We all love a good Napa Valley wedding when we see one. But take a look at these next extra adorable cutie pies who threw a wine country wedding…their own way. Aren’t they adorable? They are so totally and madly in love, it’s hard not to go all mushy gushy inside. Add to that the romantic rustic decor and the handcrafted details captured by Marin Kristine Photography…and it’s smitten central. Oh and the Coldstone Creamery to end the night? Officially the best idea ever! The full gallery is packed with even more pretty.
There is so much more romantic inspiration in the full gallery!
From the cutie-pie bride, Leigh…
From about 2 weeks into our relationship, I knew he was it – the guy, the one. We were best friends from day 1, and that’s exactly what I was thinking while I walking down the aisle “there’s my best friend (insert ridiculously large grin)”. So when, after about a year of dating, he proposed we knew that we wanted to get married as soon as we could realistically plan a wedding. Our dream was to get married in Tuscany, but the most important thing for us was to have everyone there and we knew Italy would immediately eliminate some of those people. The best alternative to Italy was Sonoma, California with the rolling hills, wine, and great food! We both love to travel, so we thought “why not go on a weekend trip with our families and closest friends?”
From the beginning we had decided that we had to stay focused on the most important things to us: PLACE, PEOPLE, PICTURES. We knew we wanted to really enjoy every moment so we kept everything low stress, fun, and made sure to plan/make everything together. We never lost focus on the importance of the day – that we were coming together as a family rather than throwing some party.
We only had about 4 months to plan, and we knew we wanted to make each piece of the day as personal and special as possible so our love would permeate the day. And so, we set out on a lot of DIY projects! Each weekend we tackled something new so that it wouldn’t get overwhelming while planning every detail from afar. We scoured fabric and craft stores for table inspiration finding random vases and containers , burlap, mason jars, and twine for the tables. We cut and sewed the burlap runners, painted table numbers, made mini-chalkboards, candy favors wrapped in twine, and mason jar lanterns that hung from trees. We even took a day trip up to a forest and my husband (yay!) chopped pieces of wood off of a fallen tree for the cupcake stands – a real Paul Bunyan. For flowers we visited a local lavender farm outside of Sonoma to find the lavender and a local market for the other flowers and plants. A few of our friends put together all the flowers the day of the wedding. My Matron of Honor has a letterpress business, so her gift to us was our lovely invitations. All the other paper products we made ourselves including personalized notes for each person at their place setting, bride and groom signs for our chairs, and table seating charts. What we couldn’t make ourselves we found on Etsy. So 2 days before the wedding we packed everything up in 5 suitcases and my dress and carted it all through the airport on our way to Sonoma.
The day was absolutely wonderful. It rained all day, but it seemed to clear up right before the ceremony started. I walked down the aisle to one of our favorite songs, “Til Kingdom Come” by Coldplay, which seemed like a perfect fit for us. I loved seeing his sweet face at the end of that aisle – eyes filled with tears. My favorite part of the day was every moment spent with my new husband – laughing, dancing, and surprising him with his favorite dessert, Coldstone Creamery, at the end of the night.
I would do it all over again in a heartbeat, and I wouldn’t change a thing!
Photography: Marin Kristine Photography / Venue: Viansa / Letterpress Invitations: Little Owl Letterpress / Wooden book: Lacuna Work / Wooden plaque: True Connection / Guest Book ‘Finger Print’ Tree: i do it yourself / Blue Bird Cake Topper: Laika 6000 / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Shoes: Target / Hair flowers: Handle & Spout / Cupcakes: Sweetie Pies / Bridesmaid and Flower Girl Dress, Ring Bearer Tie: J Crew / Groom’s outfit: Banana Republic / DJ: Chris Webb
