DOS Co-Designer Ashley Castanos’s Wedding Pt. 2

WE KNEW THAT WHATEVER THEME WE WOULD DECIDE ON WOULD BE UNIQUE AND NON-TRADITIONAL. MOST OF THE CREATIVITY EVOLVED OVER TIME BUT WE KNEW ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WAS OUR SHARED LOVE OF FASHION. WE ASKED OUR GUESTS TO DRESS IN THEIR FINEST “RUNWAY ATTIRE,” I PUT A LINK TO THE MET GALA COVERAGE FOR INSPIRATION. WE EVEN SET OUR CEREMONY UP AS THOUGH THE GUESTS WERE SEATED FOR A RUNWAY SHOW AND HAD OUR BRIDAL PARTIES WALK DOWN THE AISLE ONE-BY-ONE SO THEY COULD HAVE THEIR INDIVIDUAL RUNWAY MOMENT.

I DESIGNED MANY PIECES FOR THE WEDDING WITH “THE RUNWAY SHOW” IN MIND. I HAD A FANTASY OF MY BRIDESMAIDS DONNING GOLD CROWNS, LONG PEARLED CAPES AND LUSCIOUS SILKS WITH FLOWING TRAINS. I DON’T KNOW IF IT WAS FROM OBSESSING OVER TOO MANY ELIE SAAB RUNWAY SHOWS OR BINGING ON GAME OF THRONES, BUT THESE WERE LOOKS I PULLED TOGETHER, AND THEY LOOKED MARVELOUS!

I’VE BEEN AN AVID FAN OF ELIE SAAB RUNWAY SHOWS AND PRETTY MUCH ENVISIONED THIS FOR MY GIRLS IN THE CEREMONY. I MAY EVEN HAVE BEEN MORE EXCITED ABOUT THE BRIDAL PARTY LOOKS THAN MY OWN! I REALLY WANTED MY GIRLS TO FEEL BEAUTIFUL AND SEXY AND IMAGINED THEM WEARING SILKY SLIP GOWNS.

 I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO COLLABORATE WITH THE BRILLIANT NEW ZEALAND DESIGNERS, GREER & CHELSEA OF LEAVE HER WILDER AND TOGETHER WE CAME UP WITH INDIVIDUAL LOOKS FOR EACH GIRL. THESE COLLABORATIVE LOOKS WITH LEAVE HER WILDER WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN DAUGHTER’S OF SIMONE’S FALL COLLECTION.

THE POOL WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM-INSPIRED VIGNETTE. THE TEAM CHOSE TO GO WITH NON-CONVENTIONAL SEATING ARRANGEMENTS, BY ONLY HAVE LOUNGE AREAS COMPRISED OF VINTAGE FURNITURE, ALONG WITH A FEW TABLES SCATTERED ABOUT. EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED WERE LARGER-THAN-LIFE FLORAL DISPLAYS, ALONG WITH SPARKLING STRING LIGHTS, AND DRIPPING CANDLES.

MY FAMILY IS REALLY INTO SPEECHES, AND THERE WERE SO MANY WONDERFUL ONES THROUGHOUT THE WEDDING FESTIVITIES. MY TWO SISTERS, COURTNEY AND BRITTANY, TOOK IT OVER THE TOP BY SURPRISING US WITH A SONG. THEY PASSED OUT THEIR EDITED VERSION OF THE LYRICS TO, “DON’T LET THE KIDS WIN” BY JULIA JACKLIN, AND PERFORMED THE MELODY WHILE COURT PLAYED THE UKULELE. THE WHOLE CROWD SANG ALONG AND I QUICKLY FELL INTO HAPPY TEARS.

PHOTOGRAPHY: LILLY RED // VENUE NAME: VILLA CAMILLA, LAKE COMO, ITALY // EVENT DESIGN: CHRISTINE CATER// PLANNING: LAURA DOVA // FLORALS: CHRISTINE CATER // WEDDING DRESS: DAUGHTERS OF SIMONE // BRIDE’S RING: REBECCA OVERMANN // BRIDESMAID DRESSES: GREER & CHELSEA FOR LEAVE HER WILDER // HAIR STYLIST: SINEM YAVASNER // MAKEUP ARTIST: SINEM YAVASNER // GROOM’S RING: FIAT LUX SF // VIDEOGRAPHY: 2BECOME1 // PAPER GOODS: CAROLYN YOCUM // CALLIGRAPHY: INKPUSH CO. // CATERING: AMANDINE ANGLADE // CAKE: AMANDINE ANGLADE // TABLETOP RENTALS: TABLESET RENTALS // FURNITURE RENTALS: SOFI RENT DESIGN // MUSIC: VINCENT // COCKTAILS: BAR MAN AT WORK // BRIDESMAIDS PEARLED CAPES : DAUGHTERS OF SIMONE // BRIDE + BRIDESMAIDS JEWELRY : ASHLEY FOR A.B.ELLIE // GROOMSMEN EMBROIDERY: JACKIE HAUG // VINTAGE FURNITURE: NARKISSO // DECOR RENTALS: ROSSODISERA EVENTS // INVITATION PRINTING: MEGAN & SEBASTIAN MEJIA