This Couple Married Surrounded by Hundreds of Blooming Rose Bushes at Their Montecito Wedding

The bride tried on countless dresses on her own in the lead-up to the wedding to get a sense of the style and shape she was looking for initially. She knew she wanted something that felt classic yet elegant, and simple with clean lines. After enlisting the help of stylist Gabrielle Hurwitz, she visited Danielle Frankel. “I think it was the first or second dress I tried on there, but we knew immediately,” Allison says. “I loved the timeless, elegant silhouette and made it my own by adding subtle lace to the bodice and designing a custom lace jacket to accentuate the shoulders.”

She found her second look—a vintage silk John Galliano for Christian Dior gown—from Happy Isles in New York. “I fell in love with the gorgeous fringe sash around the waist, which added a bit of romanticism and felt destined for a Montecito wedding,” Allison explains. “Growing up on a farm in northern California, I’ve always loved Ralph Lauren, so I knew I wanted to wear something of his for Friday evening.”

For the after-party, she wanted something unexpected, so she chose a pink Mini Ivy dress with a traditional corset by Wiederhoeft. “It was fully hand-embroidered with metallic glass-cut beads,” Allison explains. “And completely insane in the best way. I was obsessed.” Lastly, she and Gabrielle found an incredible vintage 1930s peignoir and nightgown that the bride wore to get ready in and served as her “something blue.”

Allison rarely wears makeup and wanted to feel like herself on her wedding day, so Kate Synnott created a beautifully minimal, glowy look. “Ruslan gave me the waves of my dreams on Friday,” Allison remembers. “And we opted for a low bun on Saturday because I have so much hair and wanted it out of my face. Both Ruslan and Kate were lovely to work with and brought such a calm, positive energy to the day, which I was really grateful for.”

Allison’s overall goal was to keep things timeless, which informed her approach to jewelry as well—simple, elegant pieces that complemented rather than overwhelmed. She wore a pair of chandelier earrings on Friday and chose classic diamond studs for the ceremony, both from Material Good. “For my other looks, I paired a diamond pendant and chandelier necklace,” she says. “They were both gifted by my parents, which was especially meaningful.”

Scott’s wardrobe was infinitely easier for the couple to navigate. “We had a lot of fun choosing his looks at Bergdorf with Gabrielle,” Allison notes. “On Friday, he wore a Brunello Cucinelli sports coat paired with Loro Piana trousers and suede loafers. For Saturday, I loved being part of the process of picking out his tux—he ultimately chose a Tom Ford tuxedo and later changed into a white Tom Ford dinner jacket after the ceremony. He looked so handsome.”

The ceremony began on Saturday afternoon. “It felt like a surreal dream set beneath the Santa Ynez Mountains,” Allison says. “A church choir welcomed guests to the rose gardens as they sang ‘Down to the River to Pray,’ and as our family walked the aisle, a string quartet and mandolin played ‘Going to California’ by Led Zeppelin. I remember hearing that song from afar as I waited, and it still gives me chills. Scott and I have always shared a deep love for music, especially the classics and early ’80s and ’90s, so we had the best time picking out songs for the weekend.”

Allison’s nephew Samuel served as the couple’s ring bearer—accompanied by their dog, Koda—and Scott’s niece Noah was the flower girl. “I adopted Koda when he was one, so I definitely shed a tear when I fastened his little bow tie on him that morning,” Allison shares. The couple’s friend Rob officiated the ceremony. “He led the ceremony with such warmth and sincerity,” Allison says. “I could see my sisters smiling at me from the corner of my eye across the altar, which brought me a sense of calm. One of the things Scott and I have done well is blend our circles—we’re so grateful to be surrounded by an incredible group of friends and family.”

The couple wrote their own vows. “I remember telling Scott to look out at the crowd for a moment during the ceremony,” Allison says. “We could truly feel the love from everyone around us that day.” Their friend Alexander Adler also led the blessing of the wine and gifted the couple a cup created by artist Michele Oka Doner. “I think my favorite part of the afternoon was hearing Scott’s vows,” Allison reveals. “They were so beautifully written and profound.” Though Koda still managed to find a way to get involved in the ceremony. “I think Koda was upset that he wasn’t part of the vows, so he barked a few times until he could come over and join Scott and I,” the bride says. “It was really sweet. I tried to be fully present and soak in every moment because I knew how quickly it would all go by.”

After the ceremony, the newlyweds slipped away for a few quiet minutes in the Kennedy Cottage, where John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy stayed on their honeymoon, to bask in it all. Meanwhile, guests were ushered to the upper lawn, where Smith & James built a garden structure for the reception. “We wanted a gorgeous, indoor-outdoor setting with really lush, ethereal-like pastel colored floral arrangements, and Studio Mondine perfectly executed,” Allison says. “As we danced our way through the crowd, the church choir sang ‘Will You Be There’ by Michael Jackson. The excitement and smiling faces during that moment will be permanently ingrained in my memory forever.”

The rest of the night was a whirlwind of heartfelt speeches and dancing. “My father’s speech was one of my favorite parts of the night and had everyone in tears laughing,” Allison says. “He’s been such a rock throughout my life and my biggest inspiration, so hearing him share such warm, encouraging words about both of us was something I’ll never forget. I loved hearing Scott’s parents’ words as well—we’ve spent so much time with them over the years, and they’ve always been such a positive force in our lives. I couldn’t be more grateful to call them family.”

The couple’s best friends, Teddy Wasserman, Marisa Kronenberg, and Matt Hare, also all gave speeches. “They left both of our hearts so full by the end of the night,” Allison says. After dinner, Elderbrook took over the DJ booth later in the evening inside Plow & Angel, the speakeasy at San Ysidro Ranch, followed by a surprise set from the couple’s friend Brendan Fallis. I’m so blown away by how seamlessly things went and how much fun everyone had—it was absolutely perfect!”