In the fading light of a late summer afternoon, Olivia Fleming and Brooks Schaffer stood together in the back garden of Barndiva, surrounded by 160 friends and family. As they exchanged vows, there was one detail almost no one knew: the couple had already married two days prior, in a quiet ceremony with just immediate family at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Healdsburg.
For Olivia, the church was a place of personal significance; she had been confirmed there and her parents remain active members.
“We were really intentional having this small, intimate wedding first. It was this special moment where you get to be really present,” says Olivia.
In a scene straight out of a small-town romance, Olivia made her way to St. Paul’s in a flowing white gown, escorted by her father from Ivy House, the vine-covered home the couple had rented for the weekend’s celebrations.
“All these people were stopping and honking — this is such a cute, small-town thing,” recalls Olivia.
Olivia and Brooks met a decade earlier at Outside Lands in San Francisco through mutual friends. But it wasn’t until five years later, when Olivia moved back to the Bay Area after living on the East Coast, that they started dating. Today, she serves as chief of staff at LinkedIn, while Brooks runs his own wealth management company.
With the help of a wedding coordinator, the couple meticulously planned their second ceremony at Barndiva, ensuring that the celebration, which welcomed a larger circle of family and friends, was as special as the first.
Barndiva, a favorite dining spot of Olivia’s family during her childhood, was the natural venue choice. From their carefully choreographed first dance to the evening’s signature cocktail, the Tipsy Dipsea, the celebration was filled with personal touches. The drink was a tribute to the couple’s first date, when they hiked the iconic Dipsea Trail at Stinson Beach.
“We wanted to capture the essence of who we are and what we enjoy in life,” says Olivia.
As the evening progressed, guests dined beneath the soft glow of lanterns hanging from a pergola, savoring seasonal dishes and indulging in a decadent dessert bar laden with lemon meringue tartlets, raspberry almond cake, and cream puffs.
Later, with the night in full swing, Olivia changed into a shorter dress and joined Brooks on the dance floor, where they celebrated the start of their married life with friends. As the festivities drew to a close, the couple sent guests home with a personal memento: bottles of olive oil sourced from the trees at Olivia’s childhood home.
Resources
Venue and Caterer: Barndiva
Event Planner: The Directive
Photographer: Kreate Photography
Videographer: Jana Contreras Photography
Dress: Mira Zwillinger
Hair and Makeup: Marisa Perel
DJ/Music: The BoomBox
Florals: Ampersand
Photo booth: The Booth Bus