Once upon a time there was a Pittsburg Steeler Groom who had one seriously chic wedding. Said wedding? Well, you’re about to bear witness. Captured by Julie Kay Kelly, this Meadowood Napa Valley celebration lands itself in touchdown territory. From the layered Sweet On Cake dessert, to the beauty a la It’s A Date At The Powder Room, you’ll want to watch every moment unfold in THE VAULT!
From Julie Kay Kelly…Bonnie and David were only 15 years old when they met, and only narrowly escaped having to be driven by their parents to their first date. Fortunately, David had just turned 16 when he took Bonnie out for the first time – to the movies, and then to Wendy’s. Little did they know back then that David’s stellar football talent would take him all the way to the NFL (he’s a guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers), and that their love for each other would take them all the way down the aisle.
Their wedding this summer was a lovely mix between the simple, classic elegance Bonnie loves, and the easygoing nature that defines Bonnie and David. Hydrangeas, peonies, roses, lisianthus, and magnolia festooned the day, as did hand-lettered chalkboards and centerpieces of gold ceramic urns, mercury glass candlelight clusters, and antique metal champagne flutes and goblets.
Given the number of giant NFL players in attendance, specially sourced extra strong chairs and copious amounts of food were part of the day as well, followed by dessert including an amazing groom’s cake with different pieces of football gear from different stages in David’s career.
Their wedding weekend kicked off with an intimate evening of croquet on Meadowood’s croquet course, a perfect way to set the tone for this beautiful celebration.
I loved this weekend so much. Bonnie and David are true gems. David is predictably hulking, strong, and serious. He is also whip-smart, funny, and deeply kind. Bonnie is simply: beautiful. Inside and out. She is also hilariously irreverent. How these two complement one another is immediately evident and deeply touching. Between these two, their awesome wedding party, their friends and families, the celebration was unforgettable.
From The Bride…I always wanted to get married outside. I am not an outdoorsy person but I always loved the natural landscape and greenery in people’s wedding photos. I wanted it to be intimate and not too fancy. David and I are pretty laid back and love to just lie low and relax. We wanted the day to reflect how low key we are while still being elegant. I wanted it to feel like a dinner party atmosphere with an easy going vibe. I am very simple and classic when it comes to my taste. I just wanted it to be white and clean while letting the grounds be the perfect backdrop for our evening. I didn’t want to compete with how gorgeous Meadowood was.
My favorite moment of the day would be when we were cutting our cake. Mainly because I love cake and sweets. And because I we got to dance a little bit and sing to each other because we couldn’t find my Dad. Having that prolonged on accident ended up being one of my favorite moments. My favorite detail was my head table flowers. My mom surprised me and had Meredith do a hydrangea table runner! I was so excited. Originally we nixed it but my mom ended up bringing it back and it was such a wonderful and sweet surprise.
My flowers were gorgeous. White hydrangeas, garden roses and peonies. They were elegant and simple. Small clusters were at each table which made it much more of a dinner party vibe which I was going for. My gown was Vera Wang and was outrageously beautiful. I didn’t want to take it off all evening. I threatened to sleep in it but David said there wasn’t enough room for the three of us. It was one of the first gowns I tried on and I couldn’t get it out of my head. Our favors were boxes we left at each persons hotel room and were filled with goodies. The best part were these amazing cookies made by my brother’s friend’s mother. They are melt in your mouth delicious. We had two cakes. One traditional gorgeous wedding cake where each layer was a different flavor and a wonderful grooms cake with different pieces of football gear from different stages in Davids career. Each cake in his was a different flavor as well. But the top aka most important flavor was red velvet. My favorite flavor :)
For brides to be I would say enjoy the entire day. Things will go wrong but they end up being the most hilarious and memorable parts. Also, the videographer is totally worth it. Trust me.
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Photography: Julie Kay Kelly Photography | Cinematography: Inventive Films | Event Planning And Design: Meadowood Napa Valley | Floral Design: Meredith Law | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang | Cake: Sweet on Cake | Bride's Shoes: Christian Louboutin | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Joanna August | Hair And Makeup: It's A Date at The Powder Room | DJ: Boutique DJs | Venue: Meadowood Napa Valley | Chalkboards And Hand Lettering: Meredith Law | Photography - Assistance: Sandra Fazzino | Rentals: Classic Party Rentals | Rentals: Archive Rentals