A Timeless, Tented Black and White Affair at the Inn at Rancho

This elegant affair captured by Sposto Photography and planned by Haute Fêtes is our definition of the perfect black and white wedding. The gorgeous bride and groom tied the knot at the historic Inn at Rancho Sante Fe (one of our all-time favorites!) Guests dined underneath the most gorgeous white tent ever, made even more beautiful with Plenty of Petals’ floral arrangements lush with black, white and berry-colored blooms. Every classic bride who loves a touch of whimsy is going to be head over heels for this timeless day.

From HauteFêtes Fine Weddings & Events… Quite often, family or friends can know you better than you do yourself, especially when it’s four generations in the making. In 1895, Andrew Levy and Mollie Hughes’ great-grandfathers set a friendship in motion that nearly 130 years later would result in the marriage of the couple and the union of their two families. The St. Paul, Minnesota families stayed close over the years but, unbelievably, Andrew and Mollie never met. Until a fateful TV interview, where upon seeing her on the local news, Andrew’s great aunt knew that her best friend’s granddaughter, Mollie, would make a perfect match for him. After introducing the two, Andrew’s email to Mollie began, “Well, this is awkward…” Any hint of awkwardness, however, rapidly faded. And three years later, on August 19, 2018 after Mollie was accepted into law school in San Diego and Andrew also took a job locally, the two tied the knot in a romantic, tented black and white affair in beautiful Rancho Santa Fe, California.

Upon learning how Mollie and Andrew met, I knew her wedding was going to be a family affair with Mollie’s mom, who still lives in Minnesota, actively involved. In describing how she envisioned her wedding, Mollie had a clear vision of a black and white-themed wedding that was elegant but understated, timeless but filled with clean, crisp design. We looked at several local venues, ultimately selecting the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe for its sense of history and intimacy. It was the perfect location to host a multi-day wedding weekend which would also serve as a destination for the majority of their guests coming in from out of town. Inspired by the natural elegance and history of The Inn, we built off Mollie’s color palette using black and white as neutrals, pairing beautiful La Tavola patterned and striped linens (even on the sweetheart chairs) as whimsical details.

Summer raspberry and blackberry hues emboldened our florals, adding a pop of rich color to our palette. While the wedding was an al fresco affair, the reception was held under a stunning ivory chiffon-swagged tent with the entrance curtains trimmed in black. Elegant wood feasting tables with white hemstitch runners were used in combination with textured ivory linen topped-square tables above which we hung three enormous crystal chandeliers. Bringing the cut glass detailing down to the reception tables for our candleholders and stemware, we paired pretty scalloped dinner and salad plates with vintage silver flatware which added to the sense of timeliness, further heighted by a fun black and white striped dance floor, and black ribbon-tied white hemstitch guest napkins. The stationery continued the black and white palette with the envelope liner bringing in splashes of our berry color with Whimsique’s hand painted florals.

At HauteFêtes, we are committed to ensuring that our couples’ guest experience is just as memorable as theirs, and exceeds everyone’s expectations. So we approach design with that goal in mind recognizing that the design is in the details. Given the midsummer heat, we incorporated special touches such as lemon sorbet shots which were served to guests prior to the ceremony, each with a vintage spoon the bride’s grandmother had collected; pretty fans and parasols in baskets to cool guests in the sun; monogrammed linen cocktail napkins and black and white striped sun umbrellas for cocktail hour; and, rolled black and white pashminas for when the temperatures dipped a little in the evening.

Prior to dinner, guests were served delicious California inspired-canapes including ahi tuna topped with a fennel citrus salad, and lamb lollipops with French stoneground mustard; and later, ice-cream and a chocolate bar served by local San Diego chocolatier, Chuao, with an assortment of after dinner treats. Guests were treated to live music throughout the entire event, with a string trio for ceremony, followed by a piano and saxophone duo during cocktail hour, and finally a full band for the reception. Mollie glowed in her stunning Reem Acra wedding dress and Sophia Webster strappy sandals which she changed out of for the after party into a stunning Sophie et Voilà gown. We were delighted with the way the whole day – in fact the whole weekend – came together and even more thrilled to have been a part of Mollie and Andrew’s happily ever after.

Photography: Sposto Photography | Videography: Scala Pictures | Florals: Plenty Of Petals | Dress: Reem Acra | Dress: Sophie et Voilà | Stationery: Whimsique | Bridesmaids Dresses: Shona Joy | Hair and Makeup: Blush and Adore | Band: Lucky Devils Band | Cake and Desserts: The Crimson Cake | Ceremony + Reception: The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe | Chocolate Bar: Chuao Chocolatier | Design, Planning and Styling: HauteFetes | Furniture Rentals: Archive Rentals | Furniture Rentals: To Be Designed | Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen Rental | Men's Suiting: J. Hilburn | Ribbon: Bellame Ribbon | Tabletop Rentals: Cheri's Vintage Table | Tent and Rentals: Bright Event Rentals