Margot Klar was enjoying some light conversation she’d struck up with Stephen “Tré” Menzel at a mutual friend’s wedding when she noticed her father walking past. “There goes my dad,” she mentioned, to which a surprised Tré responded, “Easy Ed is your dad?” Apparently the two men had bonded earlier that day on the golf course – news that couldn’t have been better for Margot. “I knew from that moment Tré was special… my dad is so important to me.” Margot and Tré’s romance ensued, and a surprise engagement on the beach a year later was followed by a special weekend shared with both of their families.
Deciding to wed in May because of the beautiful weather, Margot and Tré settled on the Santa Barbara Biltmore for its flawless service, impeccable cuisine, and alluring atmosphere near the ocean. “It was also where Tré proposed, so it was already filled with great memories!” gushes the bride. Margot’s love of neutral colors fit well with the elegant gold color scheme of the ballroom, so a palette of chocolate brown, champagne, and ivory were brought into play. For the outdoor ceremony, hints of pink were incorporated to add a burst of color. “It looked incredible with the other hues,” says Margot. Curly willow branches, fluffy strands of hanging mums, and chocolate-colored leaves adorned both the tall ivory canopy and the end of each aisle.
Bridesmaids in brown dresses held bouquets of Sahara and Amelia roses accented with peonies, while the bride carried an exquisite spray of stephanotis, fragrant gardenias, and peonies in shades of ivory and blush. The moment Margot’s mother saw the bride in a veil for the first time was an emotional one. “She started crying,” says Margot. “I had never seen her cry before.” Margot’s other favorite memory? “The way I felt in my dress! I felt like a princess – it was so modern and different. Everyone loved it.” The chic ceremony was set to songs by The Beatles so that every generation at the celebration could relate. “It was perfect,” says the bride of the couple’s musical selections. “My dad and I walked down the aisle to ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ the same song he would play for me on the way to daycare when I was small.”
The Loggia Ballroom’s silk-covered walls were complemented by a landscape of pale shades and dazzling lights. The beautifully transformed room held a mix of square and round tables covered in champagne-colored linens. Large glass votive centerpieces filled with seashells were dripping with hundreds of French ivory tulips. “Originally the votives were going to be filled with crushed glass, but [the hue] didn’t match the color scheme,” explains Margot of the lastminute switch her florist suggested. “It was a brilliant decision!” The terrace’s bar was equally amazing: plush white couches were arranged around tables so that guests could sit and mingle comfortably, while a large flat-screen television played a DVD that included clips of Margot and Tré’s lives from childhood to the present day. A candy station, sundae station, and – Margot’s favorite of the sweet offerings – 300 Sprinkles cupcakes in three different flavors were on display and ready for guests to enjoy with shots of milk suggested by Tré.
An 8-piece band continued the merriment of the day until late that night, and guests enjoyed moving from ballroom to terrace on the warm spring evening. “Our wedding was traditional, but laidback and fun,” explains the bride. “It was based around great friends, family, and of course Tré and I starting our life together.” The groom happily agrees. “It was full of love and a good time… I think that really sums us up in a nutshell.”