A Fashion-Forward Fall Wedding With a Secret Garden Theme

When Isabelle and Zach matched on Hinge in 2019, they were both traveling internationally. “I was on a business trip in Rome for a fashion show and Zach was in Marrakesh, but heading to Monaco and Portugal soon after,” Isabelle says. The two chatted during their trips and planned to meet for dinner in West Hollywood when they were back in town. When Isabelle was almost an hour late for their first date, Zach was sure he was being stood up—but as soon as she arrived, they completely hit it off. When Isabelle got home that night, she received a text from Zach making it clear he wanted to see her again and she saved a screenshot of the text, knowing she felt the same way.

Three years later, the couple planned a dinner reservation on Zach’s birthday, and he tricked Isabelle into thinking he needed to pick up some mail at his old apartment on the way. “Instead of going into the unit for the mail, we went up to the roof of the apartment complex  which overlooks all of West Hollywood. The rooftop was beautifully decorated with flowers and candles,” she says. “Zach proposed at sunset while we looked over the city where we had fallen in love.”

The two planned their November 5, 2022, wedding day at Rancho Valencia Resort in Rancho Santa Fe, California, just five minutes away from Isabelle’s childhood home. They held their “secret garden”-themed ceremony on the property’s lawn (which just so happened to back up to the bride’s grandparents’ former home). Isabelle and Zach enlisted Alexandra Kolendrianos to execute their idea for a celebration inspired by old Hollywood, complete with an autumnal color scheme and textured décor details. Read on to see the wedding-party fashion, the emotional first look, and the custom structure that was built for the reception in photos by Lacie Hansen Photography.

The couple’s invitation suite from Studio Luzance featured a cream velvet save-the-date card with matte white foil text and a floral line drawing. The invitations were tucked into a velvet sleeve with embossed poppy florals and a letterpress custom monogram in gold foil. “Inside the sleeve, the invitation was simple, with natural white cotton paper with beige letterpress and gold-edge painting,” Isabelle says. The floral poppy motif was inspired by the bride’s wedding dress.

Isabelle got ready the morning of her wedding day with her bridesmaids and flower girl at Rancho Valencia Resort. She stood out in a white short-sleeved Hill House robe with white fuzzy slippers with pearl detailing, while her wedding party wore matching blue nap dresses. Isabelle had floral zip-up hoodies on hand for the couple’s mothers and her grandmother, too, which were also from Hill House.

When Isabelle went shopping for her wedding dress, she was most excited for her appointment at Oscar de la Renta. “Years ago, one of my first fashion internships was in the same building as the New York ODLR offices,” she says. “One day, I happened to get in the elevator with Mr. de la Renta himself. I was just in awe of his presence. That may have been the moment I knew I wanted to wear his designs when I got married.”

As soon as she was engaged, she spent hours scrolling through gowns and finally spotted an off-the-shoulder number in silk faille with embroidered hand-cut organza and silk yarn threaded flowers. When she tried the gown on in person, she knew it was the perfect one for her. She was able to customize the dress to extend the train and added a bustle so she could wear it for her first dance with Zach. She paired her gown with an Oscar de la Renta embroidered tulle veil with chain flowers, pearl and diamond earrings that were her “something borrowed” from her grandmother, and a sapphire ring from her sister-in-law as her “something blue.”

Isabelle carried a garden-style bouquet with natural flowers in soft hues of blush and peach. The arrangement included garden roses,  ranunculus, hellebores, and lisianthus with trailing vines. For her “something old,” Isabelle wrapped her bouquet in her late grandmother’s lace handkerchief, a family tradition. “We also incorporated Zach’s late grandmother’s wedding band into the bouquet,” Isabelle says. “It was special to have heirloom pieces from both of our families woven in.”

Isabelle’s maid of honor, Paige, has been her best friend since pre-school. “We went to grade school together, all the way through sharing a place at USC—and then even lived together after graduating in Los Angeles,” Isabelle says. “The rest of my bridal party included my sister-in-laws, cousins, and a few close friends.”

The bridesmaids wore floral printed dresses in neutral shades. Isabelle wanted the ladies to feel confident and beautiful in their outfits, but it was important to her that the looks were cohesive and unique. “I was thrilled all the bridesmaids loved their dresses because I had put so much careful effort into selecting each one,” she says. “I was so happy with how they looked together.”

Isabelle worked at Gucci for years, so there was no question about what the groom would wear on the big day—a Gucci tuxedo with a velvet jacket. “It was so special to have Zach wear Gucci when we got married, and to have the Gucci team be a part of our wedding process,” the bride says. “They even customized his bow tie special for us!”

The groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos with satin peak lapels paired with black velvet smoking slippers. “Since Zach wore a black velvet tuxedo jacket, we wanted to incorporate a touch of velvet into the groomsmen’s looks, too,” Isabelle says. The couple’s ring bearers also wore black tuxedos with their own unique velvet touches.

Isabelle and Zach shared a first look before the ceremony so they could have a few quiet moments together before the celebrations began. They wrote their own vows and shared them privately at this moment, which was a big-day highlight, they say. “The first look will always be so special to both of us,” Isabelle shares. “We were ready and excited, but seeing one another for the first time was emotional and breathtaking.”

Before the ceremony, Isabelle and Zach signed the ketubah, or Jewish marriage contract, surrounded by their closest loved ones. “Our ketubah was a gorgeous piece of art designed and  handcrafted by BRITcolors with delicate white and gold garden floral embroidery,” the bride says.

Isabelle and Zach’s secret garden-themed ceremony took place on the Valencia Lawn, where a wrought iron chuppah covered in loose climbing vines, foliage, and flowers created a stunning focal point. At the aisle’s entrance, a garden gate was covered in textured greenery and full blooms in shades of white, blush, and peach. The aisle itself was lined with arrangements in varying heights, complete with foliage and flowers designed to look as though they were naturally growing from the ground.

As the ceremony began, live musicians from Eliana Strings Quartet played Handel’s “Largo.” Isabelle was accompanied down the aisle by her father as the musicians played Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.”

They were married by Rabbi Cantor Arlene Bernstein in a heartfelt ceremony. “We were just amazed by the efforts so many people took to be there for our day. It was truly humbling to be surrounded by so many of our loved ones,” Isabelle says. They chose Siman Tov’s “Mazel Tov” for their recessional music.

During the cocktail hour, the couple served appetizers like miniature beef wellington, twice baked mini potatoes, tuna tartar, crispy artichoke and hummus spoons, and wild mushroom and truffle arrancine. Zach chose a bourbon mule with fresh lime juice and mint as his drink of choice while Isabelle opted for a mezcal-based cocktail infused with fire-roasted pineapple, served in a martini glass.

Guests jumped into golf carts to head to the Croquet lawn for the reception. There, a custom open-air structure built by Hire Elegance, designed to look like a natural extension of the property, was positioned over dinner tables and a dance floor. “The structure itself was symbolic of Zach and I building our life together as a married couple,” Isabelle says. “A simple wood structure filled with beautiful details, gorgeous light, festive music and, most importantly, surrounded with the people we love.”

The entrance of the space was decorated with greenery, flowers, and clusters of lanterns. Inside, glass chandeliers and matching sconces created a romantic ambience and ivory and beige drapery partially closed in the space. Outside, a wooden table displayed escort cards on cream velvet paper with hand calligraphy in white ink.

The reception tables were topped with French gray tablecloths; place settings included white bone chargers, white lace salad plates, ceramic plates, and blush napkins rolled into bird napkin rings. “The birds added a fun, whimsical element and a nod to my late grandparents who both loved birding and a perfectly set table, always complete with napkin rings,” Isabelle says.

Each round place card was tucked inside the plate and featured the same floral design seen on the couple’s invitations; the menu was printed on the other side. The garden-style centerpiece arrangements included roses, spray roses, hellebores, lisianthus, fall foliage, and other fresh blooms in ceramic or stoneware vessels. “The florals also had hints of amber that really tied in the chandeliers to feel cohesive,” the bride says.

Isabelle and Zach had a white wedding cake with poppy appliqués, inspired by Isabelle’s wedding dress. “The cake was placed on a table covered in flowers at the front of the structure, so it was a focal point,” Isabelle says. They chose salted caramel cake with alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla. As guests enjoyed dessert, the couple also passed trays of espresso martinis.

The first time Isabelle and Zach said “I love you” to each other, they were dancing in the kitchen to Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey”—so it was only natural for them to choose it for their first dance. Isabelle danced with her dad to Elton John’s “Your Song” and Zach danced with his mom to Rascal Flatts’ “My Wish,” too.

For dinner, the couple served a wild arugula and apple salad to start with sharp cheddar, smoked almonds, and a mustard vinaigrette. Guests chose between a braised beef short rib appetizer with garlic potato puree and candied red onion jam, a miso-glazed mero with wasabi whipped potatoes and bok choy, or a porcini pappardelle with squash blossoms for their main course.

The day of Isabelle and Zach’s wedding also coincided with their nephew’s ninth birthday, so they had a football-themed party cake with sprinkles brought out for him while everyone sang to him. “He was so excited to share the day with us,” Isabelle says.

At the reception, Isabelle changed into a Markarian off-the-shoulder mini dress with bow details on the shoulders and a long partial train along with Jimmy Choo block heels. “When we moved inside for the after-party, I completely removed the train and changed into a pair of pearl embellished Golden Goose sneakers to really let loose,” she says. The couple danced the night away with their guests. “Our hora was so much fun. I don’t think we stopped laughing the entire time,” Isabelle remembers. “They kept us up in the chairs for a long while!”