Full Blooms: Floral designer Maxine Owens of Max Owens Design counts the bridal bouquet as her favorite floral moment. “It’s the one floral arrangement that’s Kirby’s alone, and it’s something that she’ll remember forever,” she says.

Photo by Jose Villa

Suite Spot: The oval shape of the invitation suite’s wax seal, designed by Chelsea Carpenter of Southern Fried Paper, was echoed throughout the event’s design scheme.

Photo by Jose Villa

Photo by Jose Villa

Photo by Jose Villa

Pride of Place: “The Olana was the first place that I looked at that really surprised me. I knew we could achieve a really beautiful balance there. We didn’t want anything that was so over the top and opulent that people were uncomfortable,” says Kirby.

Photo by Jose Villa

Floating on Air: The six-tier cake—which bore an illustration of the Olana—had an airy effect, thanks to an acrylic riser that bolstered the top tiers.

Photo by Jose Villa

Photo by Jose Villa

Photo by Jose Villa

The Gold Standard: “Maxine and I pride ourselves on our palettes,” says Birds of a Feather Events’ Wendy Kay. “We brought in lots of foliage, leafy branches, and peachy-orange flowers, and then blue coordinates well with all of that.” The gold overlays on the linens were inspired by Kirby’s gown, which featured gold accents.

Photo by Jose Villa

On the Grid: Galvanized by the set design at a Chanel fashion show, Kirby crafted a lattice framework of her very own for her escort card display. The cards were designed by Southern Fried Paper.

Photo by Jose Villa

Autumnal Inspiration: “I wanted the florals to tell a fall story, highlighting the colors of our local foliage,” says Maxine, who incorporated rust, taupe, blush, cream, and red tones.

Photo by Jose Villa

Room Service: The tent, which hosted the dinner portion of the evening, had a “European garden” feel, says Wendy. Meanwhile, lounge furniture was brought into the space reserved for dancing, creating a “disco garden” vibe.

Photo by Jose Villa

Under the Big Top: It was love at first sight as guests arrived and espied the romantic, flower-laden Sperry tent on the front lawn of the Olana.

Photo by Jose Villa

Dress for Success: “The dresses really represent the experience of the evening,” says Kirby, a disco aficionado. “It went from a formal event to a solid-gold disco.”

Photo by Jose Villa

Photo by Jose Villa

Kirby Stuart and Adam Gaulding’s Wow-Worthy Wedding at the Olana

By D Weddings

Kirby Stuart

Adam Gaulding

November 16, 2019

Former reality show producer Kirby Stuart knows how to throw a party that’s camera-ready. Between wrangling tiara-clad toddlers and adult-sized egos, she worked with a host of local talent to put together showstopping events for various plot twists. That’s when she met floral pro Maxine Owens, and the pair instantly hit it off—so much so, that Kirby eventually left the world of confessionals and call sheets to work for Maxine as she launched her floral company. 

But even as Kirby found her match professionally, her personal life was wanting. She reluctantly tried a dating app—and swiped right on Adam Gaulding. “He was handsome, tall, and kind,” she says. When he mentioned on their first date that he was making a Chewbacca suit for Halloween, Kirby was immediately smitten. They were engaged 18 months later.

The couple decided on the Olana for the big production, and on November 16, 2019, everything went according to script. While the bride counts the sailcloth tent, lush florals, and Vera Wang gown as top-notch supporting players, for Kirby, it was the scene at the altar that was the star of the show. “Our officiant spoke of Adam’s kind and giving heart, and that’s exactly right. It was moving to hear him talk about Adam and me as a couple, and then send us out into the world.” —Laura Kostelny

 

Get the Look

For her nuptials at the Olana, Kirby wanted a fall wedding that didn’t feel too, well, fall. “I didn’t want Barney purple and vintage orange,” she explains. So together with Maxine Owens of Max Owens Design and friend and wedding planner Wendy Kay of Birds of a Feather Events, she focused on crafting a scene that celebrated three of the bride’s great passions: Adam, disco, and fashion. “Kirby loves disco,” says Wendy. “So we created a ‘disco garden’ in the reception space. And Chanel’s runway had a lot of trellis work that year, so Kirby built a similar structure for the escort-card display herself.” Meanwhile, Maxine eased any remaining fears Kirby may have had about a fall-friendly palette with an abundance of jewel-toned blooms and gold-dipped smilax vines. Notes Maxine: “Autumn flowers really provide gorgeous tones and diversity, rich in color and a great mix of bloom varieties.”

First Dance Song: "Something Stupid Like I Love You"

Number of Guests: 108

Specialty Cocktail: "Kiki Hustle" and "Brick House"

Honeymoon Highlight: Taking a black smith class in Sundance, Utah

Credits

  • Ceremony/Reception Site

    The Olana

  • Photographer

    Jose Villa

  • Bridal Gown Designer

    Vera Wang

  • Bridal Gown Designer

    Naeem Khan

  • Bridal Gown Retailer

    Vera Wang Bridal House (NYC)

  • Hair & Makeup

    Natalia Issa

  • Groom’s Attire

    The Black Tux

  • Groomsmen’s Attire

    The Black Tux

  • Flowers

    Max Owens Design

  • Stationery

    Southern Fried Paper

  • Cake

    Cakes by Shannon Star

  • Catering

    The Olana

  • Music

    Serenata Strings; Royal Dukes

  • Lighting

    Beyond Lighting

  • Videographer

    Peyton Frank

  • Wedding Rentals

    Bella Acento

  • Wedding Rentals

    La Tavola Fine Linen Rental

  • Wedding Rentals

    Party! Dallas Rentals

  • Wedding Rentals

    Perch Décor

  • Wedding Rentals

    POSH Couture Rentals

  • Wedding Rentals

    Top Tier Event Rentals

  • Wedding Rentals

    Party Tables; Whim Hospitality

  • Wedding Planner

    Birds of a Feather Events

  • Wedding Designer

    Wendy Kay, Birds of a Feather Events

  • Additional Vendors

    Smile, Bish (photo booth); Jennefer Wilson for Smile, Bish (portrait studio); Encore Productions (disco dancers); Premier Transportation; Elite Valet; Carrie Goldberg (bridal stylist)

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