V. Chapman Owner and Designer Victoria Chapman Salisbury and Proportion Clothing Owner and Designer Brooks Cook first connected on a Fourth of July at the beach. One of their mutual friends, Christian, pushed Books, who was busy working that day, to head toward the coast, specifically to see Victoria. Once he arrived on the sand, the two spent the rest of their time together. “I loved everything about him,” Victoria says. “I was impressed how he taught himself how to sew and pattern make.”
After a year-and-a-half together, Brooks proposed during a trip to Cabo with friends. He planned for the two of them to go horseback riding at sunset. “I grew up riding horses and competing in both western and English, so I always love going horseback riding whenever I can,” Victoria explains. “My favorite movie is The Black Stallion, and he wanted the proposal to feel like that.”
Once engaged, the couple searched for a venue that could host a whole weekend’s worth of experiences and an outdoor reception dinner. The last location they visited was Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley, California. The two fell in love with the well-manicured grounds, vineyards, and ranch feel and booked it for their July wedding. Brooks’s parents also lived in the area, so it made planning that much easier having them close by.
To help bring their English garden vision to life, the couple brought in Daniel Tran as their designer and Carley Ansell and Lindsay Nakayama of Round Town Events to coordinate everything.
The bride designed her wedding dress under her label, V. Chapman. “I have always wanted a long-sleeve sheer lace dress,” she shares. “My first design wasn’t that, and I really wasn’t loving it, so I ended up completely changing the design with only enough time for one fit sample before the final gown was made.” Of course, it ended up working perfectly. The Solstiss French lace dress had detachable sleeves and featured a neckline inspired by Grace Kelly’s bridal look and reminiscent of the outfits Victoria wore to show horses. It was partly an homage to the mother-of-the-bride, who designs horse show ensembles. “My sister and I used to work on them with her during high school and college. The western show design is a high-neck design and often incorporates an upside down V shape on the bodice.”
On the day-of, the bride got ready with Kenney Duy and Fellini Salon, who gave her a glowing beauty look. Victoria then styled her gown with diamond trillion earrings—gifted by Brooks on the Valentine’s Day after he proposed—a pear-shaped diamond tennis necklace, a crown by Twigs & Honey, and Gianvito Rossi heels. It was especially sentimental, as the diamonds from her earrings and engagement ring belonged to Brooks’s late mother.
Victoria also designed her welcome dinner dress and after-party mini. For the former, she crafted French lace on a fitted, strapless corset design. “I initially wanted beading on the bodice, but thought it looked very clean and focused without any in the end,” the bride says. “I finished the dress with a large organza bow at the back waist.” Her “something borrowed” on this night was her maid of honor’s Jacquie Aiche diamond graduated tennis necklace and pearl and diamond stud earrings.
For the after-party, the bride sourced vintage lace with hand-sewn pearls and sequins. “The dress is simple from the outside but has a built-in corset in the inner layer, which cinches you in,” the designer shares. She completed the late-night look with crystal Christian Louboutin heels and Nicola Bathie earrings.
And to top it all off, Victoria created all of her bridesmaids’ dresses, which are now available on Over The Moon. “I wanted a light, warm print that would go with the summer warmth of Carmel Valley,” the bride explains. “The dresses have corseting, ruffles, lace lining that delicately shows through the print, and trims for the most romantic bridesmaid dresses. I created extra designs and let the girls choose which of those styles they wanted to wear.”
As an added bonus, the bride created a special dress for her friend and model Rocky Barnes to wear to the wedding, which will be released next year. Victoria shares, “It was a princess-like piece and went so well with the bridesmaids’ dresses and the wedding direction.”
July 30, 2022, one of Brook’s best friends, Kai, who came all the way from Germany, officiated the outdoor wedding ceremony. The bride walked down the aisle—lined with “wild” flowers by Thy lan Studio—with her mother to “Here Comes the Sun.” “She has been the biggest part of my life,” Victoria says of her mom. During the service, one of the groomsmen surprised everyone by reading a sweet poem, and after Victoria and Brooks exchanged their own vows, the two processed back down the aisle to “Landslide.” “Brooks’ mom was a huge part of the wedding,” the bride adds. “We definitely felt her presence with us that day.”
Guests enjoyed cocktail hour with a live band before walking over to the Rose Garden for a delicious dinner by Paradise Catering. Cards with dried flowers directed them to their seats, decorated with peach, pink, and white hues. Once everyone took their seats, the newlyweds had their first dance to “Cheek to Cheek” by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
Throughout the meal, The Shrines of Dart Collective kept the ambiance lively. “Brooks made sure to provide a specific song list of classics for the guests to enjoy and feel like they were on vacation or at one of our favorite restaurants, like The Tower Bar,” Victoria quips. Then, the couple cut their wedding cake by Studio Cake Design.
After the reception came to a close, everyone headed to the barn for more dancing. Due to the 10:00 p.m. noise ordinance in the valley, the couple rented out the nearby restaurant, Baja Cantina, to continue the fun. Brook’s groomsman, Alexander Hinds, deejayed, followed by a guest appearance from Peter Mayes of Pnau.
The new Mr. and Mrs. Cook are planning on a spectacular European honeymoon next year. “In the first month we dated, we took a trip to Mykonos and Capri together,” Victoria recalls. “We had the most amazing time and really want to go back and explore more places.”
