From the Vine
A wedding inspired by wine country
ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES of getting married in wine country is being surrounded by landscape so beautiful, so unforgettable, you hardly need to decorate. Take, for instance, a property like Orfila Vineyards & Winery in Escondido. It is an unexpected gem just 30 minutes north of downtown San Diego. Here, views of the San Pasqual Valley are breathtaking. Vines embrace the 70-acre estate like they do in Tuscany. And even the barrel room, with its windowless walls and towering aisles of oak barrels, provides a striking backdrop.
“We love the long, narrow trellis for dinner seating along the top of the Orfila hillside,” says Aubyn Gominiak of Taylored Occasions. At our invitation, she and partner MaryAnn Taylor designed a tabletop inspired by the vineyard.
“When we were asked to design a tabletop for the barrel room, we knew we needed a really rich color palette,” Gominiak says. “Although the room is architecturally interesting with its high rows of barrels, it can be dark and cold without natural light. To warm it up, we selected our favorite iridescent taffeta linens from Wildflower. The material is thick and luxurious and we love the way the fabric’s diamond lines echo those of the stacked barrels.”
According to Taylor, a wedding inspired by wine country is one that should also be inspired by the senses. Their tabletop may have been indoors, but that was all the more reason to bring in natural elements such as grapes, red and green pears, avocado, raspberries, coffee beans and various types of tree branches.
“Texture is extremely important when creating a feel for this room,” she explains. “We like to incorporate many different textures in our materials in order to evoke certain feelings while appealing to individual tactile sensations.”
She and Gominiak discovered beautiful wood bowls and chargers fashioned from the roots of fir trees. With eye-catching organic shapes and free-flowing lines, the items reminded them of mature grape vines and became an inspiration for their design. They collaborated with floral designer David Hahn of Willem-Aidan to create a tablescape that would reflect the beauty of surrounding orchards, wineries and ranches.
“David had the brilliant idea to fill a giant cylinder full of grapes, pears, avocados and apples,” Gominiak says. “Along the center of the table he wound kiwi branch through the legs of the vase and candle holders, and tucked dark chocolate calla lilies between the branches to mimic the grapevines that cover surrounding hillsides.”
The result is a tablescape that celebrates nature and pays homage to the beauty and serenity of wine country.
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