The Bride and Groom Married on a Southern California Mountaintop Surrounded by Fall Florals

The wedding was held just under a year later in early October 2025 in Vista, California, just north of San Diego—and was a multi-day celebration that unfolded across the property’s historic chapel, hillside vineyards, and French-inspired l’Orangerie.

The planning process was led by Jourdan, and the end result was a wedding specific to the couple’s personal style. Jourdan collaborated with interior designer and mother of the groom Kara Childress, and the two of them worked with event planner Dani Blasena of HauteFêtes, who helped execute everything.

The first order of business was choosing a venue. “We went with Cal-a-Vie as it was the perfect pairing of old-world elegance and California charm,” the bride explains. “It’s a French-inspired sanctuary tucked in the rolling hills of Southern California, and the property feels like it’s been transported straight from Provence, with terracotta roofs, lavender fields, and 18th-century French antiques around every corner. The venue offers complete privacy and serenity, combining old-world European charm with California’s natural beauty. Every space, from the vineyard-view ceremony lawn to the candlelit stone chapel imported from France, feels intimate and cinematic”

Once the couple had selected their venue, they started to focus on how they wanted their wedding to feel. Words that came to mind were lived in, familiar, and homey. “We wanted it to feel as if we were hosting all of our closest friends and family at our home,” Jourdan explains. Wedding planning was a wild rollercoaster of emotions. “I had no idea what to expect in the beginning,” Jourdan admits. “There were highs and lows along the way. It doesn’t just happen—it was the biggest collaboration and a team effort between Dani, our families, and our vendors. Everyone carried out a certain role and showed up on almost every call. Wells’s mother Kara, who probably had 20 interior design projects and multiple global installations happening, would stay up until 4 a.m. some nights helping us meet deadlines, while Dani worked around the clock.” Rounding out the group, they entrusted floral designer Rachael of Siren Floral Co. to bring their vision of moody and rich fall-toned florals to life.

Jourdan implemented this same hands-on approach when it came to curating her wedding wardrobe. “Fashion was a defining thread throughout the weekend,” she says. For the welcome party at the Havens family’s private chateau at Cal-a-Vie, on Thursday, Jourdan wore a rare archival Valentino dress that had a sleek silk silhouette and intricate tiered draping with scalloped beaded detailing. She styled the look with a Tacori high jewelry choker, consisting of 24 carats of diamonds, including a 3-carat heart-shaped pendant, paired with oval diamond studs.

Wells’s wardrobe featured a full collectsion of custom looks handcrafted in Brooklyn by Arturo Castañeda. “Arturo is known for blending old-world craftsmanship with modern sensibility,” Jourdan explains. “Each of Wells’s looks was designed and handcrafted to reflect timeless sophistication and impeccable tailoring. From the ceremony to the more relaxed moments, every detail was created with intention and craftsmanship.”

The rehearsal dinner took place inside the old French chapel at Cal-a-Vie at golden hour on Friday night. “At around 6 p.m., the light started to pour through the stained-glass windows, mixing with the glow of hundreds of candles and creating this soft, golden haze that felt completely surreal,” Jourdan remembers. “We had about 60 of our closest friends and family gathered around two long sets of parallel tables. There were no florals, just candlelight and silver and velvet accents.” Sprawling charcuterie tables were filled with fresh fruit, cheeses, breads, and massive shells, mixed in with French antiques and vintage serving pieces. Guests wandered between the pool, gardens, and the terraces with glasses of rosé and champagne in hand. “It was the perfect start to the weekend, setting the tone for everything that followed,” Jourdan says. For the event, the bride chose an early 2000s Alberta Ferretti empire-waist dress, featured on Poppy Delevigne in Replica Handbag Store Italia in 2011. “It was reminiscent of Regency fashion in the early 1800s,” Jourdan explains. She paired it with another high jewelry piece from Tacori—a 21-carat multi-floral petal platinum necklace.

The next day, the ceremony took place on a mountaintop. The ceremony floral design was led by Rachael from Siren Floral Co., blending the natural landscape with fall tones so everything felt connected. “It was as if the ceremony grew out of the land itself,” Jourdan says. “Which some of it did since she actually ended up foraging through the hillsides for some of the aisle florals!”

The service was officiated by Jourdan’s childhood minister, Pete Bowell. “Wells and I share a very strong faith,” Jourdan says. “Our vows were perhaps longer than normal, but we talked about every element of our love and story. It was peaceful and sacred, exactly how I hoped that moment would feel.”

The bride wore a custom Galia Lahav dress that she designed with the house’s head designer. “With my fashion design education and foundation, I always knew I wanted to design my own dress,” Jourdan says. “It was 100% my vision and dream come true.”

After the ceremony, guests were led back to the chateau for cocktail hour in the rose garden. The newlyweds took their wedding portraits and trickled in and out of the party. As the sun set, the couple made a grand exit in one of Wells’s Banyan vintage Mercedes 280 SL Pagoda. “The dark hunter green paint and saddle interior was the perfect getaway vehicle as we said goodbye to our guests until the reception,” Jourdan notes.

The reception took place inside L’Orangerie at Cal-a-Vie. “It’s a space that feels straight out of a movie,” Wells says. “The walls are covered in antique murals that tell their own story, setting a timeless backdrop for the night. As the sun set behind the hills, the entire room began to glow, with candlelight reflecting off the painted walls.”

Rachael from Siren Floral Co. created arrangements that evoked moody fall tones, blending green sunflowers, chocolate Queen Anne’s Lace, antique hydrangeas, rich fall fruits, and dark brown taper candles. “The dinner portion was so special,” Jourdan says. “My dad made the most incredible 10-minute speech, as well as my little sister, who was my maid of honor. Wells and I both spoke and had time to connect with each guest individually before heading outside to cut our cake.”

Dinner flowed into dancing, and the rest of the reception took place outside on the lawn, where a stage was draped in chocolate brown curtains and hung with crystal chandeliers. Around 10:30 p.m., Jourdan changed into her after-party look—an Alexander McQueen lace corseted dress that was reworked by couturier Sylvio Roubertti—and reemerged for one final grand entrance before heading to the after-party. “Alexander McQueen has always been my favorite designer,” she explains. “When I was studying fashion in college, I remember visiting McQueen’s exhibit at the Met multiple times. His art truly inspired me to build a career in fashion, so this look felt very meaningful and like a full-circle moment.”

Inside the after-party at Parish House and the wine tasting room at Cal-a-Vie, which they transformed into a French speakeasy called “Chez Childress,” friends kept the energy going. Jourdan and Wells discovered their DJ, Santiago, at their friend’s wedding in Mexico, and he played a deep house set that went on for hours. “It was the most fun, joyful, and high-energy celebration,” Jourdan remembers. “The night felt completely like us, surrounded by everyone we love.”