Whimsical woodland museum wedding in los altos, california

Kimberly and Luigi tied the knot in the most whimsical way, surrounded by abundant flowers, mushrooms, and bubbles at a local museum. While venue searching, Luigi wanted to find a nonprofit or a community-based organization because giving back is an important part of his personal values. He loved the idea of using a museum space, but Kimberly was hesitant—she didn’t want a modern exhibit hall with grand chateaus and large marble columns. With help from their planner, Yoko from Two Perfect Events, they found the Los Altos History Museum. This charming venue featured a cozy outdoor area perfect for their ceremony and reception, along with a gallery space that made for a unique dance floor. Rather than limiting her palette to just a few colors, Kimberly wanted an organic, floral-inspired look. She avoided fluorescent or neon tones, opting for hues that resembled flowers in bloom. As a designer, Kimberly’s style is structured and organized, but her personality is playful and whimsical. This contrast created a wedding full of whimsical and quirky details while maintaining a clean aesthetic (but not too minimalist!). Her vision invited a lot of bright colors, candles, bubbles, flowers, and dreamy, upbeat pop music.

Kimberly and Luigi met on a dating app and had their first date on a Tuesday night in June 2018, starting at 9:00 PM in a basement bar called Blind Tiger in Oakland. Both coming from long workdays, they hit it off just 10 minutes in, eventually moving to a second bar and chatting past midnight. Luigi proposed a week before Christmas 2022 while they were dog-sitting for a friend. He wanted to pop the question in front of the Christmas tree and set up his phone to record the moment. The only problem was that Kimberly wasn’t going near the tree. Despite Luigi’s attempts to lure her over, she was too distracted playing with the dog. Luigi knew he just had to do it. He dropped to one knee, and when she turned around, she saw him proposing. This happened entirely outside the frame of Luigi’s phone, so only their conversation was recorded!

Luigi’s forest green suit was custom-tailored by Anatoly & Sons, adding a unique yet timeless pop of color to their special day. While backpacking through Japan and Taiwan, he found a green Seiko watch that was the perfect green accessory to match his suit. In the midst of planning, Luigi somehow forgot to get shoes. The day before the wedding, Kimberly rushed through four stores before finally finding the perfect pair! Kimberly wore a stunning custom gown from Emerald City Gowns in Berkeley, accented with a floral hairpiece and jewelry from Glänta and Mejuri.

Her love for bubbles led to the most whimsical exit—after saying "I do," guests surrounded them with bubbles, creating what Kimberly described as "a magical moment, better than we could have envisioned."

Kimberly designed all the stationery, signage, invitations, and photo booth templates. The wedding’s signature handwritten “Foxglove” font added whimsical playfulness to each piece. For the thank you cards, sent out months later, they included printed photos of each guest from the wedding gallery for a personal touch.

Flowers were the star of this woodland-inspired wedding. Their florist, Mister Lee Designs, incorporated dahlias, sweet peas, and chamomile, along with mushrooms nestled in moss at the base of the centerpieces—an homage to Kimberly’s passion for mushroom foraging. She shared, "My friends and family took the mushrooms home after the wedding and made omelets out of them!"

Their menu, crafted by Chef Roger Lu of ZRC Catering, was a fusion of Asian and Western food and reflected their multicultural backgrounds. Luigi was born in Italy and raised in Brooklyn, and Kimberly's parents immigrated from Vietnam to France before settling in San Jose, where she was born. The couple selected wines from both Italy and France, and their menu featured dishes like Mapo tofu lasagna, Vietnamese spring rolls, quiches, and other personal favorites.

Kimberly and Luigi opted out of a traditional wedding cake and instead hired a Mister Softee ice cream truck and a local churro vendor, Churros El Guero. Luigi, having grown up with Mister Softee trucks in NYC, loved the nostalgic touch, while the churros were a nod to Kimberly’s San Jose roots.

For wedding favors, guests received California poppy seed packets and flower-blooming lollipops. After enjoying the candy, they could plant the stick, which would sprout flowers that matched the lollipop flavor.

Some favorite songs of the night included: Luigi's go-to karaoke anthem, "I Really Like You" by Carly Rae Jepsen, "Miracles Happen" by Myra, a nostalgic early 2000s hit from The Princess Diaries, "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding for the father-daughter dance, a song that reminded Kimberly’s father of home after immigrating to the U.S. "Drink the River" by Gabe Lee, one of Luigi’s favorite songs from a Taiwanese-American country artist, "Holocene" by Bon Iver, bringing them back to their road trip through Iceland "My Favourite Book" by Stars, their first dance song and a nod to Kimberly’s favorite college band A lively selection of reggaeton, since Kimberly loves dancing to it! They made a last-minute decision to take dance lessons a week before the wedding. Even though they could only fit in two lessons, they found it completely worth it!