Inside an End-of-Summer Soirée at Wanderment Farms with Forma Management & Ashley Chanel Events

On the last day of August, Wanderment Farms, a working ranch on the cliffs above Carpinteria, became the setting for an unforgettable End-of-Summer Soirée. Hosted by Katie Hendricks of Forma Management, with planning and design by Ashley Chanel Events, the evening brought together Forma’s roster of artists, along with the planners and partners behind the event, for one long, golden-hour dinner.

The experience began before guests ever reached the farm. A private trolley carried them from the coast up into the hills, where the vineyards, the olive trees and the view set the tone for the night.

“The palette really began with Wanderment itself,” shares Ashley Chanel, the planner and designer behind the evening. “The sun-washed stone, dusty earth, hearty greens of the vineyards and that beautiful honeyed light at the end of summer.” From there, she layered in raspberry, petal pink, apricot, lilac and fresh garden green “to give it a little more flirtation.” Botanical linens, scalloped fabric pendants, warm wood, cut glass and abundant florals made the space feel collected rather than decorated. In Ashley’s words: “Part European garden, part California ranch, with very good manners.”

The table itself was the boldest design choice. “We ran this unapologetically long, abundant table along the deck so the design was always in conversation with the landscape,” Ashley explains. “As the sun went down, the glassware and candlelight began to glow while the hills softened behind them. Wanderment was never meant to be merely the backdrop. It’s the main character.”

Above the table, sculptural fabric pendants created a ceiling without a tent. It’s the detail Ashley would most love to see couples bring into their own wedding day. “Those pendants created intimacy without sacrificing the view,” she says. “I’d love to see couples choose one detail that completely transforms the way a space feels, something brave, specific and perhaps a little unexpected. That’s usually the detail everyone remembers, and the one that turns a wedding into a reflection of the couple.”

The evening unfolded over a farm-to-table dinner by Chef Libby Holland, cocktails by Slate Catering, specialty wines from Sunstone Winery and a live band by Elan Artists. A portrait bar by John and Joseph captured guests throughout the night. Asked to describe the mood in three words, Ashley doesn’t hesitate: “Sun-kissed. Soulful. Unbuttoned.”

For host Katie Hendricks, who has built her career connecting creatives, the night was about connection without the pressure. “It’s human nature for many of us to enter a networking event with a ‘hit list’ of the top people we think we need to connect with,” she says. “My biggest recommendation is to go into an event ready and willing to meet everyone. Pretend you’re walking into a friend’s dinner party. The goal is not to leave with a full calendar of bookings, but to make new friends.”

She speaks from experience. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been disappointed by my seating at events, only to find that relationship turned out to be 100 times more meaningful, rewarding and better for business,” Katie shares. “The best connections and the most financially rewarding relationships I have made have been with ‘normal’ people in the industry, not based on follower counts or lists. My goal is always to make the world a smaller place. One less stranger out there in this big ole’ world.”

Katie hopes guests left with two feelings. The first is permission to pause. “We’re so busy, go, go, go, that for a planner or wedding professional to sit down at dinner and just enjoy it, what a feeling!” she says. “It doesn’t have to be a dinner like this. It might be after a tasting, a site visit or a planning call. These moments are on repeat for us, but it’s about realizing the special nature of what we get to do for others.”

The second came from the farm itself. When owner Margo Redfern and her husband, Jeff, bought Wanderment, it was a defunct vineyard. In a few years, she has filled its 56 acres with animals, flourishing vines, beautiful buildings and produce sold straight from the farm, from olive oil and eggs to sourdough bread. “I have to imagine people wondered what on earth was going on up there,” Katie says. “And with that is the reminder that your goals don’t have to make sense to anyone but yourself.”

WedVibes is honored to serve as media sponsor for this golden evening, brought to life by a brilliant creative team and shared with some of the most inspiring talents in the wedding industry.