No doubt about it – some of the prettiest weddings we ever feature are held at Healdsburg Country Gardens.  You know the ones… those weddings that instantly take your breath away, are filled with gorgeous AND leave you speechless all in one sitting?  Weddings, in fact, that are exactly like this stunning affair planned by Amy Nichols Special Events, which happens to be sooo amazing, I’m struggling to find the right words to even begin to describe it all.  From the sweet DIY details to the bride and groom’s uber-happy faces to an entire gallery of lovely from Dreambox Photography, it’s one serious lesson in pretty.  Click here to see it all.

 

From the Bride… Our wedding day was incredibly special for Marc and I. Not only due to the presence of our friends and family in the beautiful setting of Healdsburg Country Gardens, but also because of all the personal touches that made it unique to us. From the decor, to the location, to the ceremony, each aspect was a reflection of a memory we shared together, or was a personal contribution from our family. The invitations were designed and hand printed by my dad and his wife, our favors were homemade by Marc’s parents, and our wine ceremony included a wine box crafted by my stepdad. In addition, our entire family spent hours searching flea markets for the old teapots that served as our centerpieces, and Marc’s older brother even acted as our officiant, embarassing Marc with stories from growing up. 

The food was another area where we wanted to capture who we are and also gave us an opportunity to share amazing memories with our guests. Several years ago, Marc and I shared a very memorable evening at The Girl and The Fig in Sonoma. Not only was the outdoor patio an amazing setting, but the food continues to be something we talk about to this day. It has gone down in my history books as one of my favorite dates with Marc. From the start, the Girl and the Fig caterers were incredibly helpful and responsive. We were even able to serve the very same duck confit that we shared on that special night, even though it was not offered on their catering menu. It was just as delicious as I had remembered… and everyone agreed!

The whole day was a representation of who we are together and an illustration of the foundation that we’ve built for our long future ahead. We couldn’t have done it without all of my vendors. I would highly recommend ever single one.

Wedding Photography: Dreambox Photography / Wedding Venue: Healdsburg Country Gardens in Healdsburg, California / Wedding Planning: Lauren Sloan for Amy Nichols Special Events / Floral Design: Dragonfly Floral / Catering: the girl and the fig / Ice Cream: Three Twins Ice Cream / DJ: Nor Cal Pro Sound / Hair + Makeup: Joan Willat + Sarah from The I Do Studio

Amy Nichols Special Events is a member of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

Amy Nichols Special Events

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Today, my loves, is a very good day thanks to Lady Liberty Events + Joy Marie Photographers who have brought us this crazy-gorgeous Kunde Winery + Kenwood Inn & Spa wedding. Bathed in that always beautiful California light, this magical soiree doesn’t miss a detail from the elegant paper goods by Bella Figura to the perfect blooms by Souflower Floral Design. Head over to the gallery to see the rest, and be sure not to miss the lovely video by Moetic Wedding Films!

 

From Lady Liberty Events… This wedding was an absolute dream to design mainly because the Bride and Groom’s style was a huge inspiration used to transform their day into something unforgettable. Sido & Dave wanted a place where they could have a wedding weekend adventure to spend with their closest friends and family. After weekends of visiting almost every possibility in both Napa & Sonoma our last scout day brought us to Kenwood Inn and Spa & Kunde Winery in Sonoma… we KNEW we found the perfect location(s). A stunning ceremony on top of Boot Hill at Kunde Winery with 360 degree vineyard views, and a lush French “Chateau-esque” Boutique Inn for a fairytale reception got our creative wheels spinning.

Sidonie & David have a very Fun personality and Chic Modern style that we wanted to incorporate throughout their wedding adventure. Guests arrived to Sonoma and were greeted with welcome bags filled with tons of fun goodies! The guests knew they were here for an incredible weekend celebrating this amazing couple.

The ceremony was stunning… watching the Bride & Groom and wedding party standing underneath a 14×14 custom chuppah with hanging gardenias and views that could not be created with all the money in the world was vision to remember. One of my favorite parts of the ceremony was when Sidonie began saying her vows, reading them from the ribbon that we created while the ribbon gorgeously unraveled. The ceremony music was very unique and personalized to their style. Guests cheered and waved their satin and lace ribbon wedding wands as the wedding party stepped out of the chuppah to a string version of Bridgette Bordeaux’s “Every Body Love’s My Baby.”

Our biggest challenge was to transform the space into a magical fairytale setting while keeping these guests surprised as to what was to come. As guests entered the courtyard, the existing fountain had been turned into a wishing well and overflowed with coral and peach dahlia blooms, surrounded by tables that displayed bowls filled with shiny pennies and a sign encouraging guests to make a wish for the newly married couple.

Guests were invited to the dinner area after the newlyweds made a remarkable entrance from the top of the stairs looking down at all of their friends and family. The dinner setting was a whimsical display of hanging fairly lights and assorted crystal chandeliers with the perfect light bouncing off of the sparkling white sequined table linens. Each place-setting was accented with peach satin napkins, white match barrels showcasing a silver foil monogram, place cards that shimmered with sliver glitter, and individual menus outlining the Sonoma fare that was yet to come. After dinner guests were asked to take a sparkler and gather around the dance floor (which covered the pre-existing pool!) and help make the bride and groom sparkle during their first dance. The image of 100 guests circling the Bride & Groom with sparklers that lasted 4 minutes long, as they danced their first dance, was one that will never leave my mind… it was truly magical. This was truly an incredible celebration that I know Sidonie and David, along with their guests, will never forget! It was an absolute dream being able to work with a Bride and Groom as gorgeous, stylish, and so in love which is easy to see in the photos of this special day.

Wedding Photography: Joy Marie Photographers / Ceremony Venue: Kunde Winery in Kenwood, California / Reception Venue & Catering: Kenwood Inn & Spa in Kenwood, California / Event Planning + Design: Lady Liberty Events / Wedding Cinematography: Moetic Wedding Films / Floral Design: Soulflower Floral Design / Wedding Cake: Angelica Patisserie / Ceremony Band: Starlite Strings / Reception Band: Pride & Joy / Lighting: Enhanced Lighting / Linens: La Tavola / Rentals: Hartmann Studios / Save The Date Video: Lola Video / Wedding Invitations: Bella Figura / Transportation: Beau Wine Tours / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Hair: Stella Stevens Hair Designs / Makeup: Glowing Bridal

Bella Figura, La Tavola Fine Linen Rental, Starlite Strings, Enhanced Lighting and Design, Soulflower Floral Design and Moetic Wedding Films are members of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

Bella Figura

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La Tavola Fine Linen Rental

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Starlite Strings

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Enhanced Lighting and Design

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Soulflower Floral Design

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Moetic Wedding Films

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I have to admit, I’ve spent the majority of my day swooning over the gorgeous details + the beautiful story behind this Vine Hill House wedding. The sweet couple chose a muted color palette to let the beautiful Sonoma surroundings shine and they infused their big day with seemingly effortless details  + personal touches to honor the groom’s late brother. Click here to see the rest of the images by the amazing Janae Shields Photography and don’t miss the beautiful film from Philip Alan Films right here!

 

From the Bride… Coming up with a wedding location was easy, as we both immediately thought back to our first visit together to Sonoma and knew Wine Country was the place. It was a place with meaning, based on our story, and a place we were very excited to share with family and friends, many of whom would be traveling here for the very first time from the East Coast. Researching potential venues was an overwhelming task, but we were lucky in that our research ended at the Vine Hill House, only the second stop on a long list of options. We were in awe of the the amazing views of rolling hills and vines and we just loved the dance floor – lit only by the stars and lights strung through the long overhanging tree branches.

We were inspired by the beautiful scenery at Vine Hill and chose pale, soft hues in shades of peach, pink, gray and green to complement the grounds and gardens. We didn’t want to choose a color scheme that would distract from the lovely surroundings. Our wedding day also included a lot of special touches that had personal meaning to us. For instance, we chose to serve pie for dessert to honor each of our beloved grandmothers who were wonderful pie makers in their day. We also hand made our wedding favors. We both love being in the kitchen and wanted to create something edible to thank our guests for sharing the day with us. We decided on jam because we could add wine to the recipes and therefore tie the favor to our wedding taking place in Wine Country. Further touching upon the wine theme, we also incorporated a guestbook that prompted our guests to leave a note for us in a wine bottle marked with a certain year anniversary. Now, with each anniversary we celebrate, we will crack open the wine bottle of that year and enjoy our guests wishes and sentiments from our wedding day. Our wedding bands were also a special consideration. Mine, handcrafted to match my antique engagement ring, dated from 1895 and Jonathan’s belonged to his brother, who sadly passed in 2011. When our sister-in-law gave us the ring, it had 8 diamonds in it. We had the diamonds removed and made into earrings for our nieces (Jonathan’s brother’s daughters), also our flower girls, and a pendant for his mother. These were presented as gifts just before the wedding and as a means for them to keep Jonathan’s brother close by on our special day. Jonathan, his groomsmen and his father, also honored his memory by pinning a small picture of him to the inside of their suit jackets.

Looking back, it is hard to pin point just a few favorite moments. There were so many! From our first look to our ceremony officiated by my witty cousin to dancing under the stars with an assortment of crazy props; it was the perfect mix of sentiment and fun. We feel truly blessed to have been able to have the wedding of our dreams. We worked with so many amazing vendors who embraced our vision and helped bring it to life. We are so grateful. We are also grateful that so many of our family and friends were willing to travel to share our special day and this special place with us. We hope our wedding will provide cherished memories for all of them, as it always will for us.

Wedding Photography: Janae Shields Photography / Wedding Venue: Vine Hill House in Sebastopol, California / Floral Design: Poppystone Floral Couture / Wedding Cinematography: Phillip Alan Films / Event Planning + Design: The Bride / Catering: Park Avenue Catering / Wedding Cake: Fleur De Lisa / Pies: Mom’s Apple Pie / Decor + Prop Set Up: Elsa Vera / Wedding Invitations: Wiley Valentine via New England Invitations / Favor Labels: Tipsey Graphics / Chalkboard + Seating Card Lettering: GreenVine Lettering / Wedding Dress: Blush by Jim Hjelm / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bride’s Jewelry: Janene’s Bridal Boutique / Wedding Rings: Seelenbacher Jewelers / Bridesmaids’ Attire: J.Crew / Flower Girls Attire: Seahorse by Watters / Groom’s Attire: Perry Ellis

Wiley Valentine, Janae Shields Photography and JLM Couture, Inc are members of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

Wiley Valentine

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Janae Shields Photography

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JLM Couture, Inc

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