Kelley & Ziggy // Crane Melon Ranch Wedding // Sonoma, CA

Kelley came to us because she and Tim used to work at a wine bar together here in the Bay Area. Later down the road, Kelley and I ran into each other at a holiday party for The Knot, where she told me excitedly––”Hey! Ziggy and I are engaged, and we would love to have you two photograph our wedding.” Without a doubt, we wanted to be at this epic wedding that was many years in the making.

Kelley shared with me that, “Every time I came into work (at the wine bar), Tim gave me a great sense of calm.” Which is 100% the truth, if I (Mak) do say so myself. He does have a calming presence, as well as a fun one. Since working at the wine bar, Kelley went on to work for one of our favorite industry catering companies, Culinary Eye. They––of course––were the beautiful catering team behind the delicious bites at her end-of-summer wedding. 

As you can imagine, we were very excited to be involved in their wedding day. It is always such an honor to have an industry friend ask us to be a part of their big day, particularly when they know all of the details that go into making a special wedding. What a huge compliment. 

When we first arrived at the Doubletree where the bridal party was getting ready, we heard that Ziggy had brought along a collection of ornate steins given to him by his grandfather. They were all handmade in Germany and each featured a unique design. His grandfather passed away after bestowing the set. 

Ziggy had been holding onto the steins for his wedding day––that means, for approximately 10 years! Moreover, he had been wanting to marry Kelley for 12 years. You could say this day was a long time coming, and that was definitely the theme of the wedding. Kelley and Ziggy are truly perfect complements to one other and now they were finally sealing the deal, regardless of the fact he was already very much a part of Kelley‘s family and vice versa.

We met up with everyone at the Crane Melon Barn––a charming and historic structure on a sweet little ranch in Santa Rosa. Here, Kelley put her magnificently beautiful and detailed gown on with all of her gorgeous bridesmaids to help her out. 

It was definitely a record hot day, and when your dress involves lacing up an ornate corset, things can get stressful quickly. We were all expecting pretty typical, mild Sonoma weather, what we thought was going to be a welcome relief from many (very hot) summer weddings. But this one was no different. We should have guessed! It was a sweaty day up until the very end, but by no means did it put a damper on the emotion.

There was a moment of indecision where Kelley wanted to wear a beautiful lace crown that was her step-grandmother’s. After feeling it out for a few portraits, she ended up deciding not to wear it to keep things simple and boho chic. We love the sleeves on her dress, and her bouquet was outstanding. 

In fact, the styling and colors of the whole wedding made it one of our favorites to date. With emerald green velvet linens and all the girls wearing green jewel tone variations, it was a green dream of a day and had a very regal feeling. We love the raised brick platform for the gorgeous wooden altar, with a feather brush and light heather style of design.

Their vows to each other were so heartfelt and real, featuring promises like, “I’ll actually put the dishes away after you wash them,” or “I will be brave and get rid of that spider for you.” Even more, the toasts during dinner were incredible. Not a dry eye in the house! Both of their fathers have passed on, and they were spoken of very fondly. We remember specifically that Zig’s dad used to say, “Stop fiddle-f*cking around, son!” Maybe my new favorite phrase.

Some fun moments we remember about the two of them: Ziggy’s laugh that could be heard echoing throughout the whole wedding venue and Kelley’s life-of-the-party energy. From the moment she showed up to get ready she exclaimed––“I am here, let’s get this thing going!”

It is clear Kelley and Ziggy greatly value their friendships, and their friends certainly love and appreciate them back, ‘til the ends of the earth. They threw one hell of a party, and it was definitely worth the wait.

The food was definitely something to note. Zig is a local SF cheesemonger and, of course, Kelley works for Culinary Eye, so the nibbles were to die for. They even gave out slices from their handmade cheese wheel as favors. And have you ever had avocado toast made with Acme olive bread at a countryside wedding??? So trendy, so delicious. There was even the famous Culinary Eye pretzel wall.

A dance floor laden with top hits and foam glow sticks is a wedding classic, and this party was no exception Also, those LED sunglasses that totally blind you but are somehow still so much fun to wear––the ones with the slats, you know––definitely made their way to the dance floor.

We will remember this one for sure. Congrats, you two––to decades more!

Thank You To Our Fellow Creatives!

Venue // Crane Melon Ranch

Coordination // Garrigus Events // @garrigusevents

Catering // Culinary Eye // @culinaryeyecatering

Floral Design // Violetta Flowers  // @violettaflowerssf

Beauty // Elevated Beauty // @elevated_beauty_norcal

Rentals // Standard Party Rentals // @standardpartyrentals

Gown + Bridal // Janene’s Bridal Boutique @JanenesBridalBoutique // Essense of Australia @essenseofaustralia

Signage + Stationary // Minted // @minted

Music + Sound // Gatsby Entertainment // @gatsbyentgroup

Photo Booth // Snap Fiesta // @snapfiesta

Photography // Michaela Joy Photography // @michaelajoyphotography