A Pink-Forward, Flower-Filled Wedding in California

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groom kissing bride on head leaning against white vintage wedding car — Sophie Epton

After meeting on Hinge, Charissa and Chris—who "immediately hit it off," says the bride—life threw them a curve ball. "I had matched into a one-year hospital internship in Southern California, but Chris' job was firmly located in Northern California," Charissa explains. "However, instead of deciding to end the early relationship, Chris visited me as much as he could." Nightly FaceTime calls strengthened their bond, which only deepened a year later, when Charissa, psychologist, relocated to San Francisco for a post-doctoral fellowship position at the SFVA Medical Center. They spent more in-real-life time together, they say, and were able to visit with each other's families. And, when the pandemic hit, they "supported each other through it," as well.

In August 2020, Chris surprised Charissa with tickets to Filoli Gardens. Little did she know, he was planning to get down on one knee—and when he did, she was even more surprised when her friends and family hopped out behind the locale's lush bushes and ferns.

After selecting Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga, California—the scenic venue was central for their families, reasonably priced, and had a "secret garden feel," says the bride—Charissa and her mother, who played a major role in honing the event's vision, enlisted the help of Andria Leigh Events. Andria Volpicelli, event designer and owner, and Jessica Shapiro, the senior lead planner and day-of producer, set up biweekly planning calls and fine-tuned the details; Charissa's mom stepped in when the bride-to-be couldn't, sourcing additional vendors and offering her support whenever necessary.

The team effort paid off: On June 19, 2021, surrounded by 160 loved ones, Charissa and Chris tied the knot in a flower-filled service, and then danced the night away during a "romantic Italian-French inspired garden party reception with personal touches that honored the bride and groom's Persian and Irish heritage respectively," notes Andria. From the meaningful ceremony, officiated by Charissa's brother-in-law, to the upbeat party, which began with a performance by Persian drummers (and culminated in a group-wide traditional Irish wedding dance lesson!), it celebrated the pair from start to finish.

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Clean and Contemporary

blue wax seal for white invitation suite — Sophie Epton

The invitation design from Minted was chosen with a simple, modern aesthetic in mind. A blue wax seal elevated the presentation; Rachel Jacques from The Bright Line Studio calligraphed the envelopes' addresses.

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Dressed to Thrill

mother of the bride smiling at bride outside — Sophie Epton

Charissa's fitted wedding dress from Sarah Seven featured a dramatic bodice with off-the-shoulder draped tulle and delicate pearls sprinkled throughout; a hot pink lip completed her look. Here, she posed with her mother, who was instrumental during the preparation process. "She really did a lot of the planning when I couldn't be present and so much of the inspiration came from her," says the bride.

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Father of the Bride

bride adjusting dads paisley print bowtie — Sophie Epton

The bride put the finishing touches on her dad's brightly colored bow tie, which coordinated with his patterned pocket square.

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Delightfully Dapper

groom sitting in chair wearing black and white classic tux — Sophie Epton

Chris accented his classic black tuxedo from SuitSupply with cuff links that belonged to the bride's late grandfather. "He played a big role in my upbringing, but passed away before Chris could meet him," Charissa explains. Striped socks added a touch of whimsy to the otherwise formal ensemble.

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Pretty in Peaches and Pinks

peach and pink themed floral wedding bouquet — Sophie Epton

Charissa's bouquet, arranged by Laura Plascencia of Laura's Floras, was a vibrant medley of garden roses in shades of fuchsia, pink, and peach; they were joined by poppies, cherry Carmel phlox, ranunculus blossoms, and foxgloves, which danced amid honeysuckle vines.

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At First Glance

bride and groom share first look on stairway inside — Sophie Epton

The couple shared their first look on the dramatic stairway of the Lafayette Park Hotel, where the entire wedding party got ready for the ceremony.

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Aisle Style

pink floral wedding ceremony decor — Sophie Epton

An affinity for large, fluffy blooms by the bride and her mother inspired the aisle's décor. Lush garden roses and fully open peonies were arranged atop live moss for a look reminiscent of flowers growing straight from the earth.

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Flowering Beauty

large pink floral wedding arch outside — Sophie Epton

A "broken" floral arch marked the altar and created a gorgeous statement for the vow exchange.

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Pretty Sips

pink floral printed straws in water glasses — Sophie Epton

Guests received ice water, speared with on-palette straws, upon their arrival to Hacienda de las Flores.

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Standing on Ceremony

bride and groom sitting under pink floral wedding arch on bench — Sophie Epton

The pair's Baha'i ceremony—officiated by the bride's brother-in-law—included prayers, music, and quotes read by close friends and family; after the bride and groom repeated the verse, "We all verily abide by the will of God," in response. The bride's hot pink Manolo Blahnik mules, which spoke to the overarching palette, peeked out during the service.

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Sealed with a Kiss

bride and groom share a kiss under pink floral wedding arch — Sophie Epton

A tufted loveseat bench was placed beneath the floral arch so the couple could sit during the service, but their first kiss as husband and wife took place standing up.

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Assigned Seating

gold trimmed glass container escort cards — Sophie Epton

On their way to the reception, guests found their names inscribed inside individual glass boxes that contained a tuft of live moss and a handwritten scroll with their name and table number.

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Garden Gate

black iron wedding gate with pink floral decor — Sophie Epton

Wrought-iron gates festooned with flowers opened to a glowing courtyard where a European-style garden party awaited.

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Table Talk

long reception tables outside under canopy lights — Sophie Epton

Long reception tables covered in ivory linens were arranged beneath a canopy of lights which provided plenty of ambience when the sun went down.

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Pretty Placement

low pink and peach floral wedding centerpieces — Sophie Epton

Each ivory, gold-tipped place setting was topped by a luxe velvet napkin in a pale shade of seafoam and a personalized menu on ivory card stock wrapped with blush ribbon. Centerpieces composed of ranunculus, foxglove, antique violas, poppies, and more brought depth to the color palette with shades of pink and peach. Each guest enjoyed a sophisticated version of a cake pop cloaked in white icing and accented with a sugar flower brushed in edible gold.

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Dance Party

bride and groom standing outside smiling — Sophie Epton

"Unique to the traditional wedding format, we held an hour of dancing in the reception space before guests were seated for dinner," says Jessica Shapiro, the senior lead planner, who handled day-of production, with Andria Leigh Events. "This was a direct request from Charissa and Chris, and it was such a joyous time—guests had just left cocktail hour and entered through the gates of the immaculate, glowing courtyard, and got to begin enjoying the space immediately. Highly recommend!"

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Lost in Love

bride and groom share a kiss at sweetheart table — Sophie Epton

Charissa and Chris shared a romantic tableside kiss in the gorgeous courtyard.

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Treat Table

gold trimmed tables topped with various foods — Sophie Epton

An array of traditional Persian foods, which included colorful dried fruits, was offered at a mirrored dessert station.

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Second Act

short white reception dress with large bow on back — Sophie Epton

Charissa slipped into a short dress from Alexia Maria for dancing; it featured a large bow with a mini train, which drew her to the design.

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Sophisticated Sweet

three tiered light blue frosted with gold flake accent wedding cake — Sophie Epton

The couple's confection—the layers of tiramisu and strawberry shortcake were composed by Emma Cakery by Niloofar—was iced in light blue, detailed in gold, and accented with white faux flowers.

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