They met in college and were BFF’s from the start.  After they graduated, that’s when things heated up and … voilá!

Here’s a bit of their story, straight from Amy, the beautiful bride …

Adam and I met on the first day of college at the University of Kansas. We lived on the same dorm floor and quickly became close friends. Throughout the years at college, I set Adam up on dates with my sorority sisters and even auctioned him off at a sorority auction! After college, I moved to Chicago, while Adam moved to San Francisco. Both single, Adam and I planned for me to visit him in San Francisco in early 2007. The rest is history. We dated long distance for a year and then I moved to San Francisco in 2008, where I happily accepted a position with Paula LeDuc Fine Catering.

Adam proposed to me the day after Thanksgiving 2008 at the Campanile bell tower in the heart of the University of Kansas’ campus. This is the exact same location his father proposed to his mother 36 years prior to our engagement!

BR Cohn Winery was the perfect location for our ceremony (at Fox Hill), as we wanted to get married under an old tree ~ a beautiful wine country setting.

As soon as we were engaged, Adam and I had no problem selecting colors or finding inspiration. I love all things nautical, so I went with navy, soft (dandelion) yellow, and papaya/coral. Our wedding colors complemented the gorgeous colors of the fall season. We incorporated stripes into our save the date, invitation, program, escort cards (Hello Lucky), centerpieces, groomsmen’s ties, and cake (Fleur de Lisa). The look was fairly preppy. We also used a lot of white to keep the look simple and allow for the colors to pop (floral/event design by Kathleen Deery Design).

Cake by Little Black Book member, Fleur de Lisa.

Floral Design~Kathleen Deery Design, Catering~Paula LeDuc Fine Catering.

Wedding invitations and other paper finery from LBB member, Hello Lucky.

It is obvious that the celebration was about Adam and me coming together. But even more than it being about us, it was about our family and friends. We wanted to show our Midwestern family and friends how wonderful Sonoma at harvest can be. We incorporated lovely Californian cuisine into the hors d‘oeuvres and certainly into our family style dinner.

As the evening grew colder, I put on a yellow cardigan embroidered with my new initials while the bridesmaid put on J-Crew navy cardigans. The guests were encouraged to choose a navy, yellow or papaya wrap (which I picked up in China Town for $6.50 a piece!). As the evening grew darker, the stunning lighting became more apparent to guests. Beautiful white linen lampshades were scattered throughout the Olive Grove. Got Light? lighting specialists also incorporated lots of yellow/orange/amber in the tree and architecture washes. The lighting made ALL of the difference. We capped the night off with warmed cider and petit candied apples!

Our wedding wouldn’t have come together without Jenna Ball, Event Manager, from Paula LeDuc Fine Catering. She was on site all morning getting us set up to perfection (not to mention the hours she spent with me before the celebration). All of our vendors were absolutely outstanding.

Credits: Photography-Elle Jae; Cake-Fleur de Lisa; Paper Design/Invitations-Hello Lucky; Venues-BR Cohn Winery; Rentals-Classic Party Rental; Catering-Paula LeDuc Fine Catering; Hair & MakeUp-It’s A Date; Dress-Priscilla of Boston; Floral/Design-Kathleen Deery Design; Band-All Star Jukebox; Lighting/Audio-Got Light?; Transportation-Pure Luxury; Ceremony Musicians-Bella Rosa String Quartet

* * *

Our thanks to Lisa & James for sharing their beautiful images of the day!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 30 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bari Jay, BR Cohn Winery, Elle Jae Photography, Fleur De Lisa Cakes, Got Light, Hello! Lucky, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, Priscilla of Boston, Wedding Logo, Winery
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Photography

Everyone met again at Moon Mountain Retreat. They were driven back to the BR Cohn vineyard for cocktails followed by dinner in the olive orchard. Carrie was thrilled to have a chance to wear her gorgeous gown one more time! Best of all, having the formal reception on the second evening meant that the bride and groom had plenty of energy when the serious dancing began … (Carrie was happy to change into her short sassy dress by this time)! How fun!

What a clever way to make the most of a wedding weekend with your best friends and family! Thanks ever-so-much to Lisa + James for this great story, the fantastic photos, and for being a part of our Little Black Book!

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | Comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BR Cohn Winery, California Weddings, Glen Ellen, Lisa + James, Little Black Book, Parasols, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

Carrie and Brian were planning their dream destination wedding … from Chicago to the Sonoma Valley wine country… when Carrie realized that fitting all of the elements of a wedding weekend into a few short days left them little time to truly enjoy the time with their family and friends. So, she and Brian came up with a clever solution. Why not spread the festivities into two fun-filled wedding days?  And that’s just what they did!

DAY ONE … began at the Moon Mountain Retreat in Sonoma. Carrie & Brian rented the entire property for friends and family. From there, their guests were driven to the BR Cohn Winery for an amazing sunset ceremony … followed by a champagne reception.

But … Day One wasn’t over yet …

Carrie and Brian wanted lots of time with their family and so after their reception, they met their family &  wedding party back at the Moon Mountain Retreat for an intimate dinner party. They weren’t ready to end this celebration just yet!

Photography by the so-so talented Lisa & James.

Day Two … coming right up …

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BR Cohn Winery, California Weddings, Glen Ellen, Grapevine Catering, Lisa-n-James, Moon Mountain Retreat, Priscilla of Boston, Wedding Day
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography