Sylvie Gil has this magic way of capturing an event. It’s the kind of photography that stops us right in our tracks, that makes us forget about any other gorgeous wedding we’ve ever seen and has us focus all of that “for the love of weddings” adoration on this… a Napa beauty complete with a wondrously ruffled dress and polka dot linens. Oh be still our detail loving hearts. The pretty doesn’t stop here people. High-tail it over to the gallery for more, more, more.
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From the Bride… We chose wine country because summer days in Napa are nice and hot. We knew we wanted to have an outdoor wedding with a beautiful, natural backdrop. But because it tends to get quite chilly in the evenings, we wanted to find a venue that offered an indoor-outdoor option. We also wanted our wedding to be completely private. We love clean, fresh-feeling spaces and Durham Ranch fit the bill. We loved the rustic, yet refined style.
We wanted our day to feel intimate. Our parents were wonderful in collaborating with us on the guest list, so that each and every guest was somebody special that we truly were excited to have be a part of our special day. Remind yourself that this is the only time in your life in which every single one of these people will be gathered together in one place at one time and make the most of your time together.
I grew up attending Quaker Meeting for Worship. To incorporate elements of the Quaker tradition, we had every guest sign our Marriage Certificate, which was hand-calligraphied by Michele Papineau. We will frame it and hang it in our home as a reminder of the promises we made to each other and the witnesses present that day. Our officiant and Maid of Honor showered us with flower petals after the pronouncement. We were pleasantly surprised and it added to the celebratory feel of the moment.
DIY elements included guest welcome bags – canvas bags printed with an oak tree from our save-the-date cards with homemade tags with each guest’s name. We filled each with our favorite cookies, almonds, oranges, chips, and chocolates from local vendors. Our favors were jars of Tupelo Honey from Florida (in honor of our first-dance song, “Tupelo Honey” by Van Morrison) with custom labels made at home.
The weather was perfect, nice and warm during the day and into the evening. We were fortunate to be able to rent the venue from Thursday until Sunday. This was special because it allowed us time in this special location both before and after the wedding. Sunday morning, following the wedding, we woke up to a beautiful sunny day. We could hear the birds chirping and the breeze blowing through the trees, a poignant contrast to the excitement of the previous night and a wonderful way to bring the weekend to a close.
Wedding Photography: Sylvie Gil Photography / Event Design & Planning: Annena & Co. / Wedding Venue: Durham Ranch / Flowers: Tapestry / Catering: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering / Cupcakes: Perfect Endings / Photo Booth: Magnolia Photo Booth Co. / Wedding Cinematography: Thomas Hughes Films / Event Lighting: Twilight Design / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Linens: La Tavola / Wedding Invitations: Hello!Lucky / Wedding Dress: Anne Barge / Bride’s Shoes: Banana Republic / Bride’s Earrings: Borrowed from Mother of the Groom / Groom’s Suit: Custom / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Earrings: Catherine Popesco of La Vie Parisienne / Groomsmen Ties: Thomas Pink / Hair & Makeup: Julie Morgan / Calligraphy: Michele Papineau / Ceremony Music: Paul Binkley / Reception Music: Busta-Groove / Hair & Makeup: The Makeup Dolls