Abigail and Harrison’s classic mid century modern wedding graced us with a colorful landscape and a floral fantasy. The wedding took place in the iconic tower at the Claremont Club and Spa Resort in Berkeley California. The couple said I do in a glamorous style. Surrounded by sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay and the Berkley Hills, It was stunning! It was a modern day love story with an old fashion Hollywood flare.
The couple gathered inspiration from Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” and “the Marvelous Mrs. Maizel”. This wedding was an amalgam of 50’s & 60’s meets swanky french vibe. The design of their florals came about from their favorite painting “The Artist’s Garden at Giverny’ by Claude Monet.” An abundance of florals were styled in the tower where the ceremony was held. Vines climbed the tower walls and arches gave a painterly French and elegant vibe. Diana Dorsey of Simply Elegant By Diana planned all the details of the day to perfection.
Check out the incredible drone shot of the Tower Suite at the Claremont…
Amy Burke Desgins and her incredible team worked tirelessly in creating a very intricate design. Cascading flower builds inspired us all throughout the day. The sculptural designs in the tower filled the intimate space. Lots of different shades of maple and vine greenery with added touches of blush bright pops of red. The cappuccino roses and light tangerine Dalias added the perfect balance of bright and soft tones.
From the Florist Amy Burke Designs….
“When Abbey and Harrison decided to plan an intimate sized wedding in they were elated. The had to postpone their larger celebration for October 2021 due to Covid. They chose the Tower room in the Claremont hotel because of their ties to UC Berkeley. Abbey’s family had always hosted intimate parties at the hotel. Specifically in the Tower room/suite was where they had celebrated so many memories. It felt very fitting that they chose this location for their intimate wedding celebration for themselves and their families. The couple collectively had been so inspired designing their larger event. They knew they were going to need to come up with something magical and special for this important event.
Both Abbey and Harrison loved to travel. When designing the look for this event, they decided on a combination of a European garden and vibes. Inspiration was gathered from Paris. They chose a mixture of varying shades of blush, fuchsia, plum and green with pops of bright blue. For the Tower ceremony, they created an overgrown garden space. It appeared to surround the intimate gathering of friends and family. The floral elements were garden roses, ranunculus, bougainvillea, delphinium, dahlias, snap dragons, violets and Queen Anne’s lace. The design was arranged into hedges that wrapped around every enclave. The climaxing vines grew into a loose archway that framed the bride and groom at the front of the ceremony. Parisian style market chairs were arranged for guests at the ceremony site. Tables filled with cheese and vintage glass cloches covering macaroons added to our overall ceremony décor.
We chose to fill the dining room’s deck with luxurious velvet linens. We added cut crystal stemware and combination of blush and caramel colored blooms. Candles were added to the view of the Berkeley city skyline. We surprised Abbey and Harrison with touches of French vintage elements throughout the space. We tucked into table décor and on lounge tables that they could discover as the evening progressed. This included glass cloches covering vintage books of French poetry, history and authentic love letters from French travelers. Small dishes of mandarin oranges were also tucked throughout the table décor. Loose blooms were strung from the underside of stationary umbrellas.”
Abigail wore a sophisticated satin princess ball gown with a full A lined skirt by Maggie Sottero. The gown had the perfect amount of jeweled accents and was paired with a perfect block heel. Harrison looked dapper in his white Tux and black bow tie. His retro sterling silver starred cufflinks were the perfect accent to the classic look. Following their ceremony guests enjoyed light horderves and Champagne. During cocktail hour the couple proceeded for their portraits around the gorgeous treelined property. The Claremont resort so graciously opened the infamous Hilary Tenzig Room to the couple They were invited to the private space for some couples portraits. The Tensing room was named after the first climbers to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. The historical room was filled with mid century mod decor and incredible paintings that hung on the blue walls.
Abigail and Harrison were quite a pair savvy in style and sophistication. They shared a mutual love for all things retro. The enjoyed really good champagne. They had an appreciation for the classic well known author Victor Hugo. Hugo’s books made an appearance on the sweetheart’s table as a statement piece. Their love letters written to one another in French were amidst the table runner of florals. Accents of tangerines were decorated in the vintage glass bowls. Chandelier-like florals hung for the umbrella tops adding more floral extravagance to the private dining experience.
After dinner the couple cut their gold starred glam cake. They sipped the finest champagne and danced to their favorite songs of the 50’s and 60’s. It was the perfect night under the twinkling stars and unlike any wedding we have ever shot. With so much style and elegance it was definitely difficult to choose which images to post to the site….
We are very excited to say that our beautiful wedding gallery has been featured on Ruffled Blog!
Photography & Videography: Blue Note Weddings
Venue: The Claremont Hotel & Spa
Planning & Design: Simply Elegant By Diana
Florals: Amy Burke’s Designs
Cake Artist: Lavender Bakery & Cafe
Want to see another Hollywood Glam Wedding? Check out this wedding…..
