At once modern and rugged, elegant and understated, this intimate Amangiri elopement is proof that creating beautiful designs in the most remote places is always well worth it.
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The Sea Ranch Lodge, Sonoma County, California
AN INTIMATE WEDDING AT SEA RANCH LODGE
Nestled in the stunning meadows and cliffs of the northern California coast, The Sea Ranch Lodge is the ultimate destination for a luxury Sonoma County wedding.
There’s always been a timeless draw to the Sonoma Coast, and Sea Ranch is no exception. Our team was enamored by the simplicity and beauty of this place, and we knew that designing a wedding at Sea Ranch Lodge was our kind of party - one that took all the right kinds of risks while honoring the inherent beauty of the space.
Set on 53 acres of dramatic Northern California coastline, the original Sea Ranch buildings were built in the 1960s as an architectural study exploring how to live in harmony with the natural surroundings. Classically understated and carefully preserved, every detail of the Sea Ranch Lodge proves that this coastal enclave is the ultimate expression of luxury. With a focus on architecture, design and ecology, the Sea Ranch Lodge inspired us to create a wedding that feels untraditional in the most brilliant way.
Pulling inspiration from the coastal landscape, we pulled in natural earth brown colors to echo the surrounding cliffs, soft grays to mirror the coastal fog and elegant ivories to contrast the warm wood of the Sea Ranch Lodge. We designed this celebration to honor the harmony between land and sea, drawing on dirt, stone and silk textures to create a modern, timeless wedding design at this historic venue.
For our wedding ceremony design, we worked with Unwritten Florals to create a textural floral aisle built into the organic wood beams of the lodge’s Ocean Deck. Balancing subtlety and complexity, single seats lined each side of the aisle, broken apart by dramatic floral installations with grass and wildflowers - integrating the textures and materials from the surrounding cliffside meadows into the built environment with elegance and ease.
For the reception, I've been saying round tables are making a comeback since 2022... I just didn't say how. But when I saw the hard lines of the mid-century architecture at Sea Ranch Lodge, I knew the contrast of round tables would juxtapose this luxury Northern California hotel property perfectly.
We designed the reception within the Open Meadow - one of Sea Ranch’s most unique celebration spaces. With panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean stretching as far as the eye can see, we knew this natural landscape would provide unparalleled contrast for our luxury reception design. Combining silk, muslin, grasses, silver, thin-lined glass, stoneware, artichokes and florals, we designed this modern tablescape to be a textural masterpiece. We let luxury silk cascade organically into the earth, elevating the dynamic round tablescape design. And thoughtful details like garlic scapes and artichokes gave an artful nod to the lush produce and regional bounty that inspires the culinary offerings at Sea Ranch Lodge.
For this warm spring afternoon wedding on the Northern California coast, we wanted every detail to feel modern and minimal. Time slows down at Sea Ranch, and as our couple enjoyed the plein air reception set in the midst of coastal meadows above the soaring cliffs, we knew we created something special. This luxury Sea Ranch Lodge destination wedding blended natural beauty with coastal elegance through bold choices in texture and design - an absolute dream for us.
Photo: Anni GrahamDesign, styling and planning: Mae&Co CreativeFlorals: Unwritten FloralsVENUE: Sea Ranch LodgeHair and Makeup: Margaret SniderLet us plan your dream day
The Madrona Hotel, Sonoma, California
Healdsburg wedding in sonoma county
The Madrona Hotel, a true hidden gem tucked away in wine country in Northern California, is a destination wedding venue in a league of its own.
Last fall, our team traveled to Healdsburg to design at this dream venue, an estate hotel that blends unique history, an idyllic location and luxury experiences that reflect Napa and Sonoma’s unparalleled hospitality. Built in 1881, the Madrona Hotel features timeless interior and exterior spaces – from buttery vintage wallpaper to emerald-green gardens, every corner of this historic estate inspired our 1940’s old world design for this event.
Pulling inspiration from this luxury wine country venue, we knew we wanted to curate a timeless, French-inspired, old money feel that blended seamlessly with the space. Throughout both the ceremony and reception designs, we leaned into quiet luxury, finding ways to pull inspiration from whipped butter and vintage velvet to put an extravagant twist on the everyday.
For our ceremony design at The Madrona Hotel, we worked to create contrast within cohesiveness. The ceremony space featured the quintessential rolling greens of Sonoma wine country, so we worked with Noble Floral Co. to build dimension through luxe, monochromatic and monobloom florals. Light wood chairs and linen umbrellas lined the aisles, with dramatic florals contrasting the soft ivory seating and shade. The scalloped umbrellas created a unique flair, adding a St. Tropez-inspired touch that brought a modern twist to this Victorian, old money setting.
For the reception, we leaned into the growing trend to feature experiences over details. As we head into 2025 and beyond, more and more couples are prioritizing the food and experience for their guests, and we wanted this Madrona wedding reception to feel elemental and experiential, swapping big floral arrangements for dirty martinis and whipped butter.
With elevated caviar and cocktail pairings, we mirrored the epicurean delights with a lived-in luxury tablescape design. Inspired by the Madrona’s Victorian sensibilities, we layered a lavish patterned linens with rich velvet napkins, vintage silverware, scalloped plates and modern stoneware to create a multi-dimensional design. Artful details, like heads of garlic and monobloom florals added subtle depth the design, and Italian calligraphy and slingback chairs balanced traditional elements with modern trends.
Inspired by lived-in luxury and the storied details of the Madrona Hotel, this is one of our favorite designs to date. Leaning into the muted brick, blush and ivory tones of this luxury Healdsburg wedding venue – incorporating lush florals, iconic buildings, stunning style, warm bread and favorite cocktails – this Madrona Hotel wedding was an absolute dream for us.
Photo: Anni GrahamDesign, styling and planning: Mae&Co CreativeFlorals: Noble Floral CoVIDEO: EMMA K
VENUE: The Madrona HotelRentals: Nuage Designs, Casa de Perrin, Bright Event RentalsPaper goods and signage: Creative Line & CO.Let us plan your dream day
Calamigos Ranch, Malibu
Katy and Cam’s Wedding
When clients trust us with their dreams and allow us to think outside the box, that’s when the magic happens – and Katy and Cam’s Calamigos Ranch wedding was no exception. We are seeing more and more clients invest in a full wedding weekend experience for their guests, and Katy and Cam’s Malibu destination wedding was the perfect mix of classy, elevated, elegant and fun.
From the very beginning, Katy and Cam wanted their wedding weekend to feel like a big party for all their friends and family traveling from outside the country and across state lines. So on night one, we kicked off the festivities with a luxury fair experience, leaving everyone's jaw on the floor with an epic welcome party to start their weekend.
Creating a full carnival for Katy and Cam’s rehearsal dinner was no easy feat. Everything from navigating space to designing a tablescape that wouldn’t compete with a busy backdrop to hand selecting and coordinating the build out of fair rides – we made sure no detail was left untouched. Guests spent the evening enjoying popcorn and cotton candy on iconic carnival rides, including the Sizzler, a Carousel, a Super Slide and a Mechanical Bull, while Katy and Cam stole kisses on the Ferris Wheel, watching the sun set over Calamigos Ranch.
As one of our most unique luxury reception dinners to date, we loved creating a minimal, garden-inspired tablescape with simple, scalloped plates, clusters of fresh fruit and florals and an understated, striped tablecloth – the perfect nod to nostalgic carnival booth fabrics with an upscale feel. Floating candles and crystal glassware offered a subtle nod to the bright bulbs of carnival lights after dark but with a modern and luxurious twist, our specialty.
For Katy and Cam’s wedding day at Calamigos, we pulled inspiration from Malibu’s rolling hills – a place that feels like a slice of Italian countryside on the west coast. We elevated the ceremony site with bistro chairs and a lush flowing aisle, leading up to a lush and wild floral installation. Dressed in luxury, couture silk by Ines Di Santo, Katy looked like a vision as she exchanged vows with Cam under a centuries-old oak tree.
As guests made their way to the cocktail hour and the reception set up, they found their names on a unique installation with garden-like floral installations weaving throughout the pillars.
The Italian-inspired magic continued at the reception dinner hosted at Calamigos Birchwood Room – an intimate outdoor space where crystal chandeliers swing gently from the trees overhead, casting a soft romantic glow over the evening. We styled the tables with oversized, stone pottery and unique touches like full artichokes and scalloped glassware. And our team filled the space with unique, garden-inspired arrangements with pops of blush, coral and ivory, elevating the soft and playful luxury in this Malibu garden setting. We added thoughtful details throughout, including bar menus printed on organic linen for an elegant but natural feel. And with a champagne coupe tower and a bespoke lambeth cake from The Butter End, the luxury details from this Calamigos Ranch wedding speak for themselves.
Katy and Cam’s Malibu wedding weekend had it all – from an extravagant carnival welcome dinner to an after dark pool party to an intimate reception dinner, we loved every part of this celebration at Calamigos and we’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
Photo: Lilly RedDesign, styling and planning: Mae&Co CreativeFlorals: Noble Floral Co. VENUE: calamigos RanchRentals: Party PLeasersdresses: Ines Di Santo and Alena LeenaCake: Butter End CakeryPaper goods and signage: Wildhouse INkVideography: Emma KLet us plan your dream day
Click the link below to learn more about our wedding planning services
Wonder Valley Hot Springs, Joshua Tree, CA
Styled Wedding Shoot
At Mae&Co Creative, we believe in setting trends and challenging conventions. And for this chic Palm Springs elopement, we loved debunking the myth that minimalist can’t equal luxury while setting a few of our favorite 2021 wedding trends.
When you opt for a simple, minimalist wedding or elopement, that doesn’t mean you have to scrimp on the details. We believe minimalism and luxury design go hand-in-hand. When you remove big ticket items like a live band, cocktail hour, over the top props and decor, every remaining detail matters. Every design choice stands out so much more, everything from the location to the tablescape colors become intentional parts of your elopement or wedding day.
And for this luxury Palm Springs elopement, we loved designing a ceremony arch and an intimate reception tablescape that complemented the surrounding neutral desert elements while finding textures that would contrast against the valley view. We worked in tandem with Good Seed Floral to build an arch with dried florals and palms to amplify the arid desert setting, while simultaneously incorporating soft, fresh blooms like orchids and roses to bring a soft contrast to the stark desert backdrop.
We loved designing this modern desert wedding, as the sprawling desert setting is the perfect place to elevate trend-setting wedding style details. This year, we’re calling a design trend forecast with puff sleeves, black and whites, and tablecloths in place of farm tables. And you better believe these style choices fit perfectly with this timeless Palm Springs elopement. The bride’s lace puffed sleeves in her Willow by Watters gown added another soft texture to contrast the harsh desert landscape, and the ochre tablecloth for the modern reception design added color and movement as the bride and groom sat together to toast their union and celebrate their dream desert wedding.
You can have a simple and luxurious elopement in the desert, trust us. And if you’re planning to ditch a traditional wedding and elope, make sure you go big and do it exactly how you want to. Bring us along for the ride, you won’t regret it.
Venue: Wonder Valley Hot Springs
Design, styling and coordination: Mae&Co Creative
Photo and Video: Karra Leigh Photo
Florals: Good Seed Floral
Dress: Willow By Watters
Hair and Makeup: Peony Blush Makeup and Styled By Jordan