Whitney + John’s wedding at Claxton Farm was relaxed and naturally beautiful. The flowers, which were grown by a local farmer, were a fresh and lush accompaniment to Whitney’s bridesmaids in J.Crew and to her own simple and elegant Nicole Miller dress. With a couple of flowers in her hair, she was ready to say “I do” to John in a wide open field where their ceremony took place. Whitney + John are convinced that Western North Carolina is one of the most beautiful places on earth and we have to agree — just look at the view their guests took in as the two recited their vows! Big thanks to Oh, Darling! for sharing!
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. John and I met while we were both research assistants in a psychology lab at UC Berkeley. John was my supervisor. For the first year we knew each other, we were very professional and very friendly. I thought he was the greatest person – kind, smart, sensitive, and charming. About a year later, our dear friend (and later our officiant!), Sarah asked both of us to help with a research project. Our job was to code videotaped arguments between couples! After a few months of working together, we went on a date.
Describe the proposal. John and our dear friend Sarah planned the proposal. I was in graduate school and living in North Carolina, and John was still in the Bay Area. I flew back to California for my birthday, and John surprised me with a trip to Sonoma to stay at one of our favorite little inns. One night, we went to a delicious dinner and returned to our room to find it transformed. Sarah had followed us to Sonoma and collaborated with the innkeeper to fill our room with roses, candles, chocolate, and our favorite music while we were away. I remember thinking that this was the best birthday of my life and then I turned and realized that John was on one knee!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Genuine, warm, exuberant
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: A few years ago, our very good and very talented friend, Patrick wrote us a song for our wedding (at this point, we had been engaged for a few years). A few weeks before the wedding, he revised it to reflect the ways our relationship had grown. He sang it for us immediately after the ceremony. It was really amazing. We also loved our invitations. We took a photo of Claxton Farm and sent it to Hello! Lucky in San Francisco and asked her to help us create an invite that incorporated the green hills, the sky and sun, and the barn. The result was beautiful. The sun from the invitation became a decor theme, reflected in the place cards and thank-you cards. We told ourselves that even if it was cloudy on the day of the wedding, we’d have a sunny celebration!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I found my dress at Lovely Bridal Shop, in NYC. My sister and I converged in the city one weekend several months before the wedding, and I tried on several at this sweet boutique. I put on my Nicole Miller dress and fell in love with it. It had the simplicity and the details that I wanted, and it was (thankfully) well within my budget!
Photographer: Oh, Darling! // Videographer: Brother // Coordinator: Claxton Farm // Venue: Claxton Farm// Florist: Sweet Earth Flower Farm // Wedding Cake Baker: Short Street Cakes // Caterer: M7 Events // Paper Products: Hello! Lucky // Bride’s Dress: Nicole Miller // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Emersonmade // Bride’s Shoes: J.Crew // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew // Accessories: earrings by Katrina Lapenne
Love her hair.