A Coastal Wedding Told in Tulips, Lace and Tall Grass

A Closer Look

Rylie and Brett's wedding proved how far a simple palette can go. Agape 1928 is a restored Spanish Colonial building in San Clemente. With Sierra James Events, the design took its cues from that old California architecture of white stucco, painted tile and dark wood. The palette followed the walls. Ivory and green led with layered shades of sage and chartreuse, the ocean added its blue, and small hits of black gave the whole day its edge. Every fabric, flower and finish was chosen to deepen those few colors rather than add new ones.

Colette Florals made the white tulip the signature and gave it a new setting at every turn. Along the courtyard aisle it rose through tall grasses that read like dune grass in bloom, and at the tiled fountain it gathered in clusters at the base.

Rylie wore a strapless lace gown by Milla Nova with a cathedral-length veil and carried an armful of white tulips on long stems. Her chartreuse slingbacks picked up the same bright green as the welcome banner, while her bridesmaids wore black in a mix of silhouettes. Brett and his groomsmen matched them in black suits. Against all that white plaster, the wedding party stood out as one crisp line.

At dinner, the aisle came to the table. Grasses and white flowers banked the ground in front of the head table, and every place card was a single tulip. Rylie's bouquet was shared out one bloom per guest. Around them, the palette kept returning in other materials, from botanical-print linens and tasseled menus to green matchbooks in a crystal bowl. Each one brought a new shade, a fresh take and more depth.

As the light changed, so did the textures. Their small heart-shaped cake sat on olive green velvet, and across the top, in black piping, was their new name, the Bills.