people thought my venue came with these lights, but they did not. This idea was made possible by the rental company A Rental Connection.

Again I stuck with the soft neutral tones, I had long tables with exposed wood and dusty rose colored runners from La Tavola, I also had round and square tables with bone colored velvet tablecloth from Luxe Linen and blush raw silk napkins. The table settings had rose gold flatware with vintage crystal glasses from Archive Rentals. I wanted to keep the tables sleek, simple and refined. The scenery all around was so beautiful with the trees and foliage.

Elegant wedding seating chart on ornate mirror with candles

Elegant outdoor wedding table with floral centerpiece and decor Elegant outdoor wedding setting with decorated chairs and flowers

Elegant wedding table setting with menu card and silverware

Outdoor wedding reception table setting with floral decorations

Elegant outdoor wedding table setting on a sunny day Elegant table setting with soft colors and delicate details

Wedding table decor with flowers, elegant setting and floral arrangements

The Food

I am a healthy food blogger (@FitFoods) with 40k followers on IG. As such, food is very important to me. I cook every day and create new recipes. I wanted to create a fine dining experience for my guests. Food at this wedding could not be an afterthought. I wanted a fresh summer-inspired menu, I wanted my guests to eat more than just a salad and an entree. So I worked with my caterer Made by Meg to create a 5-course meal consisting of small plates so that my guests wouldn’t be too stuffed to dance after. We had a summer grilled peach salad, miso cod, braised short rib, a meyer lemon sorbet as a palette cleanser, and a raspberry tart with edible flowers for dessert. We also passed out traditional saffron rosewater ice cream sandwiches from Saffron and Rose Ice cream shop as a late night snack to incorporate our Iranian roots.

Romantic wedding couple sitting on a rock formation in golden light