For a love spanning over ten years – you read right! – this wedding was a long-awaited celebration. Anchored in gorgeous design by Ooh La La Weddings and florals from Belle-Flower, it’s the definition of summertime chic with a palette complimenting to Groom’s Navy whites. The Great Romance told the story through their lens, and you can see it all from start to finish.
From The Bride…Mitch and I met over ten years ago at the end of high school. We weathered a long distance relationship through college while he was in Annapolis, Maryland at the Naval Academy and I was swimming in literature studying English at Berkeley.
Mitch and I both love the outdoors, a tasty nibble and drink, music, and our friends and family, so we immediately knew we wanted our wedding to incorporate all of these. When we found Beltane Ranch in Glen Ellen, California, we knew it would perfectly deliver the ambiance we imagined with its gnarled giant oaks and rolling golden hills. Mitch and I love the outdoors, a tasty nibble and drink, music, and our friends and family, so we immediately knew we wanted our wedding to incorporate all of these. When we found Beltane Ranch in Glen Ellen, California, we knew it would perfectly deliver the ambiance we imagined with its gnarled giant oaks and rolling golden hills.
From there, planning was a breeze because we kept things simple. The scenery was already so beautiful, that we didn’t need much decor; however, the flower centerpieces and bouquets designed by our florist Natalie from Belle-Flower were absolutely gorgeous. Her artistry added another level of beauty to the already breathtaking ranch. Our caterer, Park Avenue Catering, is the first Green Certified catering company in Napa and Sonoma counties, and their farm to table meal was fresh, delicious, and served beautifully.
Music was also very important to us, so I spent a lot of time creating the perfect playlists for each aspect of the wedding and selecting our special songs. For our first dance, we chose “Moon River,” the theme song from my favorite movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Sung by Audrey Hepburn, the song is so raw and emotional to me, and it perfectly describes the feelings Mitch and I have starting our lives together.
My favorite moment of the wedding — besides our vows — was our last dance. The entire evening was truly brimming with fun, happiness, and love, and our last dance was an overflowing of these feelings. Dancing to Wilco’s “California Stars,” a favorite song of ours, we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a giant, group “dance-hug.” In that moment, I felt so overwhelmingly joyful, surrounded by the love of our friends and family. It was the perfect beginning to our new life.
A huge thank you to all of our wonderful vendors, especially our coordinator, Lindsey, from Ooh La La Weddings for allowing us to truly relax and enjoy our day and to our incredibly talented photography team Tommy and Connie of The Great Romance Photo for exquisitely capturing the essence of the day for us to treasure forever.
Photography: The Great Romance Photo | Floral Design: Belle-Flower | Wedding Dress: Anna Maier | Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew | Catering: Park Avenue Catering | Makeup: Nikol Elaine | Hair: Rebecca Beardsley | Groomsmen's Attire: J.Crew | Music: AMS Entertainment | Planner/Coordinator: Ooh La La Weddings & Events | Ranch: Beltane Ranch