At This Moss-Filled Woodland Celebration, the Bride Wore Her Mom’s Wedding Dress and Carried a Garlic Bouquet (2024)

Ellie Buckingham, the co-founder and CEO at Landing, and Mike Reilly, a growth equity investor, met fresh out of college when they crossed paths at their first jobs in New York City. They were colleagues and then friends for years before they became something more. Right after Mike proposed on a rocky cliff in October 2020—the couple was working remotely from Arcadia, Maine, with a few of his buddies from college—the duo struck a deal, just like old times. “We made a pact to enjoy the whole weekend together outside before telling our friends, and I am forever grateful we had that time just the two of us,” says Ellie.

They ultimately tied the knot all the way across the country, in Marin, California, where Ellie grew up. “It was a true hometown wedding,” says the bride. “Our venues were all places that my family has spent time in and around for years.” They selected St. Anselm Church for their ceremony and the nearby Lagunitas Country Club for the reception; the after-party took place back at Ellie’s mom's house. “We were excited that these venues would show our out-of-town guests a taste of life and natural beauty in Marin, and that they were flexible as a blank natural slate,” she adds.

Ellie and Mike worked with Erin Taylor of Bustle Events to pull off their “crazy garden party in the middle of the woods.” The goal? A design landscape that looked like the actual landscape peppered with elements of surprise. “I love interior design and creating spaces, so I had a lot of fun planning the different areas of our venue,” explains Ellie. “We had an outdoor element—a mossy, woodland redwood camp—and an indoor dance setup, which was Wes Anderson meets a taxidermy-filled disco.”

Throughout the planning process, they made their guests their true north. “We cared deeply that everyone felt our intense gratitude for the effort they made to celebrate with us and the impact they have had on our lives, so we decided to write personal notes to every guest that doubled as their place cards,” notes the duo. “We also had fun trying to think outside the box and not do any specific thing just because we were supposed to.”

They put that exact ethos into play when selecting a dress code, which they dubbed "formal with room for wacko," says the bride. She and Mike encouraged attendees to pair "ball gowns with boots" or "tracksuits with heels"—think "Lady Gaga meets Queen Elizabeth," "shoulder pads with fringe," and "garden party gone mad." "This weekend should be your excuse to wear the crazy dress or jacket you’ve kept in the back of the closet!" they instructed guests via their wedding website.

Ahead, see every whimsical detail, from the bride’s unbloomed garlic bouquet and vintage wedding dress (her mom’s from the ‘80s!) to the brick centerpiece vessels at the reception, all captured by Jenn Emerling.

A modern invitation suite designed by Bourne Paper Co. set the tone for the couple’s woodland celebration; grayscale elements were punched up by chartreuse squiggles and chunky fonts.

Ellie wore a Rotate Birger Christensen dress with a checkerboard motif to the couple’s rehearsal dinner and welcome party at a nearby dock, where guests—dressed in ultra-colorful ensembles—gathered to jumpstart the pair’s wedding weekend.

The couple’s wedding day started at Cavallo Point, which is where Ellie stepped into her mom’s 1989 wedding dress. “My mom had saved it from her wedding, and when I tried it on just for fun after we got engaged it fit perfectly and it felt like a sign,” says Ellie. “My dad passed away in 2018, and having a part of my parents' wedding day felt so special that once it fit, there was no question of not wearing it.”

A pair of bright green Amina Muaddi heels, a whimsical bouquet of unbloomed garlic flowers (which perfectly matched her shoes), a borrowed pair of drop pearl earrings, and a super simple veil completed the look; she kept her makeup natural and clean and pulled her hair back into a low bun to keep the emphasis on her fashion. “One of the best pieces of advice I got on hair and makeup for the wedding was, ‘Don’t try a new hairstyle for the first time on your wedding day,’” she says. “I took this to heart and wore the exact same low bun I wear every day and love.”

Mike wore a green velvet jacket, matching shoes, and black tuxedo pants with white suspenders for the wedding. He kept his grooming minimal, and spent the majority of the morning with friends. When asked if he followed a skincare routine up to the big day, he offered this classic response: "Nope, just soap!"

"We did a first look at Cavallo Point before heading to take pictures in my family’s yard, primarily because we wanted a moment together before the chaos of the day," says Ellie. "We also wanted to get the posed portraits out of the way ahead of the ceremony so that we could maximize time with all of our guests."

The couple secured a cool ride for their personal day-of transportation. "My dad’s best friend picked Mike and I up from Cavallo and drove us to family photos (and then the church) in his vintage Land Rover," she says. "We had this most epic moment of driving 20 miles per hour slower than everyone else on the freeway, just pinching ourselves that the day was actually happening."

The couple skipped a traditional wedding party, sticking to a maid of honor (Ellie's sister, Grace) and best man (Mike's brother, Matt), instead; they were given free rein with their attire. Before cruising over to the church, they posed for a few family photos on and around their property.

The couple may have skipped adult attendants, but they didn't want to miss out on the littlest ones. Their two flower girls (who held baskets of greenery) and ring bearers wore white dresses and shorts for their walk down the aisle. "The oldest, Audrey, wore my first communion dress, keeping with the theme of hand-me-downs," says Ellie.

The bride’s brother, Henry, escorted her to the altar at St. Anselm Church in her father’s stead. “We wanted to incorporate things my dad loved into the ceremony and the weekend, so I walked down the aisle to an acoustic rendition of his favorite song, ‘Fat Lip’ by Sum 41,” she says. “I remember just smiling and feeling like he was with us.” After the service, during which the couple exchanged traditional vows, they recessed back through the church doors and followed a bagpipe procession to their car.

The co*cktail hour took place in a gravel parking lot at Lagunitas Country Club. “We worked really hard to make it feel like a meadow,” says the bride. “Sammy from Lambert Floral Studio created moss and grassy sections to bring dimension to the space. We brought in lots of lounge vignettes from Found Rentals. Each area was meant to feel cozy and inviting.”

During the en-plein-air interlude, guests enjoyed the perfect weather ("It felt like my dad was really looking down on us," says Ellie) and sipped on the pair's two signature drinks, which had meaningful names. "Our two co*cktails were based off streets we had lived on and drinks we love," says the bride. The "Cornelia co*cktail" was a mezcal Negroni, and the "Webster Water" was tequila soda and lime. When it was time for dinner, attendees found their seating assignments via a suspended chart with chunky, all-caps text (similar to the typeface seen on their invitation suite).

At the reception, two different types of chairs surrounded several tables, which were topped with cream linens and votives that cast a warm glow as night fell. Brown ceramic chargers, wood-handled flatware, buffalo check taupe and white napkins, and amber water glasses were placed at each spot. The focal points of each station, however, were the centerpieces, which were “meant to make a statement,” says Ellie. “Sammy used bricks and amber bottles to hold the most interesting green foliage. We wanted the centerpieces to look like nothing that had ever been done before.”

The bride changed into a voluminous top and pants from Danielle Frankel for dinner and dancing. “Visiting their studio in New York City was a really fun experience,” the bride reflects.

Ellie tackled one DIY project for the wedding: She penned handwritten notes to each of the newlyweds’ 260 guests. They were placed in little envelopes and doubled as place cards. During dinner, the couple took a moment to take in just how monumental it was to have everyone they loved most in one place: “Mike and I had this moment looking at all the amazing people around us and were so filled with gratitude for the impact they have all had on our lives and the effort they went to to celebrate with us."

A family friend baked the pair’s wedding cake, which was covered in botanicals from her garden. “She completely blew us away with the most epic pressed flowers and moss, and the best tasting cake I have ever tried in my life!” says the bride.

The couple skipped the traditional band (“Another example of not doing something just because we were 'supposed' to," says the bride) and hired an “epic” saxophone and DJ combo from Rodrigo Sha. “The music was electric and the dance floor was absolutely packed,” says Ellie. “We had so. much. fun. dancing. Rodrigo brought the most fun energy to our lodge disco party—and the silent disco after-party in my mom’s yard was absolutely raging. At one point, we looked around and the entire yard was covered with people laughing, singing, and dancing.”