This is the first installment in what will hopefully become a real series – starting with one of my all-time favorite wedding venues in the Bay Area. Kohl Mansion is a historic landmark in classic Tudor architecture, set in beautiful, lush formal gardens, with a melange of dark wood paneling and double-height spaces (the Great Hall) and light-filled nearly playful rooms – e.g. the Morning Room with its black-and-white checkerboard floor and the Green Room, the original dining room of the mansion, painted a very light shade of pastel green. Then there is the elegant library with its Persian rugs, the formal entrance foyer, the photogenic grand staircase … I could go on and on. This mansion is high elegance personified – perfect for high-end weddings!

My idea to complement the architectural beauty with a nod to wedding events: Chinese-pattern blue-and-white china and pink roses and peonies…

… starting with invitations and wedding day stationery.

This is what the ceremony could look like:

… followed by cocktails in the Courtyard…

… and dinner in the Great Hall.

This is how I would envision the place settings:

… and Cake Cutting in the Morning Room.

We’d also have a dessert buffet right there…

… and a comfortable lounge area for quiet conversations…

… while others are dancing in the Green Room.

And here is the whole design concept at a glance – I hope you like it!