wednesday: where we begin
Wednesday marked the emotional heart of the week.
A day created not to look ahead, but to look back — through the lens of family, ancestry, and inheritance. Across morning rides, private galleries, and a deeply cinematic dinner, Zuri and Julian grounded their union in story, lineage, and gratitude.
Guest Experience:
Guests were invited to move with intention:
• Join a scenic coastal horseback ride at dawn, with transportation provided
• Enjoy a light breakfast and recovery station on the West Lawn
• Explore the Lower Library’s Archival Gallery Walk between 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Return to the spa suites for treatments or rest in the afternoon
• Access personal styling and grooming services from 3:00 PM onward
• Receive a printed turn-down card at day’s end — a quiet quote from Zuri’s mother or Julian’s grandfather, unique to each room
Host & Team Movements
Zuri
• Mid-morning facial and private styling session
• Rests and journals — no prep meetings or public appearances
• Walkthrough of the Refectory in the late afternoon
• Pre-dinner editorial shoot in full evening look, styled by Studio Atelier
Julian
• Reviews film sequence for the evening’s projection with AV and Cece
• Spends time with siblings going through home videos and family archives
• Oversees final table and lighting cues at The Refectory
Studio & Planning Teams
• Lighting and layout checks for Thursday’s welcome dinner and Saturday’s ceremony
• Coordination of spa reservations, floral deliveries, and terrace styling
• Prepping the East Terrace for the evening’s dinner under the arches
Tuesday’s events
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Morning Ride: Coastal Loop
8:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Offsite Coastal Trail (15 min from estate)
A casual scenic ride offered to guests on a first-come basis. Horses and light gear provided. Trail overlooks the Pacific. Shuttle returns to estate by mid-morning. -
Archival Gallery Walk
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Lower Library Hall
A self-guided memory installation curated with care. Family photographs, film stills, personal letters, and home video excerpts shown in soft loops. Dim light, hushed strings, and vitrines filled with lineage. -
Where We Begin — Evening Dinner
7:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Location: The RefectoryYou are invited to an evening of reverence and reflection.
A formal dinner held in honor of the families, mentors, and memories that shaped this union.Expect candlelight, string arrangements, deep florals, and archival images, home videos, and memory fragments woven into motion.
Dress Code:Black & Ivory – Old Hollywood Reinvented
Guests are asked to interpret the palette freely. Structured tailoring, sculptural silhouettes, restrained glamour.
No full white. No red. -
Nightfall by the Water
10:30 PM – Late
Location: Private Cove Below Hearst CastleAfter the last toast fades, follow the lanterns.
Down the cliffside, through the dark, toward the sound of fire and tide.An open beach becomes a dreamspace.
Morning
Horseride
Time: 6:30PM – 9:00PM
Location: Roman Pool
A quiet trail ride overlooking the Pacific.
First light, soft wind, and the sound of hooves along the bluff.
Light gear and water provided.
Shuttle departs from the estate at 7:30 AM.
Space limited — first come, first saddled.
archival gallery walk
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Lower Library Hall
The Lower Library was transformed into a memory gallery — a quiet, self-guided installation curated from both families' personal archives. Dimly lit and sonically scored with instrumental compositions, the space offered guests a chance to move through lineage at their own pace.
Select pieces included:
– Framed letters between Julian’s grandfather and early collaborators
– Early photos of Zuri and her mother, annotated in the margins
– Red carpet stills and personal footage from press tours, college years, and home life
– Clothing swatches, music scores, and handwritten notes arranged in vitrines
Footage from home movies played on loop in a rear chamber, projected against aged velvet. There was no signage, just quiet context and the presence of time.
Where We Begin
7:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Location: The Refectory
A formal dinner, not for rehearsal but for remembrance. Guests enter by candlelight to string interpretations of familiar melodies. Tables are layered in fig, deep florals, and muted brass.
Midway through the meal, the room darkens. A film plays — no narration, only sound and image: childhood footage, red carpet moments, interviews with those no longer here. A private world made visible.
Following the reel:
• A live acoustic performance by Recea, written for the couple
• A quiet, unannounced passage read aloud by Cece
Dress Code: Black & Ivory – Old Hollywood Reinvented
Guests are asked to interpret the palette freely. Structured tailoring, sculptural silhouettes, restrained glamour. No full white. No red.
Nightfall by the Water
10:30 PM – Late
Location: Private Cove
Below Hearst Castle
After the dinner, guests descend the hillside trail by lantern light, or take a quiet shuttle. The cove is transformed — a dreamscape of sand, fire, and sound.
On Arrival:
– Greeted with a monogrammed matchbook, silk shawl, and cocktail from The Old Hand Bar
– Blankets and handwarmers embroidered with the wedding date offered in baskets
Atmosphere:
– Fire dancers move across the shoreline, their silhouettes cast on canvas sails and salt-soaked cliffs
– Camels rest at the edge of the beach, dressed in vintage indigo — a surreal nod to origin and ceremony
– Tiki torch dock, velvet lounges, flickering glass orb lanterns
– Scattered daybeds and cushions beneath the stars
Live Soundscape:
– Ambient percussion and string ensemble composed by Recea’s team
Bar & Culinary Offerings:
The Old Hand Bar
– Aged mezcal, vintage rum, amaro, and spiced whiskey
– Signature cocktails:
• Smoked Blood Orange Old Fashioned
• Lavender Mezcal Tonic
• Cardamom Pear Martini
– Served in mismatched crystal, clay, and metalware
Evening Fare (Passed Service):
– Grilled lamb skewers with mint yogurt
– Wild mushroom flatbread
– Roasted stone fruits with basil oil
– Honey-dipped chicken
– Saffron rice in hammered copper bowls
Desserts:
– Charred pineapple over spiced cream
– Black sesame halva
– Vintage port, served in etched glass