A Sylvie Gil wedding never fails to amaze, and this Napa affair is the latest beauty from her lens. Kissed by that California sun, it’s a celebration centered on good food, good wine and loved ones all around. Kathy Higgins, Atelier Joya and Julie Morgan made the day something truly special, and I highly recommend you scroll through every last bit.
From The Bride…Mark and I were both living in NYC when my boss set us up on a blind date five years ago. Although we seemed like an unlikely pair in the beginning, it was our shared love of good friends, good food and good wine that brought us together. After Mark popped the big question on a moonlit Clydesdale sleigh ride in Deer Valley, we immediately began planning our wedding. We both wanted our wedding to have an intimate, romantic, yet casual feel. Napa Valley was the obvious choice — it was the perfect venue to bring together the people we loved to share some of our favorite things: food and wine!
Julie Song, whose style is beautifully whimsical and romantic, designed our invitation suite detailing the weekend of events. Mark and I hosted a Welcome Dinner at Cade Winery for all of our wedding guests to create a family-like atmosphere and to make sure no one left Napa Valley without experiencing an authentic vineyard tour and tasting! After a brief tour of the vineyard in small groups, everyone met deep in the wine cave for a more formal wine tasting and outrageous chacuccerie spread from Oxbow Wine & Cheese. The group then sat down to a casual dinner in the courtyard over-looking the Valley floor with the food catered by gourmet food-truck extraordinaire Mark at X Marks the Spot. The night was filled with toasts from our friends and family and set the tone for the weekend.
The following afternoon, Mark and I were married at a private estate on Spring Mountain overlooking the valley. Kathy Higgins, our wedding planner, was instrumental in making some of our unorthadox requests become a reality. In addition to finding the perfect venue, Kathy was able to connect us a with Choice Entertainers, an acapella Motown group whose melodies accentuated our ceremony and cocktail hour and showcased our obsession for classic Motown music. Fitting with our style and personalities, Kathy also introduced us to one of her personal friend’s who served as our wedding officiant. As our ceremony drew to a close, two of our closest friends read a personalized rendition of Shel Silverstein’s poem “Ations”, which cleverly depicted how we fell in love and why Napa was so special to us.
Chef Katie and the staff at Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc worked with our dear friends Monica & David Stevens at 750 Wines to create a perfectly paired feast served at sunset overlooking the Valley floor. Keeping with the inclusive family theme, the meal was served family style at two long tables in multiple courses. Lisa and Priska at Atelier Joya helped create tablescapes that were both beautiful and functional; the arrangements were all designed with a low profile to encourage guest conversation and accommodate the additional flat and stemware needed for our family-style dinner. Together Kathy, Lisa and Priska transformed a naturally beautiful landscape into an enchanting setting complete with urns of flowers in warm pastels and vintage rentals from Found Vintage Rentals. As dinner wound down, guests let loose to some dangerously melodic beats by D.Veloped (who just happened to be in SF that weekend because a friend called in a personal favor). The whole day was perfectly captured by Sylvie Gil, whose warm, infectious personality (and charming French accent) brought a smile to us both throughout the day.
Wanting a moment to ourselves, Mark and I were whisked away in a vintage Packard convertible at the end of the night. That private moment gave us the opportunity to reflect on what was such a special day and allowed us to sit and appreciate everyone who was a part of it.
Photography: Sylvie Gil Photography | Wedding Planner: Kathy Higgins Weddings | Florals: Atelier Joya | Invitations: Julie Song Ink | Catering: Ad Hoc | Hair And Make Up: Julie Morgan Hair + Makeup | Lighting: Lux Production | Venue: Private Estate | Cutting Cake: Calistoga Cakes | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Rentals: Classic Party Rentals