JOIN US AT A COWBOY CHIC WELCOME TO THE RANCH PRE WEDDING PARTY
A Napa Valley Destination Wedding at Stanly Ranch
Leave it to three Italian girls to pull to pull of the wedding weekend of a lifetime in Napa Valley!
The mother of the bride, Shanda, reached out to me mere hours after her daughter, Mikayal, became engaged to Brandon. She had been following me on Instagram and loved the way that I talk about destination wedding planning, the little details that tell a story, and especially about how wedding cakes are the jewelry of a reception design. She knew her daugher was getting engaged, and was ready to begin planning the very next day! Mother, Daughter, and I immediately bonded over our shared Italian heritage, our love of creating experiences, and our shared commitment to family.
That said, not just anyone would book a Las Vegas Wedding Planner (born and bred in New York!) to plan a destination wedding in Napa Valley! So when Mikayla and Brandon entrusted me with their weekend, I knew we had to honor the bride’s roots while leaning into Stanly Ranch’s rustic elegance. Once I learned that Mikayla spent her summers on a family ranch in Clovis, California, I knew that we had to create a “Welcome to the Ranch” soirée that blended the famed Stanly Ranch name with a heartfelt nod to her family homestead.
Upon arrival, guests walked through a series of barren trees, hand assembled by the groom, and entered the event under a custom Clovis entrance—complete with reclaimed barn-wood gates and hand-lettered signage—then stepped into a luxe ranch playground, where amber lanterns and sage bundles sat alongside gilded saddle stools and ivory hydrangea arrangements. We were truly celebrating life, luxury, and, above all else, love while kicking off Mikayla and Brandon’s once-in-a-lifetime Napa Valley destination wedding weekend.
The night was alive with activations that kept everyone on their toes. A continuous line formed at our custom hat bar, where each guest had the opportunity to design their own custom cowboy hat or trucker cap stamped with various designs, patches, and embellishments. Meanwhile, the mechanical bull roared into action and never stopped—friends and family cheered challengers on as the rides clung on for dear life! Our partner, Flowers by Edgar, surprised us all with a bespoke dance floor, its glossy surface etched with cowboy-inspired decals and vintage branding irons, creating a space that was equal parts saloon and ballroom.
By the time Neon Prophets took the stage under a canopy of stars and flashing lights, the dance floor was already full—and they only turned up the volume. The bride even joined them on stage for her own solo performance!
Neon Prophets delivered a high-octane set of old-school country hits that had everyone line-dancing by lantern light. Their authentic twang and powerhouse vocals transformed Stanly Ranch’s outdoor lawn into the coolest honky-tonk west of Texas. Just when the guests thought that the night couldn’t get more unforgettable, we surprised them once again with a custom drone show by Sky Elements. Hundreds of synchronized lights traced heart shapes and their initials across the Napa sky, capping off the evening with a true wow-moment that left guests reaching for their phones.
We kept their bellies and their hearts full by serving some of the couples favorite food items, including a charcuterie board, butler passed mini meatball sliders, pineapple upside down cake, and a make your own S’Mores station.
Of course, no ranch-inspired fête would be complete without a fashion plot twist. Mikayla stunned in a custom Lea Da Gloria gown, expertly tailored to perfection, while her mom surprised her with a white leather “BRIDE” jacket that became the ultimate photo op. On her feet? Pristine white cowboy boots that married high fashion with western whimsy. My bride was absolute perfection, proving that couture and country aren’t opposites - but perfect partners!
By bending the world to my will and always keeping Mikayla and Brando's love story at the heart of event decision we made I was able to “marry” the authentic ranch details that my bride loved with the opulent design style that her mother was looking for, curating experiences that felt both deeply personal and dazzlingly grand. Mikayla and Brandon’s Welcome to the Ranch party is a blueprint for anyone dreaming of a custom, creative, never-before-never-again celebration. And we couldn’t love it more!
Always…A
