Luxurious Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Wedding || Sydney + Brian
Helipad Wedding at Malibu Rocky Oaks Venue || Malibu Wedding Photographer
Leave it to Sydney and Brian to host the most quintessentially Malibu wedding. These two are Pepperdine alum (like me!) so Malibu and Southern California is home to them and their love story. They chose the iconic and world-renowned Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate for its gorgeous sunsets and connection to how they began. It was reminiscent of where Sydney and Brian first connected and grew feelings for each other–– Florence, Italy. In Sydney’s words on the venue, “You really do feel like you’ve been transported to Italy when you are sipping wine and looking out over the cliffside vineyard!”
Styling and Details for a Tuscan-Inspired Malibu Wedding
The style of the wedding was inspired by Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate itself and the Italian Riviera, which made every detail speak to Sydney and Brian’s story. Speaking of details, every single one was meticulously and beautifully thought out. These two poured a lot of love into their day and it shows. This was not luxury for the sake of luxury, but luxury for the sake of mirroring the magnificence of their love. Each detail held meaning. Sydney’s dad made the communion table and gorgeous infinity arch that served as their wedding ceremony backdrop.
The couple even met their florist at 4 AM the week of their wedding to pick out flowers–– peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, dahlias, orange blossoms, and sweet peas. They took care of their guests with personalized champagne glasses, leather name tags, reception dancing flip-flops, and pashminas for wedding favors (if you know Malibu, you know that evening chill). We had a coffee bar, the most beautiful charcuterie spread for cocktail hour, and signature drinks inspired by their hometowns in Florida and Arizona. One of my absolute favorite details was the wedding cake, which was a first for me. I’m not usually a details-obsessive person, but this was next level. The cake designer, Colin O’Dea, specializes in creating truly sculptural sugar flowers. Each one is handcrafted and looks wildly real.
The Wedding Day at Malibu’s Most Beautiful Venue
On the wedding day itself, Sydney and Brian both got ready on-site in the Tuscan villa. Sydney’s iconic red curls stunned, and Brian looked dapper as ever. One of the greatest draws of Malibu Rocky Oaks is the helipad ceremony location. It overlooks the gorgeous Santa Monica Mountains, and is somehow always perfectly lit. It was truly the most spectacular ceremony location I had ever seen, and there’s a good reason it’s considered Malibu’s premiere venue. One of the other biggest draws to couples getting married is the boulder pile that is pure magic to photograph wedding portraits at sunset. I’ve seen a lot of gorgeous sunsets in my life, especially living in Malibu, but the ones at Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate take the cake. We had so much fun taking wedding portraits, and they’ll be some of my favorites for a long time. A dress change later, Sydney and Brian danced the night away with their closest in the ballroom of the villa, and lived happily ever after.
Venue: Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards (@maliburockyoaks)
Planning/Design: Berlanti of The Elegant Ninja (@theelegantninja_berlanti)
Floral: Poppy Design Co (@poppydesignco)
Wedding Cake: Colis O’Dea Cakes (@colinodeacakes)
Dress: Arabella Gown by Matthew Christopher’s Breathless Collection
Belt: Lucy Bridal Boutique on Easy
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Calligraphy: Seniman Calligraphy (@seniman_calligraphy)
Stationary: Minted (@minted)
