Catherine’s and Jacob’s one-of-a-kind wedding at Kohl Mansion
A bagpipe band for the processional? Check.
A Scottish Highland dance performance to entertain the guests? Check.
Authentic Scottish-only flowers for all bouquets? Check.
All the gentlemen in kilts? Of course!
And so on, and so forth. This wedding was “one for the ages!” Bride Catherine, of Scottish-Danish heritage, and an accomplished professional Scottish Highland dance instructor, pulled all the stops for her authentic, traditional nuptials – and historic Kohl Mansion in Burlingame, with its double-height Great Room and dark wood paneling, was the perfect setting for her vision. And Jacob, her groom, was fully onboard with this vision from Day One!
So we (at A Day Like No Other) got started, with nine months to go. Selecting authentic Scottish Highland flowers took intense, deep research (by Laurel & Vine) – sourcing these flowers (or their closest substitutes) in California was yet another story… Bride Catherine took responsibility for all other things Scottish, especially the gentlemen’s traditional attire (kilts in the bride’s family tartan!), a bagpipe band (complete with kettledrums!), a Scottish Highland dance performance … AND a traditional Danish wedding cake (to honor the “other side” of her cultural heritage). Suffice it to say that planning this wedding was very intense and involved, and we just made it to the finish line!
Finally, the big day had arrived, and Catherine began the day with hair and makeup services by Tiffany Chiang of Design HER Image, then getting into her classic, very feminine wedding dress.
Here she is, at Kohl Mansion, in timeless beauty – and poise:
She could easily be royalty, don’t you think? Time for a very emotional First Look with her Dad…
… followed by a First Look with her groom, Jacob.
Had you told me that this was the wedding of a Scottish duchess at her castle – I would have believed it!
Next came a lot of photos of the happy couple, all by RK Honey Photography…
Of course, there were also photos of the bridal party…
… and of the radiant bride with her flowers!
Soon enough, guests were about to arrive, and they were greeted in style by the Macintosh Pipe band:
… something definitely so far unheard-of at this venue! As the wedding fell in the colder season in California, Catherine and Jacob held their wedding ceremony indoors, again accompanied by bagpipe tunes.
“With this ring, I thee wed…”
The mandatory signing of the marriage license literally “sealed the deal…”
… and the newlyweds had more photos to take…
… while their guests enjoyed Cocktail Hour outdoors, protected by a tent (from Hensley Event Resources)…
… and entertained by more bagpipe music!
All the while, dinner preparations were underway behind the scenes – fast and furious! The team of Continental Caterers had the dining room set up (with beautiful rental items from Hensley Event Resources) and the kitchen going; florist Marie of Laurel & Vine set the long rows of dining tables with green garlands and a profusion of candlelight; DJ Paul of Big Fun Disc Jockeys was setting up sound and light both for speeches over dinner and then, of course, for dancing; and my production team of A Day Like No Other orchestrated it all.
It was a feast of epic proportions, hearkening back to times long past… and utterly romantic!
But the highlights of the celebration just kept coming – the next one being the authentic Danish wedding cake, a “kransekage” (from Copenhagen Bakery) – a delicious tower of marzipan-like layers, topped with a heart-shaped cookie for the newlyweds.
Having cut and shared this gorgeous cake, the newlyweds went on to what they love most: dancing.
Of course, their First Dance was a highly choreographed routine (by the bride – who else?!), and the same held true for the Father-Daughter Dance.
Guests were invited to join in the fun with a traditional ceilidh…
… and they left the dance floor ONLY to help themselves from the huge dessert buffet (also from Copenhagen Bakery)!
The rest of the night was spent just dancing, dancing, dancing – and celebrating!
So – one thing is for sure: this was unforgettable. Keep dancing, Catherine and Jacob, and celebrating your happiness for many, many years to come!