Nestled in the rolling foothills of the El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve, just a few miles east of the sweeping coastal beauty that is Half Moon Bay, this location required very little help in the beautification department. Jesse wanted to add some character and conjure a bit of that bohemian “glamp spirit.” He and his team accomplished this with a mixture of camp-inspired color, texture and fall foliage to bring the natural feeling to life. A converted horse caravan became a charming cocktail bar on wheels, a vintage teepee transformed into the cozy guest lounge, antique steamer trunks and rustic wicker picnic baskets were reimagined into coffee and side tables, and guests were pampered with artisan cocktails alongside a fresh seasonal menu of farm-to-table food from one of California’s premier caterers.
Photography by Melanie Duerkopp
One of Jesse’s priorities is styling events to feel comfortable and creating lived-in environments, so that all those who encounter them feel instantly at ease. This event’s teepee lounge was adorned with summer camp favorites - of the vintage variety of course - ensuring guests felt as if they had been transported in time to a luxury camp of years past. There's a wholesome feeling, a sense of imagination, a nostalgia, that is evoked here. These guests never wanted to leave.
The use of mixing & matching textiles and layering accent design details gave this set-up a place for guests to gather, enjoy a cocktail and spend time together in the most casual yet luxurious of ways, while feeling at ease and unfussy under these 200 year-old redwoods. Jesse layered textiles from India, Turkey and England to give the neutral furniture movement, pattern and visual interest.
Guests dined on fried artichokes with parmesan & basil aioli, curd fish with buttery toast points and spicy avocado puree, and early fall compressed watermelon with burrata mousse. Jesse worked with Dyan Garza of Paula le Duc Fine Catering & Events to source one-of-a-kind appetizer serving platters; the one pictured above is a six-foot-long dried palm husk which was carried by servers for an organic-yet-dramatic effect that wowed guests. Also, notice the custom mustard yellow aprons selected to coordinate with the decor and event furnishings.