When a Los Angeles native who lives and works in Venice Beach falls in love with an Irishman raised in Bedfordshire, England—whom she met in Paris—the pair is spoiled for matrimonial venue choices. But for Alexandra Balahoutis and David Hutchinson, the perfect place proved to be her parents Linda and Jerry Bruckheimer’s farm, Walnut Groves in Nelson County, Kentucky—smack in the middle of Bourbon Country, and the site of another noteworthy couple’s wedding: none other than Abraham Lincoln’s mother and father. Alexandra, founder of botanical fragrance house Strange Invisible Perfumes, and David, a former marketing executive for L’Oréal Paris and now general manager for SIP, approached the three-day celebration as a true collaboration. “We wanted it to be chic and romantic and to reflect Kentucky and our personal taste,” says Alexandra. “It was like a branding project—a startup—and we conceived of it together from the beginning.”
The bride’s mother commissioned a stone chapel built in the style of a rural 1800-era structure for the evening ceremony. Wearing a custom J. Mendel gown, Alexandra arrived in a horse-driven, early-20th-century wicker, ash wood and hickory vis-a-vis carriage. After the “I do’s,” guests sipped cocktails in a twostory barn where L.A. bluegrass band The Americans (featuring Jake Faulkner, the son of Alexandra’s good friend Pamela Barish, who designed the bridesmaids’ dresses) performed; a fireworks display wowed guests en route to the reception tent, which was imbued with a scent of rose and sage created especially for the evening and adorned with blue velvet draping and early American paintings from the Bruckheimers’ collection. Having changed into a custom Carolina Herrera silk tulle dress, Alexandra serenaded her new husband with an a cappella version of “At Last.” She wasn’t the only surprise entertainer: Robin Thicke, who attended high school with the bride, performed “Lost Without You,” “Let’s Stay Together” and “Blurred Lines,” while DJ Parker & Barrow kept the party going until 6 a.m. the next morning—concluding yet another storied chapter in the grounds’ illustrious history. •
Feature tbd Clockwise from top left: The bride arrives via horse-drawn carriage. Alexandra Balahoutis in J. MENDEL. David Hutchinson in TOM FORD. A stone chapel built for the wedding. PAMELA BARISH designed the bridesmaids’ blue dresses.
VENUE Walnut Groves Farm, Kentucky PLANNER Bash, Please FLOWERS Flowerwild ENTERTAINMENT Élan Artists, The Americans, Northstar, Robin Thicke, Parker + Barrow, Darrah Carr Riverdancers RENTALS Classic Party Rentals, Found Vintage Rentals, the ARK, La Tavola, Casa de Perrin VIDEOGRAPHER Shark Pig DRESS Custom J. Mendel, custom Carolina Herrera TUX Tom Ford