A French Garden Wedding at Cielo Farms in Malibu, California

Jennifer Parker and Jonathan Kaplan threw a whimsical garden wedding with subtle French flair. Jennifer’s love of all things French — which grew out of her childhood attending a French school and spending time in France — played out in a palette of French blue stationery, gold jacquard table linens and rustic Louis XIV style chairs. The Provençale feel of the gardens at Cielo Farms tied in seamlessly with the theme. For the rest of the décor, Jennifer and Jonathan opted for a playful, modern aesthetic. Spiked popsicle signature cocktails were served from an ice bar during cocktail hour and acrylic signage helped guests find their seats at dinner. The wedding cake was covered with vibrant marble fondant and striking boxwood screens covered in dozens of laser-cut butterflies framed the entrance to the reception space. “My grandmother used to call me Madame Butterfly and said she that when she passed she would come to me as a butterfly,” Jennifer says. “We incorporated butterflies everywhere in her memory — at the entrance, on my veil and behind the bar.” After dinner, the newlyweds treated everyone to freshly made Italian-style doughnuts and a gourmet coffee bar. A live band the dance floor was packed all night long and a photo booth offered a fun and candid way for friends and family to capture the evening. Another way the pair personalized the day was having Jennifer’s stepfather officiate the ceremony. “All of our friends and family love him because he’s hilarious. I couldn’t imagine anyone else doing it,” Jennifer says. “He was so good that someone asked him to preside over their wedding.”