Let me just preface this first wedding by saying I KNOW we post a ton of California nuptials and the majority of those hale from a little spot of Heaven called Napa but seriously, sometimes they are just too pretty to pass up. So what to do with a gorgeous wedding held on a private estate in wine country and photographed to total perfection by onelove photography? Why we blog the heck out of it, of course. Because in the end, it doesn’t matter where it comes from, if a wedding has heart and soul and a generous amount of lovely details, we’re on it like bees to honey. Care to join us? See all the sweet details in the gallery.
Having our wedding outside and as close to nature as possible was extremely important to us. We love to spend time outside and we make it an important part of our everyday lives. Nature helped inspire where we wanted to get married as well. We chose to get married in the California Wine Country even though neither one of us is from California – it was a destination wedding for everyone except the bride and groom! We moved here about two years ago and started exploring and absolutely fell in love with the hills and the scenery in the wine country – we couldn’t imagine a better place to get married. We found a wonderful private home through our wedding planner that was elegant, yet simple and chic. The property also reminded us a lot of Tuscany – we spent a bit of time there after I graduated from college and really started to develop our love for wine together while we were over there. -There weren’t a lot of decorations and accouterments at our wedding. Just as we had been inspired by nature to get married outside, we were inspired by nature for our simple decor. We wanted everything to be simple and elegant. Everyone kept asking us what our colors were for our wedding, but we just really didn’t have a set color scheme. We went with autumn and natural tones instead of a traditional wedding color palate. The most important things to us were the setting, the food, the party, and of course the wine!!! Everything was easy and not fussy – we had a great assortment of local Vegan Cupcakes for our dessert (even though we were the only ones that knew they were Vegan) and they were a huge hit! We love desserts and couldn’t possibly settle with just one cake flavor….we had chocolate, coconut, carrot, and lemon cupcakes. Our wedding favors were also the escort cards which were mini local olive oils from Saint Helena. We wanted all of our guests to get a taste of the local flavor that we’ve fallen in love with (side note: we LOVE to cook). We also put together a bunch of luminarias to help light up the property at night and give it a cozy lounge feel.
We decided to include our dog Wizard in the wedding because he is so special to us. I got Wizard when I was 15 and he’s been with me ever since. Pat really fell in love with Wizard and now they’re best buddies and we couldn’t imagine having our wedding at a venue that wouldn’t let us have our dog there. That was one aspect of our wedding day that was totally and unquestionably non-negotiable (he’s our fur child). A lot of people over look having their dogs as part of the wedding, but it really adds such a special and personal touch to the day. He kept us both calm and relaxed while we were getting ready and was a super star at the wedding with his simple and understated black and white bow tie (thank you mother of the bride!). I’m pretty sure he snagged several cupcakes too!
Our Wedding Day was so special, it’s hard for me to put it into words. My husband’s Dad usually sings “Galway Bay,” a traditional Irish Song at the weddings of any relatives – for our wedding he not only sang “Galway Bay,” but he also surprised us and sang “Danny Boy,” another beautiful Irish Song. It meant so much to us to have our loving parents there and to have a tribute to our love from his Dad – it brought us both to tears. Also, a very special moment for me was the toast from my Man of Honor, Wes. We’ve been best friends since we were 14 years old, and it’s been a really unconventional relationship from the beginning. Wes was my Confirmation Sponsor in the Catholic Church and has been my confidant and best friend without any fights or bumps along the way for the past 12 years. I’ve never seen him get emotional, but on our wedding day during his toast to us, he had a tear running down his cheek the whole time, and I just knew how special it was for the both of us. We had such a blast dancing the night away, even though the evening turned really chilly – I wasn’t phased. I stayed in my strapless dress the whole time without any cover up the whole night! I couldn’t believe it because I’m the one that’s always cold!! My mom and I made a bunch of fake mustache sticks a few days before the wedding, and it cracked up us seeing everyone dancing and taking pictures with the fake red, yellow and black mustaches!
Photography: onelove photography / Cinematography: Slava Basovich / Event Design and Planning: Mary Ellen Murphy of Off the Beaten Path Weddings / Catering, Cupcakes, DJ: Off the Beaten Path Weddings / Ceremony and Reception Location: Private estate, Napa, California / Hair Stylist: Alana Halvorsen / Officiant: Your Ceremony Matters
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I ADORE her bracelet! Anyone know where it is from?
I second that - her bracelet is stunning! Also, the violet/purple accents here and there are just lovely.
I love the bridesmaids dresses- where are they from?
Ooooh, her bracelet is fab-u-lous!! And I'm a sucker for a long reception table - it always looks like so much fun.
This wedding and estate is breathtaking! Anyone know the name of the estate? I am beginning to plan our wine country wedding. Thanks!
I love the look of the long table for all of the guests!
Such a pretty and simple elegant wedding! Thanks for sharing! I love the part about your dog- I want our dog to be in our wedding too!
Such a beautiful wedding!! The venue is breathtaking to say the least and all of the details are so elegantly done. Congratulations!
Love the wedding venue choice...Absolutely gorgeous!!
i think its clear...we must all know where that gorgeo pearl bracelet hails from...perfect blend of timeless elegance and modern edge...love. this wedding is an A+ like all SMP features. makes my day to peruse this site.
The bridesmaid dresses were from Nordstrom, and the amazing bracelets they wore are from White House Black Market (thanks Steph)!
Xoxo
Christy is a beautiful bride! And Mary Ellen rocked this wedding - the design is superb!
Maybe as a Californian I'm biased, but I do love seeing weddings set here (I hope to have mine in Yosemite someday). These photos are beyond stunning, and just what I needed to see today. You've reinforced my conviction that wedding photography is the dream I want to follow :)
This is the best photographed wedding I have seen. AMAZING!! Wow!
Beautiful venue and beautiful pics!
Great occasion.
Absolutely love the outdoor breakfast. Wonderful colour reproduction here too guys :O)
Thanks for sharing,
DSP
I would love to know where the parasols are from - were they rented or purchased? So cute!