This Couple Kicked Off Their Wedding Weekend With a Beachside Welcome Party and a Farm-to-Table Rehearsal Dinner

During her cardiology rotation in California, Nicolette Alexandria Rubio was assigned a new supervisor for the month of January 2018: Manolo Rubio. Since Manolo hand-delivered Nicolette a Starbucks coffee every morning—the hospital didn’t sell caffeinated beverages—she suspected that her supervisor may have developed a crush on her. It turns out that the attraction was mutual. A few months later, the twosome officially started dating. Then, in October 2019, Manolo popped the question during a private dinner on a sandbank in the middle of the Indian Ocean on their trip to the Maldives. Nicolette gave a resounding “yes.”

While planning their big day, the bride and groom also orchestrated several pre-wedding events: a welcome party and a rehearsal dinner. Since the two of them met in California, they sought out a venue in the West Coast state to host these celebrations. “We fell in love in such a beautiful place of the country that we really wanted the natural beauty of Southern California to be shown during all of our events,” Nicolette explains. Additionally, most of their guests were traveling from out of state, so they used the location as an opportunity to highlight the area. The winning choice? Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California. “It was a perfect blend of what we love the most: the mountains and the ocean,” Nicolette shares.

Since the couple was living in Boston while planning their wedding weekend, they made many of their decisions remotely. Luckily, their planner, Susan Dunne of Weddings by Susan Dunne, made the process effortless. “If anything came up unexpectedly, she handled it quickly and never made us feel nervous or stressed,” Nicolette cites as an example.

On June 10, 2022, Nicolette and Manolo threw a laid-back welcome party on the beach and a farm-to-table rehearsal dinner, setting a celebratory mood for their nuptials. Read on to see how these pre-wedding events, planned by Weddings by Susan Dunner and photographed by Anya Kernes Photography, played out.

The couple wanted to give their guests a warm welcome once they touched down, so they stocked beach bags with goodies for everyone to enjoy. A postcard of California, local gummy bears, and a fresh orange represented the Golden State, while a bottle of Topo Chico (made in Manolo’s hometown) and a bag of popcorn branded with a picture of their puppy captured their relationship. 

To kick off their wedding weekend, Nicolette and Monolo invited 75 guests to join them at their venue’s beach club for a welcome party. “We wanted our beach day to be a fun welcome party and allow our guests a little relaxation while enjoying the California coastline since most were traveling across the country and internationally,” the bride remarks.

Although the main welcome party took place on the beach, inside of the beach club, friends and family could perch on furry chairs and a plush couch, which overlooked the Pacific Ocean. 

Before lounging on the beach, guests noshed on a light lunch, which included a kale Caesar salad, a Waldorf salad, roasted herb chicken, roasted Brussels sprouts, and crispy pancetta wild rice pilaf. They washed down their meal with pineapple margaritas, the couple’s signature cocktail.

For the next phase of festivities, the crew headed over to the sand, where they played cornhole, relaxed on Turkish towels and pillows, and savored boozy sorbet. According to the duo, one of the highlights of the weekend was “watching our family and friends meet each other on the beach day and intertwine as one big group, laughing and playing games together.”

Nicolette dressed for the occasion in a white one-piece suit with a plunging neckline, side cut-outs, and a netted skirt from PatBo. To channel the coastal vibe, the bride also wore her hair in mermaid-style waves, which she accented with pearl hairpins and gold seashell clips. For Manolo’s attire, he sported a short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and sneakers, all from Suitsupply.

After a restful, sun-soaked day on the beach, 50 of Nicolette and Manolo’s guests attended the next pre-wedding party, which took place at the venue’s pizza bar. “The rehearsal dinner was a California farm-to-table vision, where we were able to bring in a little pop of color since the actual wedding was more neutral-based and traditional,” Nicolette describes.

Beneath rattan lanterns sat banquet tables, draped with yellow printed tablecloths. Arrangements of foxglove, Queen Anne’s lace, chamomile, honeysuckle, and black-eyed Susans, interspersed with pieces of fruit and twisted taper candles, evoked an elegant, organic look. “The centerpieces were inspired by a maximalist table design, which emphasized texture and pattern,” Nicolette says. Woven placemats, wicker chairs, and napkins in a blue-and-white pattern also helped achieve this effortless feel.

For the rehearsal dinner, Nicolette donned a one-shoulder satin dress with a low back and a high slit from Sau Lee. To show off the back of her gown, she opted for a low ponytail, featuring a few wavy strands and topped with a pearl headband. Since the bride prepped her skin with products from Zo Skin Health and SkinCeuticals and monthly hydrafacials, she settled on a makeup look that let her natural complexion shine. 

Manolo suited up in a beige linen getup from Suitsupply and a white dress shirt from Alexander’s Custom Clothiers. A pair of sunglasses and brown leather loafers from Gucci completed his dapper look.

Wooden boxes of peaches, pinned with guests’ names, doubled as escort cards and decorations. “A surprise from our planner was putting our dog’s name on the seating chart for the rehearsal dinner,” Nicolette adds. From the blue-and-white linens to the assorted wildflowers, the setup perfectly coordinated with the rest of the dinner tables.

After spending months conceptualizing their vision, the pair couldn’t believe how Susan brought their ideas to life. “[We were] walking into our rehearsal dinner and feeling utterly amazed at how our planner and vendors transformed the space into the dreamiest California night that ended under the stars,” Nicolette reflects.

After a starter salad, mixed with marinated tomatoes and tossed with honey lemon vinaigrette, loved ones chose hanger steak with blue cheese, yukon potatoes, and roasted pearl onions; chicken with brown butter haricots vert with creamed wheat berry; or Chilean sea bass.

In addition to an abundance of locally-sourced cuisine, the pair also served a signature cocktail—dubbed Blackberry Gin Smash—with a personal spin. “For the rehearsal dinner, we added custom ice cubes: flowers to connect the wildflower theme and a heart with a lifeline to present both of our medical professions,” the couple shares.

The duo spent the rest of the evening dining on quality food with their favorite people. Nicolette and Manolo attributed their pre-wedding events’ smashing success to none other than their planner. “Find a wedding planner who understands your taste and vision and who has a good network of vendors to pick from,” the couple recommends.