A Provence-Inspired Garden Wedding in a Private Olive Grove

When Rebecca Maxwell and Jason Paguio first met in 2012, they were both seeing other people. But when they reconnected the next year at the Victoria Highland Games, where Rebecca had been invited to sing the national anthem and Jason, a drum major, would perform, they were both single. "After walking into what would later become one of our favorite pubs to frequent together, I noticed Jason immediately," says Rebecca. "We spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing, and the remainder of that weekend thoroughly enamored with each other." As the months and years passed, they continued their long-distance relationship, with Rebecca living in British Columbia and Jason in San Diego.

The day before Rebecca turned 26, Jason set up a "last-minute" photo shoot—which was actually a cover for his proposal plans—at one of the couple's favorite cideries. "I suspected nothing when the photographer stopped us in an area where couples often get married and told us to 'do something romantic,'" says Rebecca. "This was his cue, and Jason got down on one knee and surprised me with the most beautiful proposal of marriage."

Rebecca and Jason's initial wedding plans included 140 guests at a venue in Malibu in October of 2020, but as COVID-19 and Rebecca's efforts to immigrate to the United States forced a re-plan, the couple began searching for a new venue. "We wanted a black-tie event that saw our guests dressed to the nines, but didn't feel stuffy or rigid," says Rebecca. "We were ultimately looking for European-inspired styling, with Southern California's great weather to help support an outdoor location. Fortunately, our planner, Dani Blasena, opened up her home to us and made our dream of a destination wedding in Provence—but in SoCal—a reality."

Dani, of Haute Fêtes, hosted the couple's outdoor wedding for 80 guests on August 19, 2021, in her home's backyard olive grove, and created a Monet-inspired aesthetic for cocktails and dinner under the stars. The couple included subtle nods to their shared priorities—nature, music, their families—throughout the day, accented by pastel florals, delicate signage, and elevated details. "In the end," says Rebecca, "I think the mixture of new with old, classic chic with small nods of personalization and fun—it brought our vision to life!"

Rebecca and Jason worked with Lisa Woodward of Foundry Paper Co. to create a garden-inspired paper suite full of custom details. "We knew that we wanted to incorporate my Scottish heritage, not just for me and my family, but also because it played such a crucial role in how we met," says Rebecca, "and we wanted to do it in subtle ways that allowed our personal style to shine through." An embossed Scottish thistle wax seal was included on the save-the-date envelopes, invitations, and other papers, and the couple chose Celtic-inspired lettering for their monogram.

A striped ribbon matched the one Rebecca and Jason would use during their handfasting ceremony, and previewed other striped textiles at the reception. "I was immediately taken with the idea of a floral wreath containing a few whimsical objects that could subtly hint at meaningful moments or things for us," says Rebecca. "Lisa made this a reality by incorporating things like painted caterpillars playing the trumpet and bumblebees carrying musical notes to represent our strong ties to music, and some olive branches at the base of the wreath to represent our eventual wedding ceremony site."

After what she describes as "a few failed attempts" at finding a wedding dress in Canada, Rebecca and her mother flew to Los Angeles for a weekend of shopping. "I had so much fun with the gown-trying process that I actually really struggled to be sure that I was picking 'the one,'" she says. But she had always been drawn to gowns from Lee Petra Grebenau—"I love the intricacy of the hand-affixed beading throughout their designs, and each piece has such a clear personality," she says—so at a trunk show for the brand, she was able to find several options. "I eventually narrowed to a few different styles and, worried that I was never going to get that 'Ah ha!' moment of clarity, I finally had to call my fiancé to drive up from San Diego and take a look," she says. "Thank goodness both he and my Mum knew right away which dress I should choose, and the rest is history!"

She planned to add a hand-embroidered, cathedral-length veil to her sleeveless, floral-embellished mermaid gown, but when her veil designer had to bow out, she decided to keep it simple. "As much as I had felt like I needed the full bridal experience of wearing a veil, I was always unsure of whether or not it would diminish the amazing details of my dress," she says, referencing the beaded, detachable cape. "I ended up loving the look and was really glad that the universe transpired to stop me from over-accessorizing!"

Rebecca's accessories included custom takes on heirloom jewels, which, she says, "now mean the absolute world to me." Marrow Fine designed a new setting for her grandmother's blue sapphire ring "to modernize the piece and make it more wearable," and Rebecca also used stones from several family rings to make a new piece. "In addition to the beautiful engagement ring and wedding band that Jason had made for me, I chose to have Marrow Fine create a custom headdress ring that I affectionately refer to as the 'matriarch ring,' comprised of stones from my great-grandmother, grandmother, and aunt's engagement rings, and a few stones from my mum's original wedding band."

She also tied her grandmother's cameo brooch to her "soft but refined" bouquet from Plenty of Petals. A variety of textured blooms, including campanula bells, peach astilbe, lavender phlox, blooming oregano, and lavender freesias, brought the "just plucked from the garden" vision to life.

Since the couple kept their bridal party small, Rebecca asked her bridesmaids to wear matching Amsale gowns for a cohesive look. "I really wanted them to feel comfortable in whatever they ended up wearing, while keeping with the black-tie attire requested of our guests," she says. "The dove gray was immediately the perfect color, and the shape of the draped sheer tulle was so flattering and romantic, with tiny tulle bows at their shoulders—another easy yes!"

"Jason and I both love fashion and both have very strong opinions on the subject," says Rebecca, so the groom chose his tuxedo and accessories carefully. He wore a made-to-measure white jacket and black trousers from SuitSupply, with an OTAA bow tie, Giuseppe Zanotti crystal-embellished velvet loafers, Jacques Marie Mage eyeglasses, a Vacheron-Constantin watch, and monogrammed sterling silver cuff links from Dalman & Narborough Regimental Mace Company, his first business.

He chose an equally timeless look for his groomsmen: three-piece black Vera Wang tuxedos from Men's Wearhouse. "We wanted to keep them neutral and classic, and they all definitely appreciated the addition of a waistcoat, which allowed them to remain elevated in attire," Jason says, "even once their jackets had been removed and a few drinks on the dance floor had been enjoyed!"

Each of the men wore a different boutonnière, featuring a combination of majolica spray roses, lisianthus, blueberries, phlox, and blooming oregano.

The duo shared a sweet, emotional first look in the foyer.

Though they originally planned to hold their ceremony on the property's lush front lawn, Rebecca and Jason changed their mind when they saw the intimate olive grove, accessible from a dramatic stone staircase. Understated, whitewashed chairs allowed the rich foliage and colorful floral arrangements to stand out.

An archway laden with blooms created a central spot for the couple's vows. Roses, lisianthus, and delphinium added subtle color to potted herbs, including oregano and rosemary.

After the bridal party processional, Rebecca descended the stone staircase on her own before meeting her mother and father for the rest of her walk to the altar. "I really wanted to be sure to have a grand entrance into our ceremony," she says. "It was also important to me that I find a way to incorporate a moment of independence, while still honoring both of my parents." She chose "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles for her processional—a memorable moment for the groom. "I cried when Rebecca told me what song she wanted to walk down the aisle to," says Jason. "It was so perfect for her, and it was amazing watching our guests perk up and smile when they realized what song it was."

Officiant Sherri Allen helped Rebecca and Jason write their ceremony, including the planned exchange of personalized vows—which the couple decided at the last minute to keep private. "The morning of our wedding, Jason felt very strongly that we should keep our handwritten vows separate and just for us," says Rebecca. "Though we were immediately worried about it, removing our handwritten vows didn't diminish our ceremony in any way and made us feel like we had a beautiful secret just between us."

Rebecca and Jason also wrote a handfasting ceremony into their wedding, asking their stationer to calligraph the names of their family members onto the ends, "creating a family tree of sorts," says Rebecca, "that led each family inwards towards each other where we tied the knot!" They also referenced details from their past throughout, allowing them to connect with guests who had experienced the relationship alongside them. "Our ceremony was so beautifully written and so personal to us, that when we finally heard it read aloud in front of our friends and family, it meant absolutely everything," she says. "We were really doing this for our loved ones to feel included in our story—one that we feel is so epic and traverses so many years and places and people. It was amazing to look out and see people who represented different times and places in our lives coming together and hearing where their piece fit into the story of us."

A last-minute decision to add a petal toss became one of the couple's most cherished moments. "Just a few days before the wedding, I had the idea for a 'signature scent' of sorts, so we decided to create sachets of lavender for our guests to toss during the recessional," says Rebecca. "Admittedly, we were picking lavender out of our hair and clothes for days, but it ended up being one of our best ideas—all of our guests had so much fun absolutely pelting us with flowers!"

High-contrast striped umbrellas, pale linens, wicker lounge furniture, and cushioned folding chairs created a French garden atmosphere for the couple's cocktail hour, where the creative menu was "a major highlight for all of our guests!" says Jason. "We worked with our catering team to incorporate a few cultural elements through our appetizers, with Rebecca's Scottish heritage and my Filipino heritage, culminating in the advent of 'haggis lumpia!' Our appetizers featured other bites like vegetarian lumpia, multiple customized flatbreads based on a few of our hometown favorites and dunnet head shrimp fritters."

The couple also focused on designing three signature drinks for their reception. "Cocktail faire is something we both hold in high regard, so with the opportunity to design a few of our own, we took the task very seriously!" says Rebecca. "Our signature cocktails included the 'JP Pasteur,' which was a take on Jason's favorite drink, a penicillin; 'The Rebecca,' with quintessentially 'me' elements like gin and teapot bitters, served in a coupe and accented with fresh lavender; and Love Potion No. 1, a vodka-based drink with passion fruit liqueur and purée and prosecco, piled high with colorful edible flowers and accented with black-and-white striped straws."

Delicately-scripted escort cards displayed on individual stands called back to the floral motif from the invitations.

Footed garden urns held arrangements of garden roses, ranunculus, spirea, lisianthus, sweet peas, hydrangea, and jasmine vine, interspersed along the tables with potted herbs.

"We wanted to create a whimsical, but elegant setting layered with finely crafted pieces for a contemporary but inviting table with a romantic European, garden vibe," says planner Dani Blasena of Haute Fêtes.

Round stations were situated just across the pool, on the lush lawn.

Cut glass stemware and gold-edged glass chargers sparkled against gray, garden-patterned linens, while gold flatware and asymmetrical place cards added a modern element. "Our tabletop design was by far the easiest and fastest 'yes' for us!" says Rebecca. "Dani did such a beautiful job of pulling together something elegant and romantic, but with enough small twists on classics that it felt fresh."

Simple table numbers, adorned with a botanical motif, were placed in natural wooden stands.

Rebecca and Jason performed their first dance just after entering the reception, choosing Thomas Rhett's "Blessed"—after hours of research. "We spent days, if not weeks, talking over all of our song selections for each part of our day," says Rebecca. "With music being a focal point of our day, the pressure was on to pick the perfect song that was either a quintessential classic or something new that somehow captured our entire relationship." They brought a shortlist of favorites to their dance instructor, and realized the tune would present an ideal opportunity for choreography.

String lights twinkled in the juniper trees and reflected off the pool as guests dined on a menu from The Farmhouse Catering, designed with Rebecca's pescatarian diet in mind. "Our team gave us full control over our selections, making sure that we incorporated all of our favorite things," says Jason. "We served a kale salad with fresh ingredients like honey crisp apples, ere-foria cheese, shaved fennel, golden raisins and sunflower seeds. We also served three entree options: A crispy skin salmon with crab and white bean purée; honey butter jidori chicken with champagne caper sauce; and roasted aubergine with coriander pesto and wild rice."

Both Rebecca and Jason changed into second outfits for their reception, with the bride donning a Harriette Gordon mini dress. "As soon as I saw it, I had to have it," she says. Jason traded his white jacket for a gray-checked version, also from SuitSupply, just before the newlyweds re-entered the reception to cut their cake.

Hey There, Cupcake! provided the couple with a three-tiered vanilla latte cake, adorned with gray brushstroke detailing, sugar blooms, and pearls.

At the end of the evening, the bride and groom left through a display of sparklers—Jason's favorite moment: "Running through everyone gathered around and creating a path to cheer us off into the night, getting into the vintage speedster, then surprising our friends and family with an explosion of light as we drove off—it doesn't get much better!"

Photography, Jen Huang Bogan
Venue, Bastide de Bonheur
Event Planning, Haute Fêtes
Catering, The Farmhouse Catering
Flowers, Plenty of Petals
Videography, Aziz Studios
Officiant, Sherri Allen
Stationery, Foundry Paper Co.
Cake, Hey There, Cupcake!
Music, Lucky Devils Band
Rentals, Bright Event Rentals; La Tavola Linens; Theoni Collection
Bride's gown, Lee Petra Grebenau (ceremony); Harriette Gordon (reception)
Bride's accessories, Stuart Weitzman shoes (ceremony); Jimmy Choo shoes (reception); Alepel sneakers (reception); Brilliant Diamonds jewelry; Marrow Fine jewelry
Hair and Makeup, Stacey Triplow
Bridesmaids' dresses, Amsale
Groom's attire, SuitSupply
Menswear, Men's Wearhouse
Groom's accessories, OTAA bowtie; Giuseppe Zanotti shoes; Dalman & Narborough Regimental Mace Co. cufflinks; Vacheron-Constantin watch; Jacques Marie Mage eyeglasses
Lighting, Amber Event Production
Transportation, San Diego Charter Inc.; Turo
Rings, Brilliant Diamonds