Romance on the River

Posted April 19, 2025

On a beautiful August day Ryan and Fabiana came together with their children and families for a weekend of laughter, fun, and lots of celebrating! Fabiana put a lot of care and love into shaping her vision and creating a thoughtful feel to the experience. The quintessential English-style boutique resort, Rowena’s Inn on the River at Sandpiper Resort in Harrison Mills, offered the most picturesque West Coast setting for this heartfelt union. Come along with us as we revisit a memorable weekend of Romance on the River as captured by Claudia Wyler Photography. As supported by DreamGroup planner Cayenne Gartside.

Hair & Makeup by Natalie Simoes.

Fabiana’s daughter Grace was the perfect Flower Girl.

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What were the highlights of this wedding for you Cayenne?

It would have to be the Venue! Rowena’s Inn on the River is so beautiful! The couple and their families all stayed at the venue for a few days around the wedding which brought a relaxed destination feel to the weekend. It created a really comfortable feeling of togetherness.

Love

Ring bearer Nolan getting ready with Dad!

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Theme: white, cream, sage, & gold accents. Lots of floral! Embracing the nature of the venue.

first look

Oh the butterflies! First Looks are so romantic!

butterflies

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Happy Tears – there’s so much emotion felt on the wedding day and first looks are a beautiful opportunity to support each other through it.

Anticipation & Joy

A family affair with celebratory hugs for Mom & Dad!

Ryan’s Groomsmen had style!

A special thank you…

Oh boy, where to start? I get emotional remembering how stressed out I was before we decided to have a planner help us out. As soon as we met Cayenne on our first Zoom meeting, I knew we were in good hands, and I knew everything was going to be okay. Cayenne went above and beyond to make sure we felt comfortable sharing our ideas and giving us direction on what steps to do next. She is so patient, professional and can she be any kinder? She has the biggest heart and is always so ready to help in any way.

She is so quick to reply to emails and breaking down “to do lists”. My husband and I have two small kids together and sometimes our Zoom meetings would get a little loud. Cayenne was always very patient and understanding. Always so kind to our kids too. She is the best!! Planning a wedding is of course stressful but I always felt so confident about the whole process because Cayenne is so organized, and we were always “on track”. The timeline she created was so organized and complete.

Cayenne is the best!

On the wedding day Cayenne was more than wonderful. She was just WOW!! So hands on, literally helping set up, driving us around in the golf cart (that was so FUN), helping with the photos, helping clean my dress after a spill, and of course making sure everything was going smooth as planned. She was always calm and confident, always reminding me “it is okay, everything is good”.

Our wedding was PERFECT and the way I always imagined it would be. The decor was set up just the way I wanted. I remember taking a moment to admire the decorations and details and looked at her to thank her as I was just so amazed and she said, “that was all you”. SO SWEET!! It wouldn’t have come to life without her. I still have family members and friends come to me and say how impressed they were with her work. Always checking on everyone, always so caring and helpful. She really cares about making your dream wedding come to life and you can tell she loves doing her job and does it with her full heart!!

We absolutely 100% recommend Cayenne to anyone. She is truly the best and we are so grateful! Thank you Cayenne! You amazed us and you did an outstanding job from start to finish.

Fabiana O.

Kissing Arch

On the river

It’s time to say “I do” under the magestic Walnut Tree…

Hard to top the significance of exchanging vows under the protection and beauty of this stunning Walnut Tree.

Fabiana’s stunning bouquet was created by AJR Designs.

What was the most successful part of the day?

I would say the flow and how guests enjoyed the space and grounds. Guests always felt that they knew what was next and many commented that it was the best planned wedding they have been too! That’s the best compliment to hear. Fabiana’s decor and personal pieces were so thoughtful and I feel like we brought her vision to life beautifully — as a result she was floored when she saw the final look.

Flower Girl hug for Mom!

Fabiana taking in the beauty of the Tented Reception space with her daughter.

Valley Weddings brought the secret decor ingredient.

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Golden Hour Magic…

“When you find the person you want to spend the rest if your life with, you want the rest if your life to start as soon as possible.” ~ When Harry Met Sally

What did you learn?

I learned that with larger venues like this, extra assistanants are a must! I surpassed 16,000 steps that day and realized, as much as I’d like to have this super power, I cannot be in 3 places at the same time! A lot of ground to cover.