When my fellow Lady Blackstar friend Jen Selby came to me about her upcoming wedding, I was super excited. I liked Jen as a person and especially liked her as a teammate. We had played together the year before, and I had gotten to know her a little bit better through time spent at tournaments. She and her fiance, Nick Martin, met while attending M.I.T. together. Their relationship was nearly 10 years in the making and they were finally deciding to tie the knot.
She almost sheepishly confessed, “So, I sort of realized that I’m getting married in 9 months, and I haven’t really done much of anything”. She expressed her and Nick’s desire to be consulted on some aspects of the wedding, but to be more hands off due to a busy schedule.
When discussing Jen’s vision for her and Nick’s perfect day, they both cited a desire to make guest comfort and convenience a high priority. This included a hearty meal, hosted bar, lots of open space, and guest transportation. To make things even more interesting, their estimated guest count was 300 people!
We searched high and low for a venue to accomodate this free-flowing wedding party, but were not left with many options. Due to the date being considered a national holiday, all government parks were unavailable for private events. Private venues that could fit that number were few and far between. With a little help, we stumbled upon a private campground in Saratoga, CA that offered a wide open turf space, towering redwoods, rustic qualities, and a stunning stone bridge backdrop. The venue set the tone for the rest of the design elements. We tossed up the idea of a natural, forest-y wedding with a medieval touch, and the “Princess Bride” wedding theme was born.
Natural elements, soft touches of yellow and regal purples, tables and food fit for a king, and a beautiful halo of flowers in Jen’s hair were just a few of the many small touches that made this wedding one of our favorites of the year. Check it out and leave Jen and Nick some love! 
Jen’s dress contained a story all its own. It belonged to her grandmother, and was also worn by Jen’s mother in her wedding. Three generations of brides, one beautiful wedding dress.
