Gone are the days when a “simple backyard wedding” was actually simple! Casey McCloud had always dreamed of a summer garden wedding at home, surrounded by her friends and family and sweet childhood memories of the home’s beautiful garden. But when the McClouds hosted the wedding of their daughter to Nicolas Sage, the spectacular result went even beyond Casey’s girlhood dreams.

Casey and Nick, sweethearts since college, enjoyed a fourteen-month engagement and wisely chose a wedding date that would allow plenty of planning time and that was convenient for the whole family. They chose a date in September that would practically guarantee gorgeous Southern California weather. With the location and the date now set, the bride’s mother worked diligently along with the wedding planner to ensure that Casey’s vision was carried out perfectly, in spite of the dizzying array of details that go along with an at-home wedding.

In contrast to the streamlined package of a hotel wedding, in which all of the necessary supplies are taken care of, Casey and her family traded convenience for the reward of a wedding day that was filled with family values and nostalgia, and a guarantee that Nick and Casey’s nuptials were uniquely theirs. So began the extensive checklist of tasks and vendors that would be brought in, from the full-service caterer to the florist, rentals of tables, chairs, china, silver, linens and even the custom made iron candelabras and oversized garden hooks that were produced specifically for Casey and Nick’s wedding.

The tone of the event was “tasteful elegance” which truly reflected the personalities of Casey and Nick. Knowing just where to draw the line between sophisticated and overdone, the McCloud family transformed their garden into a “Candlelit Evening Under The Stars” for the late afternoon ceremony and the formal dinner reception and dancing that carried on past midnight. The setting was filled with an incredible array of flowers, bursting with a spectrum of colors that perfectly complemented the natural environment of the property and its existing structures, such as a garden archway and a charming gazebo. The magnificent variety of floral creations included sterling silver, blue bird, peppermint, jade and Sahara roses, along with black succulents, coxcomb, thistle, tulips, hydrangeas, moss, orchids, chocolate cosmos and many other blooms.

Since the magical evening required an equally vibrant setting for the honeymoon, the newlyweds chose to continue their celebration at The Ritz-Carlton The Bahamas. Now, thanks to Casey’s childhood dreams, she and Nick now start their life together with the fond memories of becoming husband and wife in an enchanted garden of their own.