Valerie and Taylor Cullen, chef and business development manager of Southern Alps lodge Flockhill, left the snowy slopes to celebrate their long-awaited ceremony in California. Val shares the details of a day in the sun.
THE VISION
Looks-wise, we wanted it to feel like us: for people to show
But as far as the big picture, we just wanted a house party with our nearest and dearest family and friends. We didn’t want a big, fluffy wedding with everyone we know. We wanted it to feel like some of the best parties we’ve been to – with great food and great people.
THE PLANNING
Planning was crazy. We had been engaged for two years and didn’t plan anything because we were focused on Flockhill. In January, right in the middle of high season, we felt so proud of what we’d accomplished at Flockhill, that we thought it was time to start planning.
Planning was just me, my mum, and my cousin Lisa – maybe three FaceTime calls and a bunch of text messages back and forth. We didn’t make any strict rules. It came together cohesively.
My whole family is based in Denver, Colorado. I first moved to New Zealand eight years ago, and had a five-year stint in Australia before moving back.
THE PREPARATION
The day before the wedding we had an open house. Anyone who wanted to come and help could. We had so many helping hands. My mother-in-law and sister did all the flowers, Taylor did all the prep for the chefs, and friends and family helped move chairs.
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Advertise with NZME.Significant events leading up to the wedding included an engagement party in Sydney when we first got engaged, and another in Colorado for family and friends. That was so fun – it was at my mum’s best friend’s bar with a live band (including a banjo player for Taylor) and a custom cocktail list: fun ones like Cullin Me Softly, Bondi Bride. It was such a fun night.
THE LOCATION
Ojai, California at a private residence. We wanted it to be neutral territory and just something really beautiful that felt like us. We found this house and it just made sense.
THE CEREMONY
It was really casual – everyone sat in the lounge on sofas with the view backlit behind us. It ended up looking ethereal in a way. The ceremony was short, mostly about how we met and sharing our vows.
We arrived two days before the wedding and stayed there for the full wedding weekend – best decision ever. The venue became our home.
THE RINGS
My engagement ring was custom designed by Lucy Folk; we worked with jeweller Craig Spark. It almost looks like a cat’s eye – the band has smaller diamonds along the sides and sapphires in it. It’s a marquise diamond. I’ve never seen a ring that looks like it before. Taylor did a great job.
When we went back to Craig together, I wanted the same band with another diamond centre stone but smaller, while Taylor wanted something funky and colourful – a gold band with a diamond, rubies, and citrine.
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Advertise with NZME.THE SUIT
Taylor wore a fully custom Lucy Folk outfit – white pants, a white button-up shirt with a red tulip down the sleeve and pants, and a custom vest with the same tulip design hand-beaded on the back.
THE DRESS
I saw my dress in a photo on Pinterest and bought it. It was the Willoby by Watters dress. They’re based in Texas and also sell at Anthropologie. My mum bought it and brought it to New Zealand. On Mother’s Day at The Chef’s Table, we opened champagne and I tried it on. It was a little big, so we tweaked the top and hemmed the bottom. It is a corset top with a separate skirt – it just felt very me. Lace, a little bit of tulle.
We both knew we would wear our outfits again. Right after I got mine altered, I tried the corset top on with jeans and thought this works – it wasn’t just a one-time wear.
THE BEAUTY
I didn’t want to get my hair and makeup done, so I got a treatment at my favourite salon in Colorado to make sure my curls were healthy. I did my everyday makeup with a few extras – lip gloss and false eyelashes. I wanted to keep it natural and authentic to myself. I ended up wearing the same perfume as Taylor – Le Labo.
THE FLOWERS
Flowers were the least important thing to both of us. A week before the wedding, I [searched for] flower farms around Ojai and told them, “I’m having a party.” We got buckets of flowers. Taylor’s mum Sandra and her sister spent hours doing all the table arrangements and bouquet. The farmer cut them fresh. My “mood board” was whites, pinks, soft yellows, and peachy orange.
THE FOOD
We had an outdoor cookout – chicken, steak, fish, and lots of roast veggies. Food was the most important thing to Taylor. He wanted to cook himself but was told he wasn’t allowed to work. He wanted to feature what was fresh in Ojai. He went to the farmer’s market that morning.
THE CAKE
My best friend, McKenna Lamos (a former pastry chef at Chiswick, now back in the US), made it. We just told her, “You’re making our cake.” We had different visions but I let Taylor have executive chef rights. I honestly don’t even know what flavour it was – but it had strawberries all over it and was gorgeous and delicious.
THE RECEPTION
The reception was amazing – it went into the next morning. By the end, there were five of us left. We danced, told stories, rolled around on the ground, and even went tarantula hunting in the middle of the night. (that’s right, as in spiders.)
THE PLAYLIST
Strawberries by Caamp.
What songs were essential for the playlist? Lump Sum by Bon Iver; we said our vows to My Friend the Forest by Nils Frahm, played by a pianist – that’s our favourite song ever. For our exit song, we wanted Gorilla by Little Simz.
The rest was a playlist of house music, like what we play at Flockhill’s Sugarloaf restaurant.
THE PHOTOS
We found our photographer on Instagram, and her husband did the video. I wanted someone who could capture the day without taking us out of it. Just a few family and bridal photos, then back to enjoying the day. Her candids were fantastic.
THE MOMENTS
It’s our wedding, so everything was heartfelt. The most surprising thing was the tarantulas – and that guests were happy to let them climb on them.
Another surprise was Taylor walking down the aisle with a bunch of carrots, like a bouquet. I didn’t know he was going to do that. It was very cute and very Taylor.
ANY TIPS
I have two tips: Don’t let yourself get too stressed. There’s no point. If something is stressing you out, just don’t do it. Second tip – if you plan a honeymoon right after the wedding, make it one stop. Don’t make it epic. We went to Spain and Portugal. After all the emotion and build-up, on honeymoon you just want to do nothing – so plan for that.
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