Are you sitting? Because honestly, this next wedding is a show stopping, sweep you right off your feet kind of affair. Shot by the always fantastic Tanja Lippert with design and styling by Off The Beaten Path Weddings, we are talking mega-gorgeous details tucked into every single inch of this day. And the dress? Oh that dress. Dreamy to the tenth degree. So sit down and prepare yourself for a little afternoon delight of the wedding kind. You positively will not want to miss a single image so be sure to stop by the gallery for more from this Healdsburg gem.
click here to see the whole gorgeous affair!
Our wedding was a culmination of almost a year and half of planning, looking back now I see what was meaningful and what was crazy making. When we were first engaged (in a fabulous little place called Zihuatanejo) we were living in forever-hip Portland, Oregon while I was attending graduate school. However, we knew we wanted to get married closer to home, so we started the search for a site in Sonoma County, where we both are from. On a side note Kevin and I have gone to school together since Kindergarten at least, maybe earlier but neither of us can remember for sure. We didn’t start dating until after college however, when I was living in NYC and he was back in the Bay Area. Nothing like a year of long distance to start it off right!
Knowing the general area of where we wanted to get married was a good start but in all honestly the location search was not as fun as we thought it would be. I was pretty shocked at the site fees of various venues and what they may or may not include. It wasn’t until we went through Off the Beaten Path Weddings that we found a site we both fell in love with that we could really, for the first time, picture ourselves getting married at! Once we had a site we knew our other main priority was our photographer and I don’t think I really have to say too such about Tanja Lippert but I will anyways. I love her. I fell in love with one of her weddings featured on SMP when I first started peaking around the site (http://www.stylemepretty.com/2008/05/13/real-wedding-9/) and have loved everything else she has shot since. Aside from her talent she is just painfully fabulous to be around. She makes you feel incredibly comfortable and beautiful, all the time. She also opened my eyes to the amazingness that is Tia Reagan, her partner in crime, who did all the hair and makeup at our wedding. Just perfect.
The rest of the planning kind of fell into place. I had envisioned long farm tables and globe lights and picked up other style ideas along the way. I love champagne and pretty things so that is what I gravitated towards. Some things were incredibly meaningful so I made them priorities even if no one else noticed. I made the jam favors with local Portland raspberries and my Grandma’s much-loved recipe. We also went for music that we really listen to, which is how we ended up switching our first dance song to Atlantic City by The Band literally two minutes before we started dancing! In the end it was just a beautiful day that really was over so fast. I could get into all the nitty gritty details but think what stands out after the fact is the love and affection Kevin and I felt from every single person there. Our family, friends and wedding vendors made it what it was and we left with such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. Well that and the giddiness that came with staying at The Farmhouse Inn, which is just so amazing I wanted to move in. Really.
Photography: Tanja Lippert / Wedding Hair & Makeup: Tia Reagan of Freebird Productions / Wedding Design and Execution: Mary Ellen Murphy of Off The Beaten Path Weddings / Officiant: Steve Thrush / Location: Winery in Healdsburg, CA / Catering: Peloton Catering / Wedding Dress and hair flower: Amsale, style Calista / Bridesmaid Dresses: Varied / Groomswear: J.Crew / Wedding Cupcakes: Kara’s Cupcakes / Invitations: Elum and Paperwhite of Petaluma, CA / Flowers: La Belle Fleur Design / Hotel: The Farmhouse Inn / Flower Girl Dress: Nastershum / Potted succulents, chalkboard and chicken wire windows, escort cards, seat numbers, guest book, and jam by the bride (and husband and family!)