A Black-and-White Hotel Wedding in Santa Barbara

Whitney Greenstein and Michael Wolters have Mike’s sister to thank for their love story. Whitney, a hairstylist and makeup artist, worked with Mike’s sister and nabbed an invite to her wedding. “She had been telling me about Mike for months, and we finally met at her wedding," she says. "We had a moment of eye contact, and the next thing I knew, his mom was pushing us together on the dance floor and insisting that I date her son!” Mike’s family was right about the pair, and three years later, Mike decided it was time that Whitney become part of the family officially. “We were fishing up near Mammoth Lakes, California, and Mike asked me to get him a different lure," she recalls. "I asked him which one he wanted, and he told me to get the bright, shiny one. When I opened the tackle box, there was an engagement ring on top!” A few minutes later, family arrived at the lake with champagne to celebrate.

The couple planned their March 10, 2018, wedding at the Four Seasons The Biltmore Santa Barbara, but the region’s early spring mudslides made that impossible. “We had to find a new venue just five weeks before our wedding,” Whitney explains. The team at the Four Seasons helped the couple find the Hotel Californian, and the pair filled the rooms with their 175 guests and their natural-meets-modern theme. “Aside from changing our venue, planning our wedding was pretty easy,” says Whitney. “My sister got married two years ago, and her wedding was so amazing that we decided to hire the same planner, band, videographer, and photographer!” So Bustle Events, JB Project from West Coast Music, Margaret & Corey, and Heather Kincaid came together for another Greenstein wedding, and sent Whitney and Mike down the aisle in style. Keep scrolling to see more of their special day!

“It was so fun bumping into our guests around the hotel all weekend,” says Whitney. She and her bridesmaids loved the central location, and the sunny suite where they got ready!

Whitney fell in love with her Inbal Dror gown the moment she put it on. “My first thought was how much Mike would love it!” she says. The fitted lace gown featured intricate beading and luxe pearl accents.

The bride paired her gown with pearl-accented heels, obvi.

It poured on Whitney and Mike’s wedding day, but that didn’t stop them. “There was one moment before the ceremony when we were out in the rain under clear umbrellas, taking photos," recalls the bride. "All we could hear was the rain and one another’s breathing. It was so magical!”

Whitney paired her slim gown with a dramatic bouquet of white roses, anemones, stock flowers, and cherry blossoms.

“I asked my bridesmaids to all wear long black dresses, because I knew it would be easy for them to each find something that made them feel beautiful,” Whitney says.

The couple’s tented ceremony was cozy and full of love. Mike and Whitney stood beneath the chuppah Whitney’s dad and brother built for her sister’s wedding. The chuppah was draped with Whitney’s grandfather’s tallit, and Michael’s grandfather’s favorite hat hung from the upper right corner.

After the pair were pronounced husband and wife, guests rang gold bells to fill the tent with music.

A lucite escort card board told everyone where to sit—and reminded them that their real place was on the dance floor!

Inside the ballroom, long tables were draped with white linens and set with black chairs. Manzanita branches and white orchids added height to each table, while bud vases and candles added warmth below.

A warm fire glowed in the ballroom’s fireplace during dinner. The couple added a rustic touch to their dinner service by topping gold chargers with black-and-white speckled tin camp plates. Dinner started with corn soup (perfect for the rainy day!), followed by steak and snapper. Later in the evening, the couple offered ramen and mac and cheese. “That’s what we love to eat after a late night,” says the bride.

Branded signage encouraged guests to grab a drink and hit the dance floor!

Instead of cake, the couple served doughnuts in maple glazed, chocolate glazed, and vanilla-glazed varieties for a sweet finish to the night.

“We took our friends’ advice and stuck together all night. I think we held hands for most of the evening,” says Whitney. “It made it so much more fun to do the rounds and talk to our guests, and I love that we have the same memories of our wedding day!”