Kelsey Lee Offield and Cole Sternberg's Picturesque Nuptials in Carmel, California
Take two mavens of the art world, a planned proposal in Cuba that wasn't and a wedding surrounded by 900-year-old Redwood trees in Carmel, California, and you get a pretty unique love story. California native Kelsey Lee Offield, owner of the contemporary art gallery GUSFORD in Los Angeles, first met globally renowned visual and conceptual artist Cole Sternberg during-what would ultimately become-a life-changing trip to Miami's Art Basel in 2013. "We were originally introduced as artist and gallerist," recalls Kelsey, who soon discovered that her future-groom would be attending the same luncheon and holiday dinner the following day. She took advantage of the scheduling serendipity by coordinating to see Cole in-between the two events. "After the luncheon, we went to the Soho House West Hollywood to kill time before that evening's Moveable Feast, an annual fundraiser hosted by the Los Angeles Nomadic Division. That afternoon, we jokingly started telling everyone that we were married. Three years later, we will be attending this year's Holiday Movable Feast as a married couple."
Before walking down the aisle, the couple found that their smooth-sailing relationship would soon be interrupted by a not-so-smooth proposal. "My plan turned out to be flawed," Cole confessed. He had been secretly designing the engagement ring he would give Kelsey nearly six-months prior to popping the question. "He took his great grandmother's ring to my grandmother's favorite jeweler, Julius Cohen," remembers Kelsey, "Cole met with the granddaughter of Julius Cohen and together they created an engagement ring that combined our two families and histories."
While dying to give his bride-to-be the perfect ring during a planned trip to Cuba, Cole soon realized that no moment would present itself as proposal-appropriate the entire weekend. "Our group of ten was all guys except for Kelsey, so the evenings were all beer, rum and cigars. There wasn't a perfect moment, so the ring remained in my bag and I nervously carried it home," explained Cole, who got his bended-knee moment upon returning to Los Angeles during a quiet dinner at home. "With strangely sweaty palms, he served our dinner and said 'I love you, you are my best friend–here,'" recalls Kelsey of the memorable night. "[He] went to hand me the ring box, but the box flew out of his hands, landing next to me," she remembers. "Still oblivious to the proposal, I said 'You got me a present?! What is it?' and Cole opened the box, saying 'I want to spend my life with you, will you marry me?' It was funny, real and perfect for us."
A mutual love of the redwood grove on the sprawling grounds of the Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel, California, solidified the perfect location for the nature-loving couple. The spot came recommended by acclaimed wedding planner–and member of BAZAAR Bridal's Little Black Book–Laurie Arons. "The Preserve is a private community and only homeowners and a select few wedding planners have access to the property, so we were lucky that Laurie recommended it and could facilitate our dream wedding at such a magical location," says Kelsey. The cathedral-like presence of the redwood trees provided a stunning autumnal backdrop to their outdoor nuptials, a characteristic the bride carried over to the color palette of her bridal party. To complement the fall setting, the bridesmaids donned three different Stella McCartney styles in a sunset palette of four colors: orange, yellow, salmon and a rosy taupe. Cole and his groomsmen opted for dark navy Prada suits that highlighted the vibrancy of the bridesmaids' dresses.
Fashion for this art and style-loving bride translated into two different, unique looks by embroidery master Naeem Khan, and shoes from Manolo Blahnik. For the ceremony, Kelsey donned the designer's "Kauai" A-line gown; a floral appliquéd, semi-sheer gown with three-quarter sleeves, a high yet plunging neckline. She paired the look with a veil that was equally as intricate, and capped the look off with a dark lip a la the latest runways (applied by artist Kenney Duy of Fellini Salon in Carmel by the Sea) and floral post diamond earrings.
"We wanted to combine all the things we love into a beautiful, yet comfortable setting that truly represented who we are as a couple," said Kelsey, who elected rustic minimalism as a dominant decorative theme for the ceremony site, a factor that highlighted the natural beauty of the impressive venue. Rows of ornate iron chairs- with each alternating row ending with a bundle of decorative greenery-defined the layout for guest seating during the ceremony. "Every decision that went into planning the wedding was picked to show our friends what we enjoy, to make sure it was a good time and to keep it engaging and charming," recalls the bride, who stayed true to her and Cole's memorable style by choosing a very special four-legged friend to accompany her down the aisle. "To know me is to know Gus," said Kelsey of her twelve-year-old English bulldog, who led her down the aisle wearing a wreath of autumn leaves around his neck.
Cocktails were held in the courtyard of the Hacienda at the Santa Lucia Preserve prior to the ceremony. Before heading to a rustic barn for a night of dancing, guests were escorted down to an elegant Zephyr tent for dinner; an idea settled upon by the couple to ensure every moment of the wedding possessed its own experience and space. The menu for the reception, created by award winning chef Traci Des Jardins of Jardiniére, was an effortless way for the couple to harmonize their different and distinct personalities and preferences. "We worked with Traci to create a menu that was 'Michelin star' for me, and still 'down home' comforting for Cole," explains Kelsey, who selected a tiered, naked cake from Momofuku Milk Bar for dessert. "Since we love food and wanted our guests to focus on the menu Traci had prepared, we wanted dinner to have its own venue, hence the tent. The barn at the Preserve is so beautiful and we loved the idea of dancing and dessert to be set in there, with a more lounge-like experience." For the cake-cutting and late night dancing, the bride opted for a less traditional look, a tiered tea-length gown with a pleated tulle skirt, fringe bodice, drop-waist and metallic jewel neckline, also by Naeem Khan.
Inside the tent, Kelsey relied on the design expertise of her wedding planner, Laurie Arons, and florist, Sarah Winward. "The flowers and lighting design that Sarah and Laurie created were inspired by the Hagia Sophia, a source of constant inspiration Sarah. As artists and art lovers ourselves, Cole and I know that the best work is always [rooted in] something that the artist is inspired by. I love flowers, but they are not my specialty, so we let Sarah (and Laurie) create an experience and vibe that inspired them, and her creations, in turn, inspired us." The couple felt similarly when choosing the perfect photographer to artfully capture their wedding day, and decided to work with master lensman Jose Villa (also of BAZAAR Black Book fame) whose best known for his outstanding ability to capture soft light and rich texture in his use of film–from the palette of stunning outdoor ceremonies to lush, romantic florals.
Entertainment held in the barn was a unique ode to the bride and groom's artistic backgrounds. Music by Elan Artists' Ground Control played upbeat songs that prompted a night of singing and dancing. A performance art piece from The Bumbys served as Kelsey and Cole's more innovative riff on an interactive activity for their guests, and proved way cooler than your average photobooth. "We wanted to have an element of the wedding that emphasized our lives in the art world, and having the Bumbys giving "'fair and honest appraisals' of our guests appearances" was the perfect addition to the reception. The performance art was simultaneously a conversation piece as well as a keepsake for our guests to take with them."
Competitive by nature, world travelers and avid sports fans-a characteristic proven by their last-minute flight to Cleveland to cheer on the Chicago Cubs in game seven of the World Series only ten days before their wedding-Kelsey and Cole took careful measure when planning their honeymoon. The couple keeps a running tally of who has visited the most countries and made sure not to visit any countries that would skew the tally on their most memorable vacation to date (Kelsey is currently in the lead by three.) The playful duo eventually decided on Thailand, Myanmar, Loas, and Singapore, the perfect spots before returning home to their three dogs Gus, Gertrude and Steve.
The. End.
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