Blended Bliss

After nearly 14 years together, Gregg Fienberg, executive producer of HBO’s True Blood, and interior designer/actress Annie Fitzgerald decided to make it official. But like many couples, they had different visions. 

Gregg wanted a beach wedding; Annie envisioned something more rustic that included a vineyard. Event planner Tiffany Bowne of Lounge Couture came up with the perfect compromise: The wedding would be at scenic Triunfo Creek Vineyards in Agoura, and the rehearsal dinner and “day after” brunch would be held at an ocean-view rental in Malibu. 

“We set it up so the guests would have food and drinks from the moment the shuttle touched down at the vineyard until the time everyone was hauled away kicking and screaming. And no one wanted to leave—including us!” Annie laughs.

Eighty guests enjoyed a pre-ceremony cocktail hour, followed by the nuptials under a gigantic, 200-year-old oak tree. Afterwards a charcuterie station opened with cheeses, olives and meats. A sit-down, family-style dinner followed under a string of lights. Carrot cake, adorned with succulents, provided the sweet finish. 

Who Did What

Invitations 

The custom, hand-assembled invitation featured a string that tied and fun lines like “Annie and Gregg finally tie the knot” and “Feast and awkward but enthusiastic dancing to follow.” As Annie explains, “Setting the tone from the beginning really gave our guests permission to be a bit irreverent and have a joyful attitude going in. When we walked down the aisle, the crowd was whooping it up and cheering us on!” 

Band 

The Coals

“Music was the hardest element to get right,” shares Tiffany. “Annie and Gregg wanted hip, folky and casual and two acoustic songs performed during the ceremony. We looked outside the typical wedding options, ultimately reaching out to TV and film music supervisors.”

Florist 

Lilla Bello

“Flowers are such an important element to an event; they are central to creating a vision,” Tiffany shares. “Toby Kassoy of Lilla Bello, who I’ve worked with for years, really ‘got it.’ She perfectly executed the loose, cut-from-the-garden look that Annie wanted.” 

Caterer

Global Cuisine

“They do farm-to-table-esque cuisine. Annie and Gregg are ‘foodies,’ and they love fresh, organic, locally sourced ingredients. And they’d worked with Global Cuisine, which is is all about that, before,” says Tiffany. 

2014 Wedding Trends

Pinterest

Couples create a Pinterest page with their ideas—from lighting to table décor to flowers. It eliminates a lot of the back-and-forth with vendors and helps convey their vision to vendors. 

Non-traditional Attire

Forget about wedding party “matching.” This couple’s flower girl is in cowboy boots (see upper left photo), the groomsmen in different suits and the bridesmaids in similar but different dresses. 

Custom-Printed Items 

Couples are now using resources like Etsy and Paper Source to make their own custom items, enhancing the look and feel of an event. For this wedding, custom labels were made for the olive jars that matched the invitations. That same design was used for the menus and bar. 

Pre-wedding Getaway

Why wait for the honeymoon? Release stress with a couples weekend. Weeks before the wedding, Annie and Gregg went to the Chopra Center in La Jolla and did the “Weekend Within” package, decompressing with meditation and massage.