Chelsea Miller | Lead Destination Planner

Who is Van der Vows? Van der Vows is not just one person. It is a small, intentional team built on trust, instinct, and a shared understanding that the smallest details are often the most important. Nicole is precision. The one who sees what others miss and keeps everything moving exactly as it should. Aka. The engineer. Gina is presence. Calm, grounded, and the reason a wedding day feels seamless even when it is anything but behind the scenes. My dog Maple is emotional support. She has no official role, but would like it noted that she attends all major planning conversations and approves everything. And then there is my husband. The quiet constant. The one who has watched this grow from an idea into something real, steadying every high and every risk along the way. And me, Chelsea. The one with the clipboard and the vision. The one who believes that beautiful things are not accidental. They are designed, refined, and executed with intention. This is Van der Vows. Where aesthetic meets logistics. Where every detail has a reason. Where your story is built with care from the inside out. #vandervows #luxuryweddingplanner #editorialwedding #weddingdesign #destinationweddingplanner Van der Vows | wedding planner California | destination wedding planner Europe | editorial wedding design | luxury wedding planning | wedding coordination team | intentional wedding design | modern heirloom weddings | cinematic weddings | wedding planning team | San Francisco wedding planner | design driven weddings | wedding logistics expert | proposal and wedding planning | refined wedding aesthetic

12 times a Van der Vows bride made us fall in love in 2025. Soft but not fragile. Romantic with a little bite. Each of these women trusted us with their vision and wore it like armor. Cupid’s Girl on repeat. Punk romance, but make it intentional. Love, Chelsea @vandervows #editorialbride #modernbride #bridalinspiration #destinationweddingplanner #californiaweddingplanner editorial wedding planner modern bridal editorial fashion forward bride destination wedding design luxury wedding planning California non traditional wedding aesthetic

From moodboard to moment. Inspired fully by the Marin County Civic Center, this design was built on curves, color, and cohesion. A mid-century palette pulled straight from the architecture. Clean lines. Intentional restraint. Every element speaks the same language. Sculptural florals mirroring the space. Stationery rooted in shape and form. A tablescape that feels effortless, but never accidental. Even the styling of the future bride and groom was considered as part of the whole. Nothing added without purpose. Nothing out of place. A modern mirage, brought to life🤍 Event Planner, Designer, & Creative Director: @vandervows Photography: @yada.weddings MUAH: @designherimagemakeup Flowers: @dreamflowersstudio Stationery: @kleinekarte Venues: @artesawinery & Marin County Civic Center Muses: @thesarinachristine & her future husband 🤍 tell them congratulations!! They are getting married NEXT WEEK!! Suit: @suitshopofficial #editorialwedding #modernwedding #weddingdesign #luxurywedding modern mirage | architectural wedding | sculptural florals | cohesive design | california wedding planner

Watching the groom search for his bride’s shoes while lifting couches during the very first door game set the tone immediately. Equal parts chaos, laughter, and love. My favorite moment of the day. Some weddings are beautiful. Some weddings tell a story. This one was overflowing with tradition, intention, and joy from beginning to end. From Chinese door games and tea ceremonies to heartfelt vows and a fully choreographed dance floor moment, every part of the day carried meaning. And honestly? One of my favorite things about weddings like this is how deeply personal every detail feels. The traditions weren’t performed for aesthetics, they were lived in. Every game, every sip of tea, every speech, every dance connected generations, families, and memories together in such a tangible way. These are the kinds of celebrations that stay with you long after the candles burn out. @vandervows #regalewinerywedding #chineseweddingtraditions #bayareaweddingplanner #editorialwedding #vandervows Chinese wedding traditions | Regale Winery wedding | Bay Area wedding planner | tea ceremony | wedding door games | cultural wedding traditions | editorial wedding design | meaningful weddings | California wedding planner | choreographed wedding dance | luxury wedding planner @arjaymorenophotography @beautybypace @atempoflowers.events @elitebayarea @feastforakingcatering @regalewineryweddings

Poolside bachelorettes > another dinner reservation 🍸☀️ Your bach doesn’t have to be predictable. Rent the villa, wear the matching suits, jump in the pool, pop the champagne, and turn the whole weekend into a memory your group still talks about years later. The photos are half the fun, but the real magic is getting your girls together and actually celebrating this season of life. Main character energy only this summer ✨ Planner, Designer, & Coordinator: @vandervows Photographer: @lisawhalenphotography Swimsuits: @wiskiiactive #bacheloretteparty #bachweekend #poolpartyvibes #bridetobe #summeraesthetic poolside bachelorette | girls trip inspiration | bridal party aesthetic | summer bach vibes | destination bachelorette | champagne spray | matching swimwear | editorial bachelorette | California summer | luxury bach weekend

Turns out stilettos on the beach eventually become flats and honestly? I’m calling that a design feature, not a flaw!! This editorial was built around the idea of California in all her moods. Fog rolling in one second, golden sun the next. Wild coastline, cobalt water, red florals cutting through the landscape like little warning signs that something beautiful is about to happen. The serpentine table was designed to mimic the rock formations surrounding it, almost like it rose directly out of the shoreline itself. Florals moved the same way, windswept and organic, blending into the environment instead of competing with it. Mermaid textures, saturated blues, dripping reds, salt in the air, Snoop on the speakers. A little surreal, a little cinematic. And yes, our flower purse got published in Seline Magazine, which honestly feels very correct for this universe. California doesn’t always give you sunshine. Sometimes she gives you mist, wind, wet sand, and hair that immediately loses the battle. But that contrast is exactly what makes getting married here feel alive. Hire a planner that will give you a beautiful day no matter the weather 🤍🦢🤍 #californiawedding #editorialwedding #tablescapedesign #destinationweddingplanner #luxuryweddingplanner California coast | cobalt blue wedding | mermaid aesthetic | serpentine tablescape | editorial wedding design | coastal ceremony inspiration | luxury tablescape | destination wedding California | cinematic wedding aesthetic | red florals | beach wedding editorial | intentional design | Van der Vows Event Design & Planning: @vandervows   Photographer: @lisawhalenphotography MUAH: @modernebeauty Stationery: @letterati_ Flowers:@dreamflowersstudio Rentals: @ampartyrentalsinc Fashion: @janegala.atelier Muses: @justinevivian , @anastasiya.pinchuk , @kingpierogi , @anuki.tat , @hodosova_photo

Longing in London, captured in motion by @by_kelsie at The Gore Hotel demonstrates a building that has been collecting stories long before we arrived. This reel is a closer look at the details behind the shoot, drawing from the spirit of Wuthering Heights, staged in a room where the Rolling Stones once made history. 🤍 Design, Planning & Creative Direction: @vandervows Florals: @anomisflowers Photography: @hangphamweddings Stationery: @mamaincstudio Cake: @itsnotjustcake Bridal: @wildenlondon Hair & Makeup: @crownhairandbeauty Rentals: @optionsgreathire Venue: @thegorelondon Muses: @leyla_ucarx @thisiscosimo

The architecture became the blueprint for everything. The sweeping curves, geometric rhythm, and saturated tones of the Marin County Civic Center inspired every design choice throughout the editorial. Florals were built with movement in mind, echoing the building’s sculptural lines rather than competing with them. Bold pops of orange, green, and blue pulled directly from the space itself, allowing the color palette to feel embedded within the architecture instead of placed on top of it. Even the stationery followed the same language. Clean lines, intentional shapes, and modern composition designed to feel like an extension of the environment around it. Inspired by Orbiter by Noah Kahan, the entire shoot became an exploration of gravity and connection. The feeling of two people moving through a space so intentionally that everything around them begins to soften and orbit alongside them. California modernism through an editorial lens. Event Planner, Designer, & Creative Director: @vandervows Photography: @yada.weddings MUAH: @designherimagemakeup Flowers: @dreamflowersstudio Stationery: @kleinekarte Venues: @artesawinery & Marin County Civic Center Suit: @suitshopofficial Muses: @thesarinachristine & husband

Springtime engagement with Emma and Brandon 🫶🏻 . . @vandervows @emma.ziegenbein . . #californiaweddingphotographer #orangecountyweddingphotographer #lasvegasweddingphotographer #destinationwedding Engagement photos, engagement photographer, San Diego wedding

There is a difference between taking engagement photos and designing them. For this couple, their wedding will unfold at a winery in Temecula. Naturally romantic, layered, and deeply rooted in place. But instead of recreating that exact setting, we asked a more important question. How do we complement the wedding day, not compete with it? We already knew the story. The wardrobe, the tone, the feeling their wedding would carry. So this shoot became an extension of that narrative. A prelude that would sit effortlessly alongside their wedding gallery, not feel separate from it. Every element was considered. The location. The styling. The way they moved together. Even the poses that feel spontaneous were intentionally guided. This is where planning and photography become one conversation. Where aesthetic meets structure. Where images feel effortless, but are built with precision. Because cohesive storytelling is what turns beautiful photos into something lasting. Van der Vows is never just documenting a moment. We are designing how it will be remembered. Planning & Styling: @vandervows Photography: The amazing @alexagphotos Mua: @terabartonmua Venue: @lorimarwinery Couple: @emma.ziegenbein @brandonsedano #vandervows #engagementeditorial #weddingdesign #luxuryweddingplanner #californiaweddings editorial engagement shoot | winery wedding inspiration | cohesive wedding design | styled engagement photos | luxury wedding storytelling

Some spaces don’t need to be transformed. They need to be understood. The Gore carries a kind of quiet intensity. Rich in history, layered in texture, and undeniably romantic in a way that leans darker than expected. Instead of softening it, we chose to lean in. The design direction followed the architecture. Deep tones, intentional restraint, and a mood that felt cinematic rather than decorative. Every element was considered in relation to the space, allowing the venue to lead while we built around it. Nothing was added for the sake of excess. Each detail was placed to enhance what already existed, creating a setting that felt immersive, grounded, and entirely in conversation with its surroundings. This is the kind of design I’m drawn to. Not overpowering a space, but working with it. Letting history guide the aesthetic, and the team shaping something that feels both editorial and inevitable. Design & Planning: @vandervows Content Creator: @by_kelsie Stationery: @mamaincstudio Flowers: @anomisflowers Cake: @itsnotjustcake Bridal Gown: @wildenlondon MUAH: @crownhairandbeauty Muses: @leyla_ucarx , @thisiscosimo Furniture Rentals: @optionsgreathire Photographer: @hangphamweddings Venue: @thegorelondon #londonwedding #editorialwedding #luxuryweddingdesign #historicvenue #weddinginspiration London wedding | editorial design | historic venue | dark romantic aesthetic | luxury wedding | London venue | cinematic wedding | intentional design

Spring is in the air🌸 So many beautiful emotions, with this beautiful couple🌸🩷