Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento

A Venue with a Past

Even though you’ll find me all over Napa, Sonoma, and San Francisco, I don’t talk much about our own stomping grounds, Sacramento. If you’re looking for an affordable wedding spot in Northern California, Sacramento fits the bill for many of my clients. One of my favorite spots is the Crocker Art Museum, the first public museum in the Western United States founded in 1885. It has two wings: the beautiful historical victorian that houses classic art, the Crocker family jewelry and portraits, and amazing architecture; and the slick new modern wing, that boasts art from around the world and exciting rotating exhibitions. Amy and Ken’s modern yellow and white wedding was one of my favorites, as was Leticia and Michael’s purple and white romantic wedding.

What I like about this venue is the variety of places there are to shoot! There are opportunities to use art as backgrounds, to take advantage of the antique facades, and utilize the modern structures that make up the new wing of the Crocker. If you had a vintage or antique-era wedding, the older building would have beautiful touches to add authenticity to your theme. A modern event would fit perfectly in the newer, larger wing with limitless possibilities.

Ceremony and Reception Options

There are two very different spots in the Crocker to have your ceremony, and both are equally amazing. The older building has a ballroom downstairs with carved wood architecture where they hold events and dinners, where Ken and Amy tied the knot. It has an old-world elegance, and is perfect for any style of wedding.

From the Crocker Website:

• The architectural crown jewel of the Crocker’s historic gallery building, the Ballroom is an opulent setting ideal for a VIP dinner or reception
• Warm, intimate ambience
• Views into both courtyards, a ceiling view into the gallery space above, and rotating exhibitions provide a visual feast

The second is the courtyard outside the new, modern part of the museum, with two large fountains, and ample space for guests and decor. If you were planning a modern, outdoor wedding this would also be an excellent spot for a reception.

From the Crocker website:

• Framed by the historic gallery building and the Teel Family Pavilion, the Courtyard’s clean, versatile design is the perfect backdrop to any occasion
• Clear space for wall and light projection
• Large water feature enhances ambience
• Designed for optimum evening shade

Both weddings utilized the indoor Friedman Court in the new museum wing as their reception space.

From the Crocker website:

• Multi-faceted and sleekly spacious, Friedman Court is a dynamic open canvas ideal for large standing or seated receptions and corporate functions
• Abundant art and architectural details provide visual interest and help cultivate an interactive atmosphere
• Flooded with light shimmering through floor-to-ceiling windows that face the historic gallery building

Milou + Olin Crocker Weddings

The new wing of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento is a modern, white structure that lets in plenty of light and creates a great backdrop for photos.

Amy and Ken chose to take some bride and groom portraits in the older section of the museum before their ceremony in the ballroom.

The beautiful wood inlays, antique bannisters, and sculptures are truly unique at the Crocker. Amy and Ken are lit from its second story windows.

Amy makes a stunning bride! The warm woods in the older section of the museum are perfect for lighting fair skin.

The modern art in the museum is perfect for one-of-a-kind photographs. Rotating art exhibits allow for images that no one else will have.

Amy and Ken goof around in front of a large landscape piece!

The white exterior walls of the Crocker are a great canvas for modern wedding shots.

The Crocker’s downstairs ballroom is an elegant space for a ceremony – it’s attention to detail is unmatched in Sacramento.

Even though Ken and Amy’s wedding had a modern theme, their ceremony fit perfectly in the Crocker’s antique ballroom!

Amy and Ken’s Sacramento Crocker Art Museum wedding palate was white, yellow, and pops of green – all very modern! The Crocker’s stark white architecture worked perfectly with their choices.

Decor and cake at Amy and Ken’s Crocker Museum wedding.

The Friedman court is so spacious – you could fit a giant wedding in here! The tiled floor is ready-made for dancing! 

Leticia and Michael took a different approach to their wedding decor, and went with purple and white in an outdoor ceremony at the Crocker’s outdoor courtyard.

What a gorgeous backdrop! Their ceremony was filled with purple petals.

The Crocker’s clean architecture makes it the perfect backdrop for any style of photo!

Leticia and Michael made a beautiful couple on their wedding day.

The Friedman Court was decked out in purple, white and yellow flowers for their colorful reception.

Be sure to incorporate lighting into your Crocker wedding, because you can do spectacular things at night! Those giant windows and sleek spaces look amazing when the right lighting is applied. 

I’m glad to let you in on our Sacramento gem of a venue! Have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo- Caroline

Natasha and Anthony’s fabulous modern wedding at Carneros Inn in Napa, CA is making a splash over at Modernly Wed! We love how much color there is in their flowers and decor! They used vibrant pinks, oranges, and even purples in their design! Go check out the whole wonderful spread at Modernly Wed! 

When we saw Stephanie and John’s fabulous Los Angeles wedding last, they had just tied the knot and said I Do! We enjoyed every elegant detail of this Southern California wedding that we had to split it into three separate posts!

If you missed it, we first saw the excitement of Stephanie getting ready, and John’s genuine reaction to seeing Stephanie as his bride for the first time in their “first look” photos, as well as beautiful portraits of this adorable couple all over the Biltmore Hotel.

You’re in for a treat today, because we’re revealing all of their gorgeous white and grey reception decor and you’re going to love it!

Stephanie and John steal a kiss after their gorgeous ceremony at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Pasadena, and head to their reception for a grand entrance!

We couldn’t resist snapping a few photos in front of this giant vintage photograph in the Biltmore. 

Such wonderful detail! Scrollwork and S&J were common themes throughout their printed materials.

We love their little guest gifts! Grey ribbon brings in their color scheme nicely. 

Their table “numbers” are so adorable! Each one is a scene from a favorite movie of Stephanie and John’s. Such a cute way to tie in something personal! The gold candelabras that hold the centerpiece flowers give an air of grandeur to the table. 

Nothing is classier than a harpist! She entertained the guests during cocktail hour, and while they anxiously awaited the bridal party and the newly married couple. 

The bridal party played it cool and swaggered into the reception with style. 

Nothing is as fun as making a grand entrance into your own party! 

There they are! Stephanie and John shimmy their way into the room to excited applause. 

Toasts and speeches were numerous and hilarious! The bridesmaids took it upon themselves to make the speeches unique and meaningful. 

Surrounded by friends and family! 

The first dance is always our favorite moment to capture – it’s the culmination of everything a wedding day is about, and it’s a moment for the couple to be close after all the day’s excitement. 

We’re gaga over Stephanie’s Vera Wang dress. She couldn’t have picked anything more perfect for her elegant wedding! 

Their beautiful cake was made by the Biltmore – it’s a beautiful, delicious addition to their elegant wedding. 

Stephanie changed into an adorable shift dress to dance the night away!

We wish you all the best! xoxo – Milou and Olin

Hello and Happy Monday! I had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend, and am back to submitting beautiful weddings and answering emails – yes I have a fabulous job!

The Central Coast Venue Hunt

Although we’d gone all over the East Bay looking at venues, we felt there was more to explore. The fiance originally wanted the wedding down in Southern California: where the venues are bigger and the weather is more temperate (not to mention more ocean views!) but that was a little too far for my parents, so we went to the next best thing: the central coast!

San Luis Obispo, dubbed by Oprah the happiest place in the country, is where Chris and I met and fell in love, but our relationship is spread out all over the central coast. We took many moonlit walks on Avila and Pismo’s beaches, drove up into the back roads of Atascadero and Paso Robles, and spent weekends visiting Hearst Castle and the elephant seals in Cayucos. So it’s natural to want to look for venues in this idyllic setting, where we have so many favorite haunts and good memories.

Venues

Robert Hall Winery - Paso Robles

Robert Hall was definitely our favorite – and the first one we saw. Online it fit the bill – gorgeous Paso Robles wine country, right off 46 (so it would be easy to get to) and a giant amphitheatre to decorate however we liked.  The rolling hills that surround it are covered in vines, and the weather was perfect, even in March! It’s easy to see why most of the Saturdays for the next year and a half are already claimed for weddings.

There are so many places to have your ceremony at Robert Hall Winery it’s hard to choose! They have multiple patios that surround the properties, some overlooking the vineyards, others more enclosed. The giant fountain on the front of the property is a popular spot for photos. 

The reception hall was unfortunately too small for our wedding group, which is why we thought the amphitheatre (on the right) was the perfect fit for our big wedding. Lit up at night it’s the perfect romantic spot for a first dance!

Our only negatives were that, like most places in the central coast, a strict 10:00pm curfew is put on all outdoor music, and that it didn’t “quite” fit the modern, glamorous theme I had in mind. So many other weddings would work here, and it is still a beautiful venue.

Villa San Juliette 

This slice of Italian heaven is a bride’s dream. Even though the drive back into Paso wine country is seemingly endless, you end up feeling entirely transported. If you have a small, intimate wedding (aka less than 80 people) in wine country you can’t do better than San Juliette. A sunny yellow villa emerges after about 20 minutes off the main freeway, the entrance lined with Cypress trees, and you can spy chandeliers on the balconies and marble statues scattered throughout the patio areas. They also have excellent wine!

Creator and Executive Producer of So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol Nigel Lythgoe actually owns San Juliette, and he and his business partner have divided the house in half to each have second homes in Paso Robles’ beautiful wine country.

What a gorgeous entrance! The villa is still incredibly new, and this picture was taken before they added a lot of flowers and statues! Also they have a bridal suite in the works, and plan to fill it with all Ralph Lauren furniture: talk about some fab “getting ready” shots!

The rotunda of columns is the perfect spot for a grand “I do”. There is also an upstairs pavillion for ceremonies with a giant outdoor fireplace and chandelier. The patio on the right photo is usually where they hold receptions; in the future they hope to have permits for bigger weddings and their two huge barrel rooms will house larger parties.

Ventana Grill

We wanted to check out at least one purely beachy venue, since we both are drawn to the ocean. The ceremony site is simply beyond gorgeous: Ventana Grill has a bluff overlooking the ocean with a little white gazebo at the tip, with palm trees that gently sway on either side. The bride and groom stand in front of the gazebo with the ocean view behind them, making the photographer’s job look easy. We met with their coordinator, who was very thorough and even drafted up a sample quote for us with catering included. Considering hors ‘d oeuvres are extra, and the food is fairly standard, the prices are a little on the high side. I suppose when you have claim over a view like that though, you aren’t getting many complaints.

Can you believe how beautiful this ceremony spot is? We stood out here for at least a half hour, admiring the view. 

The reception room was a little small for our wedding, but it could easily house a group under 150. If you’re lucky enough not to get fog, the view is fantastic!

Monarch Club

Considering it’s all the way in Nipomo, I almost wrote off this gem of a venue – I’m glad we took the time to check it out! It’s a country club nestled in the middle of a new housing development that has modern, earthy details and plenty of options for how you want your wedding to flow. They have a large ballroom, a sheltered courtyard with outdoor fireplace, and a beautiful patio area outdoors that is usually used for ceremonies in addition to an “art garden” that has numerous glass sculptures that can be used for ceremonies, cocktail hour, or even an outdoor reception! The staff is very flexible and accommodating (while we were touring, they were setting up for a wedding they fully planned in four weeks!) and offer complete packages that leave nothing to the imagination -even lighting, music, and flowers!

The terrain and venue are so different – and the curved walkway to the ceremony area adds a bit of drama. The getting ready rooms here are completely gorgeous – the bride’s room even has a little patio with cute furniture and string lights – perfect for champagne before the big day! 

An outdoor ceremony is completely doable here – though you’re not very sheltered from the elements. In the end we decided that it had too much of an earthy vibe for our glamorous wedding dreams. Stay tuned and next week I’ll reveal where we (very recently!) chose our venue! I’ll give you all the fabulous details. Until then!!

xoxo- Morgan