After Postponing Their Nuptials for a Full Year, This Couple Celebrated Their Wedding Day in Floral Fashion

Samantha Perry, a financial advisor, and Jakub Ulvilden, a consultant, first met on June 6, 2013, at their freshman orientation at Boise State University. They exchanged Snapchats that day and became each other's first friends in college after coming from two very separate worlds in Wisconsin and California. From that point on, the pair nurtured a lasting friendship that bloomed into love. They marked their engagement over six years later on top of Bald Mountain in Sun Valley, Idaho, another meaningful place to the both of them. "We started the year off skiing in Sun Valley, our favorite place," the bride says. "At the top of the mountain, Jakub popped the question."

When it came time to start planning their wedding day, the couple knew they wanted to celebrate their love seven years to the day they met. But with the novel coronavirus looming worldwide, they were forced to put a stop to their plans and changed the date to June 5, 2021. "It really was a total re-plan, but we could not get started until we received state guidance in early April." Samantha says. "We moved all parts of the production outdoors and asked guests for proof of vaccination or negative COVID tests."

Two key parts of their nuptials remained the same, though: their venue, The Estate at Yountville, and their theme. "Originally, we loved the outdoor space because of how spacious it was, the location in Yountville, and the fact that we could start later in the evening at 6 p.m. and go into the barrel room for the reception until 1 a.m.," the couple shares. "Due to COVID, we moved everything outside and the timing up to work with the noise ordinances." They decided to keep the original reception's floral scheme, which ended up being their favorite detail, thanks to their planner and creative director, Simone Lennon Events; she guided them through their one-year replanning phase. "We were able to do a mock-up of different florals, chargers, tablecloths, and more to choose and create our favorite setup," the bride says. "The blooms really made our wedding stand out and people really loved them and appreciated them more than other decorative items." 

The couple worked alongside Jill Sassa of PS Paper to create paper goods for their wedding, including the invitation suite. "We loved the look of watercolor, so we incorporated that element throughout our entire suite, dinner menus, and day-of signage," the bride shares. "We had a custom watercolor done by an artist, Julie Song, and applied it onto the invitations."

The bride and groom sent guests change-of-date notes, which spoke to the rest of the original set. "We just wanted everything to be very consistent and to have continuity, so our wedding day felt like an extension of it all," Samantha says.

Samantha and Jakub kicked off their wedding celebrations with a rehearsal dinner at their venue, The Estate at Yountville. 

To abide by state COVID restrictions, the wedding weekend took place entirely outside at the vineyard estate.

In the end, 165 guests came into town for the couple's big day; a smaller group congregated for the pre-nuptial festivities. After the rehearsal was through, the celebrants toasted at a single long table set up in a courtyard. 

On the big day, Samantha stunned in her Vera Wang wedding dress and Manolo Blahnik shoes as she held onto her lush bouquet filled with muted garden roses and peonies.

The bride's mother—along with her aunt, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, maid of honor, and wedding planner—loved her gown as soon as she tried it on during the shopping process.

A Tom Ford "O'Connor" tuxedo in midnight blue, earl studs, pearl cuff links, and a Rolex submariner watch completed Jakub's big-day attire. His groomsmen wore classic black ensembles from Generation Tux.

All of Samantha's bridesmaids wore BHLDN dresses in the same emerald green hue and fabric, but chose different styles. "It was really important to me that all of the girls liked their dresses and were comfortable," the bride says. "I also loved doing a darker color in the summer for contrast—and it looked great with all of the florals and greenery at the venue."

"The flower girl wore a puffy dress and flower crown," the couple shares, "and the ring bearer wore a little suit—they looked very cute."

After a year delay, the moment finally came for Samantha and Jakub to make their way towards the altar. Their first look took place in the vineyard of the venue surrounded by grape vines. "It was a long time coming," the bride says. "After, I was ready to have our ceremony and get the day started." 

The pair's lush, romantic vision came full circle during the ceremony. The space's décor consisted of an altar arch with garden roses and vines, floral arrangements at the aisle's entrance, and wooden café chairs. 

A violin instrumental version of "Can't Help Falling in Love" played on a pre-recorded track as Samantha and her father walked down the aisle during the processional. 

Jakub teared up with emotion as Samantha made her way to the altar. The bride's grandfather officiated the "very personal, heartfelt, and comical" ceremony. 

After sharing their first kiss as husband and wife, the couple walked out to "Wedding March" during the recessional.  

The newlyweds poured Champagne from tiers of glasses during cocktail hour. 

In addition to a variety of beer, wine, and a full bar, the couple had two signature cocktails: A Manhattan for Jakub and an Aperol spritz for Samantha. 

As for the appetizers served during the interlude? Goat cheese tartelettes, lamb lollipops, duck breast tacos, and crab cakes. 

Aside from rescheduling their wedding day due to the COVID-19 outbreak, getting the guest list in order and creating a seating chart prove to be the pair's greatest challenges. Once the latter came together, though, they surrounded the standalone display with an array of florals.

For extra comfort and safety, the couple kept their entire event outdoors with the help of their planner, Simone Lennon Events. She designed an open-air reception tent with light silver draping and large floral chandeliers strung above guests' tables and the dance floor. 

Tables included lush floral centerpieces filled with greenery, peonies, and garden roses in dusty colors.

Each guest found a custom watercolor letterpress menu with gold foil accents at their place setting. Tablescapes featured soft blue velvet linens, gold rimmed pastel chargers, and gold flatware.

Sadly, Jakub's mother passed away before their nuptials—the couple kept tributes to her near on the big day, including several family photos on the tabletops. She also played a big part in the planning of their celebration, the bride shares: "She loved my wedding dress and helped pick it out, which was very special to Jakub."

The Chris Clouse Project, a hybrid DJ and band group, performed throughout the reception; they handled vocals, guitar, and violin. The team also incorporated a drummer and saxophone player. 

Before entering their reception, Samantha changed into a Berta gown that was "fun and sparkly for dancing."

Modern and simple, their confection included three tiers of red velvet and strawberry shortcake along with edible flowers on its exterior.

Photography, Rebecca Yale
Venue, The Estate at Yountville
Full-Service Planning and Creative Direction, Simone Lennon Events
Videography, Kindlewood Films
Flowers, Waterlily Pond Floral Artistry
Invitations and Paper Products, Jill Sassa of PS Paper
Paper Product Artist, Julie Song
Bridal Gown and Veil, Vera Wang
Bridal Shoes, Manolo Blahnik
Bridal Reception Dress, Berta
Hair and Makeup, Jane Kim of The Glamourist
Bridesmaids' Dresses, BHLDN
Groom's Attire, Tom Ford; Rolex watch
Groomsmen's Attire, Generation Tux
Wedding Bands, Tiffany; Blue Nile
Music, Chris Clouse
Catering, The Estate at Yountville
Cake, Pretty Please Bakeshop
Rentals, Theoni; La Tavola; Hensley Event Resources
Lighting, GOT Light