Bursting with colorful summer florals and sweet details, love blooms in this private estate wedding at the bride’s grandmother’s home in Walnut Creek, California. Planned and Designed by Coterie Member, Chanda Daniels, we invite you to experience this wonderful wedding weekend as told by the bride’s grandmother: Nonnie.
As is said in the movie, Father of the Bride, there is getting married and then there is a wedding. This was a wedding.
A beautiful wedding, with the right team, can be accomplished most anywhere but there is something uniquely special about a wedding at home. We needed a highly experienced, sophisticated, creative, and culturally intuitive wedding planner. Someone who understood a private residence event versus a backyard wedding. We wanted something aligned with our lifestyle, experiences, and values, reflective of the highly traveled couple that were the bride and groom, and representation of what, through their union, the combined families would be.
Our planning was laced through the fabric of shared family times, family ties, and thoughts of those who, now gone, played such a pivotal role in our lives and to this moment. Often as we walked through the gardens or around the community, planning (and sometimes plotting!), the logistics, I would recall days gone by of Layla as a little girl, picking fruit from our neighbors and then setting up the fruit stand to sell “her” produce back to them.
As I remembered her running our dogs around the property, climbing the trees, dressing for soccer, for her track and field meets, filling out college applications, celebrating her college graduation and later falling in love and bringing THE ONE home to meet us, I came to understand what the family home meant to her.
That day, September 3rd, was a buzz OF excitement.
The guests, themselves a glorious bouquet of diversity, were awe struck by the private residence and grounds, the elegance of the service, the curation of the site and as reported over and again, how personalized every aspect of the event was.
I’ll remember the moment the rest of my life…. the gate opened, the gate she has entered and exited for so many years, and we all stood as the most beautiful bride I have ever seen was standing there, resplendent in her gown; elegant, regal, and breathtaking; her groom, Matthew, awash in all the love he has for her, and I saw the faces of all their guests glowing in pride and honor, there to witness and bless their union.
Their song began to play, and at that moment I felt the tears of my beloved grandmothers flowing through me and I thought, yes, the bride was right. Her grandparent’s home was the most special place in her life and the perfect venue of her dreams.
Looking back, one thing was clear: Chanda Daniels Planning and Design understood the assignment.
More sweet details from their wedding day below!
- Couple: Layla Kariynn Sherman & Matthew Albert Sherman
- Occupations: Layla is an Organizational Psychologist & Founder at the GOLDNLink Inc. and Matthew is Chief Marketing Officer & Co-Founder at Vibe Stream Network.
Quick Facts:
- Wedding date: September 3, 2022
Wedding location: Nonnie’s Estate in Walnut Creek, CA - Gifts for your bridesmaids and groomsmen: Proposal Boxes including rosé bottles, journals, gold pens, and rosé gummy bears, all from Paper Source.
- Day of Gifts Included: Pajamas, robes, necklaces, champagne, and custom bouquets for the Bridesmaids (In addition to hair and makeup). Monogrammed flasks, lighters, and cigars for the groomsmen.
- Gifts for one another: love, commitment, support, and handwritten vows.
- Ceremony entrance song: Matthew entered to “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel and Layla entered to “At Last” by Etta James, performed live by Martin Luther McCoy.
- First dance song: “Fly Me to the Moon” sang by Astrud Gilberto.
When love blooms…
Layla had just graduated from Wellesley College and was looking for her first job after school. She left with her Auntie Logan to Los Angeles to check out some options. Logan had gone to the University of Southern California and so she and Lay stayed with a friend of hers from school, Melissa.
Melissa and her boyfriend Mayfield loved to host gatherings. Before the party started, Layla sighed… “Where is the cool, smart, funny, single guy..”
“Tre!!!!” all the ladies exclaimed. Tre, of course, is one of Matthew’s nicknames. He was best friends with Mayfield, and they had been looking to set him up with someone special.
When Matt came over, sparks flew instantly. He and Lay danced, ate tacos, and partied the night away. Not one day has gone by without them talking since.
The proposal…
Layla: The proposal was a fairytale. Starting at the Four Seasons in Georgetown, Matt surprised me with a beautiful blue gown and gold strap sandal heels to wear to a nice dinner in the city. He told me to take my time getting dressed and that he’d be back with champagne. I sipped and glammed while listening to music, enjoying every moment.
When I was ready to go, he had a luxurious Black SUV waiting for us downstairs.
After just a short drive, we arrived at a waterfront restaurant where they told us our table would be ready in just a few minutes. We decided to take a stroll, but before we could take 3 steps, Matt knelt down before me and began to express his love for me. Shock, excitement, fear, and joy washed over me in a blanket of emotion, and I began to cry. The man I love had asked me to marry him.
He had hired a photographer to wait in the bushes and capture the moment! Matt placed a beautiful ring on my finger and then told me we actually had 30 minutes for a photo shoot before our reservations. The restaurant was in on it too!
We took a stroll along the waterfront taking in the scenery before sitting down to a table with pre-ordered champagne, oysters, and a bouquet of flowers out of vogue magazine! We enjoyed our seafood dinner together before joining my family the next day to celebrate love and freedom at the March on Washington.
Wedding style, attire, & shopping experience…
Layla wore a timeless, strapless Carolina Herrera dress that screamed of classic beauty, Badgley Mischka wedge heels with jewels, a protective evil-eye bracelet, and “something blue” earrings from her family.
Dress shopping was a whirlwind. Layla went multiple times to multiple cities trying on dresses with her Mom and Auntie. When she tried on the Carolina dress, she had THE MOMENT. Everyone stopped and tears were flowing.
When she called Matt to tell him, he couldn’t help but let a few tears out himself.
Matthew wore a Bond-like custom white tuxedo with black lapels.
His shopping experience was a family affair. His Dad flew up to San Francisco and they were helped by a family friend from Layla’s side, Alvin Lampkins. Alvin took measurements and experimented with style, all the while reporting back to Layla, her Mom, her Auntie, and Nonnie for feedback.
Cultural elements…
Layla and Matthew incorporated both Jewish and African-American cultural elements that were decidedly Californian.
They had a Jewish (Reconstructionist) ceremony under an incredible Chuppah designed by Melissa Sullivan of Le Bloomerie, officiated by Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben, and finished the ceremony by jumping a broom, carefully decorated by Layla and her Mom.
They were intentional about seeking out Black women designers and creators, ending up with a majority person-of-color staff for the entirety of the weekend, of which their family is very proud.
Mr. & Mrs. Sherman…
Reception space…
Light bites & cocktails…
The bride & groom…
Cheers!
Advice for other engaged couples…
M+L: The best advice we can give to couples is to truly get to know your partner. Wedding planning and the process of beginning a marriage is trying. Both you and the person you choose to embark on this journey with should be prepared to love, support and defend each other for the rest of your lives.
Explore your communication styles, cultural backgrounds, and upbringing. Bring in therapists and/or religious guides as necessary. You are beginning a new stage of life right now, don’t let it pass you by.
Looking for more gorgeous weddings where”love blooms”?
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Vendors:
- Wedding Planning + Design: Chanda Daniels Planning and Design
- Photographer: Patrick Quezada Photography
- Rentals, AV+ Lighting: Standard Event Rentals
- Rentals: Chairs 4 Events
- Caterer: The Red Door Catering
- Cinema: Hit Maker Films
- Entertainment: Luca & Lucca
- DJ: Dj Traened
- Floral Design: Lebloomerie
- Glam: Ninahwee
- Linen: Napa Valley Linens
- Restrooms: Pleasanton Event Rentals
- Transportation: Black Tie Transportation
This is so wonderful! Thank you for sharing our story!
You’re so welcome! Was a joy to write :)