Cozy Neutrals and Unstructured Florals Brought the Beauty of Home to This Outdoor Wedding

Nicole Davis and Cort Green's engagement was a family affair—a rather large feat with six children between them. "Cort and the kids set up a scavenger hunt throughout the house and neighborhood," says Nicole. "I was given a clue, and at each spot was one of the kids with a big, wrapped gift and another clue. By the end of the night, I was down at the park with six huge boxes and six kids trailing behind me and we found Cort with the best gift of all—my ring." He got down on one knee and asked her to marry him, and after the bride-to-be agreed, the kids started cheering and came in for a huge group hug. "We were all in tears and celebrating our family's union, excited about this next chapter for all of us," Nicole recalls.

As the bride and mother of the groom are both interior designers, Nicole and Cort felt that creating a setting reflective of their home was a beautiful way to wed. Says the bride, "We loved the idea of it feeling similar—cozy, inviting, layered, inspired by the natural surroundings, and with really great lighting." The Shady Canyon Gold Club in Irvine, California, had the perfect aesthetic and held many memories for the pair. "We've spent many occasions celebrating holidays there, or evenings eating outside," says Nicole of the couple's pick. "We both love the feeling of Shady Canyon." With a loose vision of a romantic dinner party, the pair worked with Heather Balliet of Amorology to create an event that was highly personalized. "Heather had us fill out a lengthy "getting to know you" questionnaire on the Amorology site that was enjoyable for Cort and I to laugh and tear up over while answering," says Nicole. "It was a useful way for their team to get to know us and our story to better help them plan the wedding." The end result was a gorgeous celebration of all their favorite people and things. "The colors and visuals were very reflective of our home," says Cort. "The friends and family that were in attendance were all very personal to us. And each song played by the band was chosen by us and reminded us of the songs we'd listen to while dating and engaged."

The finishing touch was having a close friend—Marianne Bates, who also served as florist—officiate the custom ceremony. "She was amazing, and it was beautiful," asserts Nicole. "It just felt right."

Cort and Nicole sought out a unique invitation style. "We both love a masculine and clean edge to stationery," says the bride, who worked with Epoch Designs to select a mix of earthy hues. The envelope liner was inspired by natural stone, while RSVP iterations were green to represent the pair's favorite color and last name. "The RSVP was printed on textured, torn-edged paper," Nicole adds. "I loved the juxtaposition of that with the invite."

The bride fell for an exquisitely made Lola Varma wedding dress with an understated design. "I really wanted to feel comfortable and to not be fussing with a stiff dress all night or parading about in something I didn't feel like myself in," Nicole says. "It felt romantic, and I was comfortable." The back of the gown featured three delicate ties as well as the subtlest sweep train; the fabric revealed a linear pattern that was layered at the waist and bodice to create a subtle crosshatch. "My mom was with me when I found it and we both said right away how much we loved the fabric and how it looked like something I would wear," says Nicole. "The beauty was in the details."

Tan-hued gingham slides from Loeffler Randall added subtle, but unique flair to her look—and spoke to the event's neutral color palette.

Loose and airy with movement and depth, the bride's bouquet was modern, romantic, and textural and composed with the best of the season's blooms. Full flowers, including "Ella" garden roses, were mixed with small-headed blooms such as white scabiosa, sweet peas, and ranunculus for an unstructured, garden vibe. Smoke bush, mock orange, pokeweed, heirloom hydrangeas, delphinium, and smilax rounded out the display.

Cort's pale gray, Ted Baker suit featured a subtle tan plaid and was finished with a white shirt and ecru tie. "I tried on a number of different suits, but the colors and textures in this one ended up being my favorite and worked well with the predominant tones in our wedding," he says.

The couple's blended family includes a trio of sons, who served as groomsmen and were handsomely turned out in Ralph Lauren. "The hardest part was finding matching suits, shoes, and ties that included sizes for a 14-year-old down to a six-year-old," notes Cort. "Luckily, Ralph pulled through for us." As for Nicole's attendants? "The bridesmaids were my daughter, Presley, and my two step-daughters, Marie and Coco," says Nicole. "I decided to have us all in white dresses, since it was a marriage of the family in a sense."

Presley wore pearl-studded hair pins, which connected her look to her mom's (Nicole wore threaded pearl earrings).

The pair had their first look at the bride's parents home; it was a stolen moment before the hustle and bustle of the wedding began. "We could look each other in the eyes and be present with each other in anticipation of what was to come and our future together," explains Cort. "My heart swelled when I saw her for the first time in that dress. It's something I'll never forget—feeling so grateful to be marrying such an amazing, beautiful woman."

Potted plants and floral arrangements lined the aisle between quaint woven chairs and charming wooden benches.

The backdrop for the couple's ceremony was a handsome outdoor fireplace, which was meaningful for the bride. "One of my favorite places to be is cozied up by a fire," she says. A cascading swag of greenery dotted with flowers gave the structure an additional dose of elegance.

Nicole's children escorted her down the altar.

One of Cort's favorite memories is the way the couple's children reacted as he and Nicole exchanged vows they wrote themselves. "Some of the kids got emotional, which in turn made many of the guests emotional," says the groom. "Hugging each of them with tears in our eyes at the end is a special moment I'll always cherish."

Guests enjoyed alcohol-free drinks designed by and named after the couple's blended brood. "We had a really fun drink tasting and mixing with all of us and my parents at Shady Canyon," says Nicole. "We love to make all sorts of drink combinations at home—it became a fun thing we'd all do together while dating, so the kids loved that. They all were very proud of their mocktails."

Seating areas comprised of indoor furniture arranged outdoors gave guests places to comfortably mingle while sipping their beverages.

Attendees collected their seating cards from a display that offered various flavors of popcorn to munch on.

The notes featured a mix of print and calligraphy.

Glass bottles of wooden matches were offered to guests as favors. A sign invited loved ones to share their recommendations with the couple for "keeping the fire burning" in a book placed beside the display.

An open tent shaded beautiful wooden tables topped with unstructured centerpieces and glass hurricanes filled with golden candles.

Airy linen runners echoed the snowy white flowers; overhead, glass and woven lanterns cast a warm glow.

Several centerpieces featured subtle pops of color by way of peachy-pink roses.

Glass bottles, wrapped in calligraphed leather bands, served as table numbers.

Metal flatware and glassware rimmed in gold added a luxurious touch to otherwise organic place settings.

"Setting the menu was one of the highlights of the planning process," says Cort. "We had a menu tasting at Shady Canyon and got to try a variety of their amazing appetizers and entrées. We eventually settled on miso sea bass and chicken over risotto. Both were incredible."

The newlyweds skipped several reception traditions, first dance included, but shared an iteration of one ahead of the party: "While the band and wedding was getting set up, before the guests arrived, Nicole and I had a special moment on the dance floor with just the two of us. We slow danced and chatted a little before things got started," says Cort of this big-day highlight.

Cort and Nicole decided against a traditional cake, opting instead for a selection of luscious cherry, pecan, pumpkin, and apple pies, courtesy of Hey There, Cupcake!, for dessert.

Photography, This Modern Romance
Venue, Shady Canyon Golf Club, Irvine California
Wedding Planning and Event Design, Amorology
Videographer, Quixotic
Flowers, Marianne Bates for Posey Pop
Invitations and stationery, Epoch Designs
Officiant, Marianne Bates
Bridal gown, Lola Varma
Bridal salon, Loho Bride
Veil, New Phrenology
Hair, Paige Davenport
Makeup, Brittany Gharring
Bridesmaids' dresses, Zara
Groom's attire, Ted Baker
Groomsmen's attire, Ralph Lauren
Engagement ring and wedding bands, Grace Lee
Music, The Half Moons for Dart Collective
Catering, Shady Canyon Golf Club, Irvine California
Pies, Hey There, Cupcake!
Rentals, Backup Backdrops; BBJ Linen; Bright Rentals; Found Rental Co.; Greystone Table; Hostess Haven
Lighting, Found Rentals