Molly Bellero and Drew Fischer selected St. Vincent’s Chapel in Marin County, Molly’s hometown, to become man and wife. The bride had spent summers playing sports at the historic California landmark, built in 1855. The couple was taken with the spectacular canopy of eucalyptus trees that lined the pathway and the rustic courtyard reminiscent of a provincial villa in Tuscany. “It is simply beautiful,” Molly says. In August, she and Drew celebrated their wedding with more than two hundred guests, the romance and splendor of St. Vincent’s as their backdrop. The two exchanged vows in a Catholic service in the Italian Renaissance-style Chapel with its soaring ceiling and distinguished stained glass windows. Molly’s nephew Drew led the processional as the ring bearer followed by the flower girl, Ava, who held a darling pomander to match the bride. “My niece was very particular about her flowers,” laughs Molly. “She wanted that pomander and wouldn’t hear of anything else!” The bridesmaids wore elegant Vera Wang tealength dresses. Molly was simply lovely in a Melissa Sweet gown with a blue sash tied at her waist, holding a bouquet of white stephanotis, roses and freesia. Drew fittingly matched his bride in a dark suit and sky blue tie. 

The afternoon commenced in the courtyard amid a cascading fountain and crisp white umbrellas. Molly designed the look of the wedding keeping three catch phrases in mind—simple, modern, and untraditional. She says, “We didn’t want a storybook wedding so we added our personal touch to the day.” Once she had selected a color palette of sky blue and chocolate brown with hints of celadon green, all of the lovely details fell into place. The event invitations established a contemporary feeling with blue letters in a modern font. Molly and her mom created place cards to correspond with the color scheme, each embellished with mix-matched ribbons in polka dot and striped patterns. Fun and unexpected touches like the vintage black and white checkerboard dance floor filled the outdoor reception area. The mother of the bride suggested they offer guests paper parasols to provide shade from the summer sun. Tight bundles of green hydrangea, white freesia, and lisianthus were perfectly arranged atop chocolate brown tabletops where guests dined al fresco.

According to the bride, Drew was most involved in choosing the caterer for the day, as he is a talented chef himself. The couple, together with the expertise of Sage Catering, devised a menu of their favorite finger foods including chilled gazpacho, pot stickers, and fresh caprese salad. “Sage Catering did an amazing job!” exclaims Molly. Jill Branch, pastry chef of Branching Out Cakes, created a square wedding cake garnished with blue and white hydrangea sugar flowers and lined with chocolate brown ribbon. Animated speeches by the groomsmen had celebrants in a genuine fit of laughter, but the most touching moment for Molly was hearing her husband’s expressions of love and gratitude for his wife.

As the sun set overhead, guests mingled on the lawn and danced by candlelight. From the onset, Drew and Molly envisioned one big celebration for their friends and family. “We love to dance all night long,” exudes the bride. They did just that as the disc jockey spun a lively mix of music for everyone’s enjoyment. Molly concludes, “Every single important person who’s ever touched our lives was there for us. That meant everything.”

Photos by Lisa Kerchner Neighbors