8Events: ::: J + J ::: Stonepine Estate in Carmel

With all of this talk about Royal wedding, I think this next wedding I am going to blog about was pretty close to one! This spectacular wedding was hosted at the stunning Stonepine Estates in the heart of Carmel Valley. Stonepine Estates is named after the towering Italian stone pines that surround the property. Bought in 1983 by Gordon and Noel Hentschel as a wedding gift to each other, Stonepine is a dream location for any bride.

The bride and groom live in Asia, so the bride's sister who lives in the Bay Area was in charge to plan out the wedding, in which we did it in 4 months! The bride was hoping for a unique wedding location and the goal was to create an unforgettable experience for her guests traveling from all over the globe. Carmel is a memorable place for the couple because it is where the groom popped the question, so ultimately it was also where they wanted their union to take place. I had always known the very special Stonepine Estates, which is one of the most exclusive locations situated in the rolling hills of Carmel Valley. It's so seclusive that when you step in the estate, everything becomes like a fairytale. When I showed the venue to the bride's sister, she knew this is the "it" place!

It was a four day affair with a rehearsal dinner at the Estate's Black Smith Barn for an authentic southern BBQ, complete with a visit to the horse carriage house beforehand. The fairytale wedding took place at the Estate's Chateau Noel. The next day, a Monterey and Carmel tour with a lunch at the Passion Fish Restaurant. All finish off with a departure brunch on the final day at the Estate.

On the wedding day, the weather cooperated for the very in-love couple. The Central California Coast weather can be unpredictable, but we were prepared with many backup plans just in case. Luckily, it was a beautiful day that provided an experience with the most unique peninsula weather--a little breeze, a little rain, a little sun, and a little fog.

The couple woke up and got ready at the stunning Chateau Noel. The bride looked gorgeous with her hair and make-up done by Taylor Pham of Thi Cosmetics. The formal ceremony took place at the English Garden, the bride arrived elegantly in a vintage Rolls Royce, escorted by her proud father. Floral designer Nancy Liu Chin created romantic and picture-perfect floral arrangements that gave just the perfect touch to the space. The guests enjoyed a cocktail hour on the lawn before heading into the greenhouse for the reception. The greenhouse was decked out with billowing white chiffon drapery and hanging crystal chandeliers to create a luxurious but cozy setting, with a colorful mixture of lighting fixtures reflecting all over the estate. From afar, it looked like a glowing light house, all provided by Enhanced Lighting. The white dance floor had style with white lounge furniture and gold accents supplied by Hartmann Studios. Guests enjoyed live music played by Magnolia Jazz Band, while dining on a five course meal paired with extraordinary selected champagne and wines, all carefully prepared by the Stonepine Estates chef. Cake superstar Marina at Just Cake created an eye-catching ivory cake with cascading flowers.

There were so many things I loved about this wedding, such as the couple’s personal vows, gorgeous stationery handwritten by Papineau Calligraphy, a displayed grand piano played by the couple’s best friend, open mic for guests to make speeches, and much more. The wedding was so dream-like and definitely a memorable event for all involved! All of it was captured by the talented Andrew from Studio MSV and Anna from Anna Kuperberg Photography.

More beautiful pictures from Anna Kuperberg: http://kuperberg.com/ss/Stonepine/

Andrew from MSV captured the beauty and emotion of the day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Oroe7UpFE

Read about the wedding on Style Me Pretty & The Flirty Guide:

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2010/07/21/carmel-valley-wedding-by-anna-kuperberg/

http://theflirtyguide.blogspot.com/2010/01/fantastic-wedding-video-at-stonepine.html