A SENSE OF PLACE MANDY GRASSINI to JUSTIN WILLETT MARCH 22, 2014, DOS PUEBLOS RANCH, CALIFORNIA PHOTOGRAPHY JOSE VILLA WORDS SHAUNNA NYGREN 20 21 winemaker of Tyler Winery, he made quite an impression. “I couldn’t believe how handsome he was,” Mandy says. “I had to catch my breath. And that was it, we talked all night.” The memorable evening was in early 2011, when a blind set-up (as Mandy likes to call it), was smoothly orchestrated by a mutual friend at a neighborhood watering hole in Santa Ynez, California. Mandy and Justin quickly discovered they both hail from the and share an appreciation for good food, art, antiques and the easygoing California lifestyle. “I never thought I’d meet a 30-year-old winemaker who was the man of my dreams,” she says. “It was a very pleasant surprise.” Their creative chemistry was instant. “Justin cracked open this new world for me, especially in wine. We started traveling together and I found it really wonderful seeing things through his eyes.” From the onset, the pair talked about getting married and starting a family. Mandy says, “Justin is really a classic man. He is passionate about family, friends and work.” They were delighted to learn that they were day, Justin bought a stunning 100-yearengagement ring and asked Mandy’s father mine and he found something that he knew I would absolutely love,” Mandy says. cocktail hour. “It was totally decrepit with rusty walls and missing windows,” Mandy says. “But those are the kinds of things that I love, the things that people overlook for their imperfections. There is beauty in things that aren’t just so.” The couple called upon designer Mindy Rice of her eponymous company, Mindy Rice Floral Design, to revamp the greenhouse into a buoyant entertaining oasis. Rice kept things true to their natural form—for better or worse—selecting light, feathery Boston ferns, lush grasses and hanging greenery to make the room come alive. “Mindy is outrageous and brilliant at what she does,” says the bride. “She transformed the greenhouse into something magical. It was absolutely breathtaking.” Sophisticated details such as antique lounge furnishings with brass accents, a raw bar dripping in oysters, lobster tails, crab and shrimp cocktail, and a brilliant champagne tower wowed celebrants. “The greenhouse was totally decrepit with rusty walls and missing windows, but those are the kinds of things that I love, the things that people overlook for their imperfections. There is a beauty in things that aren’t just so.” Both Mandy and soirée to bear the grandparents’ era, tradition, warmth Justin wanted their mark of their great with a sense of and grandeur. The by wedding coordinator Jill Remy of Jill & Co. Events. Formal letterpress invitations by Lazaro Press & Design attire. When it came to selecting her bridal gown, Mandy was certain of one thing. “At seven months pregnant, I had to go for comfort with my changing form,” she says. She worked with the tailors at The Perfect Fit on her custommade lace robe paired with a blush silk slip dress. “We sourced this For their springtime nuptials in the great outdoors, they had California wanted to give our family members traveling from the East Coast, Chicago sound of the ocean in the backdrop,” Mandy says. When they discovered the sprawling Dos Pueblos Ranch, it already had a lot going for it: it’s quietly nestled in Santa Barbara, with a historic estate, old-growth trees, a beautiful Cherimoya orchard and access to a private white sand beach. But it was a hidden gem in the form of a timeworn and forgotten greenhouse snugly situated on the property that would bring the couple’s vision to life. Upon ceremony site and reception area, the bride suggested they use the space for 22 nod to Justin’s love of French wines,” says the bride. Manolo Blahnik heels were a glamorous touch of something blue. The groom was debonair dress to her liking in a shade of black; “the easiest way to go,” she says. In honor of both Mandy and Justin’s late brothers, the mother-of-thebride embroidered their initials on pocket squares for the groomsmen. A simple white arch marked the ceremony site in nature. Mandy walked arm-inarmwithherfatherdowntheaisletoMyMorningJacket’s“SlowSlowTune.”The bride recalls, “It was a very magical and profound moment for me.” She carried a whimsical bouquet of garden roses, tulips, ivy, dusty miller and lamb’s ear. 23 a moment alone. “We were both pretty emotional. It was so nice to have that time together.” They joined their guests for the outdoor reception, where a candle-lit path led to a grand white tent ensconced in a perfect clearing of old trees. Beyond California’s abundant landscape the wedding aesthetic was centered around the bride’s 100-year-old Art Deco sapphire engagement in monochromatic centerpieces of ranunculus, hellebore, viburnum, and amaryllis. Brass and 24 25 When it came time to savor a four-course dinner by front and center on the menu. “Incredible food and wine pairings were the main things for us,” says Mandy. And for dessert, a four-tier chocolate, vanilla and strawberry mousse cake adorned in macarons by Santa Barbara’s famed Renaud’s Bakery was enjoyed by all. The bride says, “The baker is a French pastry chef which is everybody’s dream.” At night’s end, party-goers were greeted by a gift in their hotel room: a bottle of Hendrick’s gin, tonic water and a lime, along with a letter of gratitude from the newlyweds. The morning after their wedding, Mandy’s parents hosted loaded Bloody Marys. Then the glowing newlyweds jetted to Hawaii for the ultimate honeymoon at Andaz Maui in Wailea and Travaasa Hana. “It was completely remote and really magical,” recalls Mandy. 26 27
