Colin and Madelaine first crossed paths at a friend’s 21st birthday party in Brooklyn. Though they only shared a few brief conversations that night, those moments lingered — so much so that Colin later told Madelaine, “I was wrecked solid in love.” As their relationship developed, Sundays became a slow, sacred ritual: coffee, the newspaper, and crosswords in pajamas. The morning Colin proposed began just like that, easy and unhurried. After proposing while ice skating in Prospect Park, they celebrated their engagement the only way that felt right: with champagne and French fries. Effortless luxury met Edwardian-inspired elegance with a modern California twist at Colin and Madelaine’s wedding at McCormick Home Ranch. Their original vision drew from the charm of Edwardian garden picnics — guests dressed to the nines, sipping from fine porcelain and silver. That sense of rich, romantic nostalgia translated beautifully into the backyard setting of their celebration, where Madelaine added playful, aesthetic touches such as a checkered dance floor, hand fans, and bows throughout, all captured by Nicole & Photo.
Attention to detail: stamp color palette
Quintessentially elegant invitations from Zola in black and white set the tone with impeccable attention to detail down to the color palette of the stamps.
Clustered cherry tomato boutonniere
The groomsmen were dressed in the perfect forest green suits with complementary light green ties, while groom Colin wore a boutonniere by Brooke Bloom Co. adorned with a small cluster of cherry tomatoes still on the vine as a nod to Madelaine’s Italian heritage and their shared love of cooking.
Bridal style: ivory mikado silk
Madelaine’s Pronovias gown ended up being the opposite of what she had originally envisioned, but she knew it was the one the moment she saw it — ivory Mikado silk with a structured, off-the-shoulder neckline. She imagined the fabric catching sunlight in the gardens. On the wedding day, guests told her she was “literally glowing.”
On trend: ceremony overskirt
For the ceremony, Madelaine opted to add a gorgeous satin overskirt to create a look of elegance and grandeur for the garden setting.
You may also like
Understated luxe-inspired wedding in an English garden
A Hillside Estate wedding in three words – modern English garden
A romantic English garden wedding inspired by Aperol spritz
Romantic garden ceremony design
The outdoor ceremony took place amid lush California greenery, where Madelaine found herself completely absorbed in Colin’s beautifully written, multi-page vows.
Impressionist-inspired seating chart
Guests found their seats using minimalistic cards attached to a framed Monet painting using custom wax seals. At each table, a picture of the bride and groom at that age added a personal touch.
Heartfelt and vintage-inspired vignettes
As a heartfelt tribute to their family histories, Madelaine created a memory table filled with black-and-white photographs of their ancestors, lovingly sourced from genealogy websites and displayed in thrifted silver frames. At another station, a vintage dresser served as the perfect “table” for clear glass card box and custom guest book. In keeping with the theme, fruits were tucked among floral arrangements in the style of Dutch Master paintings, bringing a decadent, painterly quality to the vignettes.
Traditional Italian favors: bonbonniere
Each guest received a bonbonniere – a traditional Italian favor given at celebrations as a token of good luck – and was delighted by the pasta bar for dinner.
Whimsical English garden-inspired cake
The newlyweds cut into a couple’s-only cake from Top Tier Treats with beaded edges and whimsical, English garden-inspired blooms.
From sentimental first dance to conga line
Sentimental music and moments filled the day with heartfelt wonder, closing with a conga line and the couple “dancing like fools” to Harry Belafonte.
