There really is no better place for an outdoor wedding full of romance than Napa Valley. With seriously gorgeous vistas, days comprised of sunny perfection, and enough delicious wine to last a lifetime, it’s no wonder this couple chose to high tail it out of Ohio for their big day. The perfect peony and garden rose bouquet, the vintage postcards serving as table markers, the cutest little flower girl, and the incredible images from Zach Anderson all add up to make one blissfully beautiful day. Click here for the full gallery.
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From the bride…After tossing around 3 totally different locales (a wedding in central Ohio; Charleston, South Carolina; or Rutherford, California) we settled on California. We had 2 trusted reviews of Auberge du Soleil (both of our parents dined there during visits to Napa) so we knew the food was fantastic and after viewing pictures, we knew the view from the terrace was unbeatable! Matt and I met at Miami University (couples who meet at Miami and marry are referred to as a “Miami Mergers” for the non-Miami alums.) As a “merger” with a quarter of our guest list being Miami graduates, I knew I wanted to subtly incorporate this connection on our wedding day. I collected vintage Miami postcards (and vintage postage for our invitations) on eBay for months leading up to the wedding. The postcards served as table numbers on our wedding day and now they’re framed and hanging in our home, minus the numbers. I selected a vintage replica map of California for our “guestbook.” I had a feeling a book would just collect dust in a cabinet after the wedding, but our map is hanging in our entryway and serves as a daily reminder of our wonderful day.
I hand selected every vase, votive, and table number stand that was used (shipping them to California prior to the wedding.) Our florist, Asako Han, was absolutely wonderful and did a fabulous job of accommodating my ever-evolving vision. My bouquet of peonies and garden roses was made even more special by the beaded lace that was wrapped delicately around the stem (a snippet from my Mother’s wedding dress.) One element of wedding planning I was unwilling to forgo just because we were having a destination wedding was cake tasting! Patisserie Angelica overnighted a tasting to Ohio and I knew upon my first nibble that they had to make our cake. It wasn’t easy, but we settled on 3 flavors: roasted banana with vanilla scented cream cheese frosting, chocolate beet cake with vanilla scented cream cheese frosting, and Tahitian vanilla with white chocolate butter cream. Yum. Needless to say, Patisserie Angelica will be receiving an annual order so we can indulge in their delicious cake on our anniversary. In addition to the cake, Patisserie Angelica prepared 2 mini-macaroons to serve as our favors (raspberry rose and salted caramel.) I decided to make special favors for all the children in attendance (cellophane bags filled with fake mustaches, glasses, mini Uno decks, slap bracelets, and various other trinkets.) These favors were well received by children and parents alike.
Another important element to our wedding was recognizing our families: we collected pictures of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents to display on our cake table. I held a snippet of my Mother’s wedding dress, tucked my Nana’s hanky in my dress, and wore my Mother-in-law’s garter and other Nana’s bracelet… Wearing those items made me feel connected to some of the most important women in my life. Our ceremony was one of the most memorable moments of the day. My uncle served as the officiant and our siblings (and my beautiful niece) comprised our wedding party. We wrote our own vows which made the personal ceremony that much more special.
Venue + Catering: Auberge du Soleil / Photographer: Zach Anderson / Second Shooter: Scott Andrew / Hair + Makeup: Sherrie Long / Cake: Patisserie Angelica / Wedding Coordinator: Brittany Payton of Auberge du Soleil / Ceremony Music: Eloquence Strings / Band: Ever Music Group / Flowers: Asako Hana / Groom’s Attire: Armani / Matron of Honor’s Attire: J.Crew / Officiant: Uncle of the Bride / Invitations: Crane / Day-of-Wedding Stationery: Baumbirdy