Event Profile: Uniquely Personal
Sasha Souza created a fantasy wedding for a filmmaker who knew just what she wanted
Published in December 2009 event profile | Departments
Sasha Souza created a fantasy wedding for a filmmaker who knew just what she wanted
Kristen* Souders, an internationally recognized wedding and event filmmaker and founder of Bliss* Video Productions (yes, that asterisk after her first name and the name of the company is deliberate) and Todd Gullion wanted a wedding that reflected their personalities in a dramatic way.
Sasha Souza of Sasha Souza Events, which is based in Beverly Hills, with offices in Napa Valley, Beverly Hills, San Francisco and Tennessee, transformed the wedding couple’s eclectic tastes and interests into a very personal wedding event. The initial concept was “enchanged mermaid meets crystal woodland fairy,” Souza says, with a touch of bohemian flair. Every detail of the wedding defined the bride and groom – and it was fun as well.
“I think that by delving into the personalities of the couple, you can only come away with a wedding that is uniquely their own,” says Souza. “Each event we design is crafted in a similar fashion, making sure that the choices made are reflective of the couple and not falling into a pattern of how we or the location has done it before. This keeps the event feeling fresh, relevant and personal.”
The wedding and reception were held on a private estate in the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of San Francisco. The estate provided a variety of settings for different parts of the evening.
The wedding ceremony was performed in a gazebo that had been draped with wisteria. Guests sat on either side of a stone path, surrounded by redwood trees and looking towards the bridal couple, who were framed in the gazebo with a charming pond behind them.
Immediately after the ceremony, guests followed a path to a small grove that had been transformed into a fairyland, with sculptures of lions and fairies, a tiny house built around a tree and even a small train, powered by a steam engine, guests could use to ride around the wedding party space. In the magical grove, guests were treated to a cocktail reception. Souza used leafy greens for the linens, working with the natural forest feel of the area. Background music for the cocktail reception was provided by the bride’s uncle on steel pedal guitar.
A buffet dinner was served in a meadow. Cardwyn and Sons designed a menu using organic food that had been grown within 100 miles of the wedding venue – all vegetarian, to fit the newly married couple’s preferences. A mix of round and square tables were covered with purple, plum and night linens with overlays of lace, runners or a 3-dimensional rosette pattern sewn on. Each table was different but coordinated, creating visual interest without a cacophony of color and texture.
After dinner, guests walked to a refurbished barn for dancing and partying. On the way, they passed a photographer stationed at the photo wall, where they were encouraged to stop for a moment and have their pictures taken as a memento of the evening.
The barn was draped with silk organza in aqua, grayish blue and other ocean colors – evoking the enchanted mermaid theme the bride wanted. The area was lit by underwater image gobos and lavender uplighting. Guests nibbled 400 cookies that had been baked by family and friends, the wedding cake was presented and served, and the dancing was lively.
Every detail of the wedding, including 44 different linens and the vintage buttons on the bride’s bouquet, was selected to reflect the personalities of this interesting and artistic couple. Exactly as it should be. Souza’s ability to “read” them allowed her to create the wedding they wanted – and that their guests would remember.